Thrice is Nice: Granby Field Hockey Wins Third Straight Class S Title

In the end, the Irresistible Force defeated the Immovable Object on Saturday afternoon at Cottone Field in Wethersfield, as the field hockey team defeated Laurelton Hall 1-0 in double overtime to claim its third consecutive state Class S title.

The lone goal came when Mia Olsen, after starting a penalty corner, parked on the left post and tipped in Haley Makuch’s shot from the top of the circle with 2:04 remaining in the second overtime, capping a Granby Memorial offensive onslaught that featured 26 shots and 24 penalty corners to Laurelton Hall’s two and five in those respective categories.

“It was perfect,” Olsen said of the game-winning play that came when both sides had been reduced to seven-on-seven for the overtime periods. “I was so happy we finally got a goal in overtime. I was so excited that this was over and we won.”

Credit Laurelton Hall goalie Caitlin Bennett (25 saves), who ventured as far as five yards out from the goal line when Granby forwards wound up for their shots.

“Their goalie came out really far,” Olsen said. “We had to learn to go to the post a little more. Once we figured that out, it worked well.”

“We weren’t hitting the corners as much as we should have,” Makuch added. “After the 20th corner, we realized that what we were doing wasn’t working.”

Granby Memorial head coach Sandy Wickman was thrilled that Olsen bagged the game-winner.

“She’s a defender and for her to be up there, she’s so excited to be in the attack,” Mason said.

The goal and the victory were especially sweet for Makuch, a senior forward who had a penalty stroke stopped by a diving Bennett in the first half.

“It’s a big weight off my shoulders,” said Makuch, who will play field hockey next year at The College of the Holy Cross. “I’ve been here for four years. It’s just great to go out with a win.”

While it was the third straight Class S title and 13th ever for Granby Memorial (17-1), head coach Mason said that this championship is different because it was won without All-American Abby Bascetta, who is now playing field hockey at Boston College.

“When Abby played with us, we knew,” Mason said. “And this team at the beginning of the season, they didn’t know. Now they know.”

Yet despite Granby Memorial’s reputation as being a field hockey powerhouse in the state, Laurelton Hall (15-1-3-1) was far from intimidated as it came out swinging in the first half and pushed the pace in the opening 25 minutes of play.

“We don’t talk about any of that stuff,” Laurelton Hall head coach Theresa Napolitano said of Granby Memorial’s legacy. “It’s just another field hockey team and another uniform. The game is the game. Tradition doesn’t come on the field except for the confidence that you can play here.”

Indeed, the Crusaders took it to the Bears in the early going, pressuring Granby Memorial’s defense and forcing goalkeeper Nicole Kuhnly to make two excellent saves.

Mason credited Kuhnly and defenders Olsen, Kate Mooney and Mackenzie Brower for holding fast in the face of the Crusaders attack.

“They held strong,” Mason said. “Nicole made two big saves. That’s hard to do to be in and out of the action.”

What’s more, Laurelton Hall’s defenders, particularly by Sydney Spitz and Christina Gould, were on Granby Memorial’s sticks during the first half an hour.

When the Bears managed to break through with shots, Bennett was there to make key save after key save.

“Their goalie was outstanding,” Mason said of Bennett. “She was amazing.”

But with Makuch relentlessly pushing forward on attack in the second half, it was only a matter of time before Granby Memorial scored.

“She was the only one who I felt like had a good first half,” Mason said of Makuch’s play. “We came out a little bit sluggish in the beginning.”

Still, it took nearly 78 minutes before Olsen’s goal prevented Granby Memorial from having to share the title with Laurelton Hall.

“Probably the hardest part would have been that we played a game that we didn’t score,” Mason said of the possibility of being shut out. “We were able to score all season. That’s one of our strengths.”

The victory capped an oustanding tournament run for the Bears, who did not all a goal in the four postseason games.

All that was left for the Bears’ players to do when the ball hit the back of the cage was to celebrate.

“I thought we play with a lot of effort and a lot of heart,” Makuch said. “Everyone left it out on the field and it’s really great.”

Correction: the original version of this article misidentified Granby's third defender as Kelsey Iwanicki. The defender was Mackenzie Brower. The Granbys Patch regrets the error.