Wyvern Nation Sports Wraps – October 21, 2021

ESports

KO Splatoon 2 @ Johnson Central HS (WIN): After days of practicing the different game modes and seriously improving their communication, led, unfortunately, to a disappointing KO foursome as the team from Johnson Central High School forfeited just before match time. While disappointed to lose a chance to compete, the Wyvern Inklings were pleased to pick up a breezy win, nonetheless, and are already looking forward to their match next Tuesday, Oct. 26.

KO League of Legends vs. The New School Atlanta (SPLIT 1-1) *Each W-L counts towards the team’s record

After going 2-2 in Block 1 (the first two weeks of the season), the KO Champions (as the players are named in League of Legends) set up with an evenly-matched team from The New School in Atlanta. The team of Mason Goldschlager ’22, Johnny Kung ’23, Michael He ’23, Ben Baby ’22, and Eason Tang ’25 found strong footing in the early game of Game 1, but then found themselves on their heels as The New School pushed hard into the lanes and took out KO turrets in quick succession. The Wyverns never recovered and lost Game 1. Game 2, however, got off to a different start. In the downtime between matches, the Wyverns were silent, focused on figuring out where they had gone wrong. The team came out stronger in the second game – thanks in no small part to excellent efforts from Johnny Kung ’23 – and found themselves with all the momentum as their match marched to the 30′ mark. A pivotal takedown of the TNS outer nexus tower opened up the mid lane and gave the team an opening to push forward, an opening the Wyverns exploited when they crashed the nexus a few minutes later. As the group rallied to find their form for a final push, they shattered The New School’s nexus and notched their first win as a five stack pulled themselves up to a respectable 3-3 record.

Field Hockey

The Varsity Field Hockey team won 1-0 against the Millbrook School in overtime on Oct. 9. The team played one of their best games. Alle Kotowitz ‘23 scored the game-winning OT goal to earn the big 1-0 victory and game ball. The game was very physical, but the Wyverns were able to hold their own and keep playing hard. The girls connected with passing and possession. This was a great TEAM win all around!  

The Varsity Field Hockey team lost to Kent 0-5 on Oct. 13. However, the score does not reflect how the Wyverns played. The team was able to hold Kent at 0-2 at halftime. The defense line, led by Allie Wildstein ‘22, did a great job in the circle and blocked many passes, including goalie Caroline Boardman ‘22. The team knew Kent was going to be a strong opponent heading into the game. The girls fought hard but couldn’t capitalize in the attacking circle. 

The Varsity Field Hockey team lost 2-1 against Ethel Walker on Oct. 15. The team started off the first half strong leading 1-0 against Ethel Walker. The Wyverns held onto the lead until the fourth quarter. Walker scored two quick goals back to back, defeating the Wyverns 2-1. Even though the Wyverns couldn’t capitalize on scoring opportunities, Alyssa Pavano ‘22 earned the game ball and had some great breakaways into the attacking circle. Some unlucky calls didn’t work in KO’s favor, but the team kept their heads high and continued to play hard. 

The Varsity Field Hockey team upset Hopkins 2-1 on Oct. 16 with a great win. Alyssa Pavano ‘22 scored the first goal assisted by Katharine Doar ‘22 within the first minute of the game. Hopkins answered right away with a goal. The Wyverns dominated the remainder of the game, letting the ball cross our 50-yard line only a few times. Finally, Arie Lang ‘22 scored a beautiful game-winning goal off of a corner. Lang earned the game ball for her attacking and defensive strength in the midfield and textbook goal to defeat Hopkins. 

The Middle School Field Hockey team came away with a 3-0 against Renbrook on Oct. 16. The Wyverns were on a mission to score and win…..and they did just that! The early game on the grass full of morning dew was new to KO, but they adapted quickly and began to build offensive momentum. A corner in the first half resulted in the Wyverns first goal of the season. Taylor Benavides ’27 strongly inserted the ball to Brigette Russell ’26 who did her job pushing it onto goal, and Abigail Wildstein ’26 finished the play into the back of the cage for the 1-0 lead. This sparked excitement from the team, and they continued to press offensively. Sierra Wells ’27 was next to score when she took a strong shot that was blocked by the Renbrook goalie, Wells followed her ball to receive her own rebound and scored for the 2-0 tally. Lastly, Jenna Kanaan ’25 got an assist from Russell and put the final goal of the day in the cage. Linnea Knox ’27 and Vivanne Beaule ’26 played a solid game offensively and defensively to keep the ball out to the sides. Benavides and Lily Margolis ’26 were stellar in the middle helping ignite our offense. The Wyverns welcome Renbrook to the KO turf on Friday, October 22 for a rematch at 2:45 p.m.; come out to cheer them on to victory! 

