Coach Diane Tanzi named all seven seniors captains of the team.
By Melanie Cane
Coach Diane Tanzi named all seven seniors captains of the team. While two of them — Julia Pfohl and Maeve Cambria — are out for the season due injury, the team has achieved a 7-4 record, thanks to co-captains Jamie Corelli, Lily Dennis, Caroline Gillespie, Emma Irwin, and Nicole Shapiro, and five other returning players, and two newcomers.
The Gryphons have been so dominant in some of their matchups that they switch to using their non-dominant hands or practice plays to limit the margin by which they win. This was the case in their April 28 game against Portledge, which the Gryphons won 15-6.
In the first half, Holy Child scored four times before Portledge succeeded in moving the ball down field. Dennis scored off the draw 40 seconds into the game. Freshman breakout player Madison Warne scored off a steal 25 seconds later. Irwin scored a minute later, and Bridget Hans found the net a minute after that.
Gryphon goalie Maggie Semprevivo made a great save at the 21-minute mark and easily cleared the ball. Dennis scored off the fast break and then the Gryphons intercepted the Panthers’ clear on a ride. This led to a major foul and Hans scoring on an 8 meter. Hans scored again a minute later on a pass from Warne, and then Warne scored on a well-executed play. Portledge scored their first goal at the 9:42 mark and then again a minute later. Holy Child went on a six-goal run after that, and Portledge scored with two minutes left in the half. At the buzzer, the Gryphons led 14-3.
Holy Child’s offensive players leisurely passed the ball around and around the Panthers’ goal without taking a shot for the first six minutes of the second half before Portledge stole the ball behind the goal. The Gryphons stole it back. Portledge intercepted a pass, but they were unable to convert on their possession. The rest of the half was characterized by a lot of steals and interceptions by both teams, but not much scoring. Portledge scored three times, the Gryphons scored once. Hans scored four times, and Warne three.