Soccer 

The JV Girls’ Soccer team lost 0-1 against Ethel Walker on Oct. 15. It was a well-fought game, with the Wyverns controlling the first half with nine shots on goal compared to Ethel Walker’s two. The second half was closely contested and a cross that deflected off a KO defender ended up being the only goal of the game. The Wyverns kept fighting and kept the pressure on in the offensive end, but just couldn’t get the ball in the net. KO had solid performances from Emma St. Clair ‘25, Tess Chapman ‘23, and Yzzy Albert ‘25 in the midfield along with Liv Gallup ‘25 and Pauline Golder ‘24 on defense.

The JV Girls’ Soccer team lost 1-2 against Pomfret on Oct. 16, in what was another tough road loss in a 24-hour time span. The Wyverns controlled the game from the outset and outshot their opponents but again struggled to get the ball in the net. KO’s only goal came from Tess Chapman ‘23 off a direct kick that she placed beautifully right under the crossbar. Pauline Golder ‘24 and Liv Gallup ‘25 again had strong games on the defensive end of the field. 

The JV Boys’ Soccer team fell 0-2 against Pomfret on Oct. 16. The team had trouble generating chances most of the game, in addition to facing tough weather and pitch conditions. On two of those rare occasions, Bennett Smith ‘25 shot wide from a close range. After being down 0:1 at halftime, Aidan Ladewig ‘23 came close to tieing the game with a bending shot that the opponent’s goalie somehow deflected over the left post with the tip of his fingers. With about 15 minutes left, Pomfret sealed their victory with the second goal on a fast breakaway. 

The Middle School B Soccer team tied 3-3 against Renbrook on Oct. 16. This was an exciting first game, with twenty athletes, many of whom this was their first game experience and the team came to play. Battling back from a 2-0 deficit in the first half, the Wyverns led in the second half until the last 30 seconds.  Each and every player gave it their all when they were on the pitch; aggressively attacking the ball, passing carefully to teammates, and learning to control the ball against the pressure of a strong Renbrook team. Isabela Tippner ‘28, Cole Gallagher ‘28, and Henry Jacobs ‘27 found Renbrook’s net for the three goals and were supported by Dylan Albert ‘28. Noah Sadowsky ‘28 and Aaron Anstead ‘28. The defensive line was led by Riley Mapp ‘26, Jason Chen ‘26, Beckett Santapietro ‘28, and Jacob Boghosian ‘27 who tenaciously fought off every attack of the Renbrook offense. The coaches were so proud of the team and enjoyed the sunny, fall day with good soccer.

The Middle School Boys’ A Soccer team lost 1-3 against Har-bur on Oct. 13. It was a well-played game and Har-Bur was every bit as good as the Wyverns anticipated. They controlled the play for the first 15 minutes but thanks to goalie Sawyer Burtman ‘26 the score remained 0-0. Then KO scored in the 21st  minute on only their second shot of the game off of a direct kick. The ball was fed in from 35 yards away by wingback Jordan Cipriano ‘26 to Declan Griffiths ‘26 whose shot was initially saved by the Har-Bur goalie, and Brandon Dalession ‘26 was there to tuck the rebound into the back of the net. Less than five minutes later, Har-Bur leveled the score with a shot that deflected off a player, which made it impossible for Sawyer to save. Har-Bur then scored a second goal shortly before halftime to give them a 2-1 edge at the half. The second half saw KO pressure the Har-Bur backline and the Wyverns nearly scored the equalizer. With a little over five minutes left and still down a goal, KO was left with no choice but to push one of their backs upfront. Ultimately, Har-Bur notched a third goal past Daniel Rivera ‘27, who did well to come off his line but the Har-Bur player hit a fine shot with two minutes left. The final score was 3-1, as both teams played with energy and skill. 

The Middle School Boys’ A Soccer team won 1-0 against Renbrook on Oct. 16. On Saturday morning they played their annual game against Renbrook on their fall sports day. It was a perfect weather day for soccer, and it was certainly an exciting game. We controlled play for good stretches of the first half, only to be stymied by the Renbrook goalkeeper through the first 25 minutes. Then, out of nowhere, Pratt Blair ’26 struck a ball from 30 yards out that arched perfectly over the Renbrook goalie for the first and what turned out to be the only goal of the match. In the second half, Renbrook came out strong and in the opening minute of the half broke in on the right side and it took a fantastic save from Daniel Rivera ’27 to keep Renbrook off the scoreboard. After getting a hand on the shot, the ball caromed off the far post and was cleared harmlessly away. KO’s Sawyer Burtman ’26  later rattled a ball off the Renbrook post from a blast 20 yards out. Ultimately, KO’s backline, led by Ronan Culligan ’26, Jordan Cipriano ’26, Ryan Jo ’27, and Ciaran Concepcion ’26 held off a furious late charge from Renbrook. The end result was a hard-earned 1-0 win. Next up is a home match vs. Wilbraham-Monson at 3:30.

The Varsity Girls’ Soccer team lost to Pomfret 3-2 on Oct. 16. The team got off to a strong start and were up 1-0 7 minutes into the first half. The goal was scored by Olivia Schaller ‘25 assisted by Georgia Louis ‘24. Pomfret equalized and then immediately took the lead on two breakaways to end the first half. Pomfret scored the third goal at the beginning of the second half, but KO answered with a goal by Kaiya Deurloo ‘22, assisted by Gianna Christiana ‘22. The Wyverns controlled the majority of the play but just couldn’t muster enough offense to equalize. 

The JV Girls’ Soccer team won 4-2 against Choate on Oct. 20. The Wyverns controlled the majority of the game giving Choate minimal opportunities to make a run at the goal. Tess Chapman ‘23 scored all four of KO’s goals. Two of the goals came off of direct kicks, one of which was awarded to KO due to a hustle play by Miya Scranton ‘25. The final goal came as the result of scrappy play by Clara Drag ‘25 which kept the ball alive for Chapman to get a shot off. Samhita Kashyap ‘22 played a strong game at back and midfield for the Wyverns. 

The JV Boys’ Soccer team came away with a 4-2 victory against the Frederick Gunn School on Oct. 20. After a sloppy start when the boys gave up a goal seconds into the game, the team did not panic and gradually took over the game. Alex Levine ‘24 tied the score on a penalty kick after he had been tripped in the box and then Grant Pennoyer ‘22 and Jackson Balog ‘25 scored each with well-aimed shots.  In the second half, the boys extended their lead when Levine scored again after a great ball movement by several KO’s players, culminating with a beautiful pass by Garrett Kelly ‘23. 

Volleyball
The Varsity Volleyball team, after a contentious battle in the previous match, was prepared to start off the match against the Pomfret Griffins on the right foot, resulting in the Wyverns extending their winning streak to 7 matches in a 3-0 win (25-14, 25-23, 25-9) on Oct. 16. In the first set, the Wyverns went back and forth with the Griffins for some longer points as each team adjusted to the other’s defense. KO eventually pulled ahead with some clinical hitting from co-captain Keira Sullivan ‘23 on the outside. The Wyverns also showed great improvisation, with various net attacks from Lindsay Bailey ‘22 in the middle and with spur-of-the-moment setting from Allie Arcaro ‘24 in the libero position. Solid defense and the adaptable offense gave the Wyverns the edge in the first set. In the second set, a monster service run from Sullivan put KO in the lead, and Kata Mesterhazy ‘23 alternated with Bailey in making aggressive net decisions when the ball was hanging free at the net. Jill Plaut ‘23 provided a variety of smooth sets so Quin Kearney ‘23 could pummel some hits from the right side and Avi Lohr ‘24 could move our offense forward with her outside hitting. In the third set, Ava Cashman ‘24 started us off with five serves in a row, and we never turned back from that lead. Bailey added another major service run to KO’s tally, and Jillian Alexander ‘24 coordinated attacks from the middle helped us put the third set away. The team was in it to win it from the very first point, and they carried that momentum as consistently as ever! 

The Varsity Volleyball team had an exciting and challenging 3-1 win (22-25, 25-13, 25-17, 25-20) against the Williston Wildcats on Oct. 13 to continue their winning streak to six in a row. In the first set, the Wyverns were forced to adjust to shallow serving and short attacks at the net from the Wildcats. After falling behind near the end of the set, KO showed a clear change in momentum with a service run from Allie Arcaro ‘24 to keep us in the set and precision hitting from Ava Cashman ‘24. Some late battles in the opening set demonstrated the Wyverns’ willingness to step up their game as the match rolled on. In the second set, co-captain Mackenzie Caruso ‘22 continued her stellar season of serving with punishing serves that gave KO a lead we wouldn’t lose. Jill Plaut ‘23 set the ball on a silver platter for co-captain Keira Sullivan ‘23 to make her kills from the outside look easy, and Naomi Wong ‘22 made sure our right side offense was threatening as well. The second set became the much-needed, momentous comeback from which the Wyverns would never look back. In the third set, the Wyverns continued their solid serving to keep the lead, including impressive runs from Plaut and Cashman. In the fourth set, the team stayed hungry and took Coach McDonald’s words to heart, “nothing hits the floor!” it was an all-out effort from the whole team to keep the momentum going and take the win in front of an especially lively crowd!

The JV Volleyball team moved to 7-0 on Oct. 16, defeating Pomfret in straight sets (25-15; 25-17). The team continued to improve in terms of gelling as a unit, despite some players contributing in positions they had not played before. Jhanvi Daddala ’23 did well playing on the backline in addition to her regular position in the front, while Charlotte Eberle ‘23, and Els Morris ‘25 added points from the front line. Speaking of the front line, Alex Segal ‘25 and Sophia Brunalli ‘23 were impressive as a blocking duo. With this away victory under our belts, the team is looking forward to traveling to Worcester Academy on Wednesday!