New Canaan Girls Lacrosse Caps Perfect Season

NEW CANAAN, Conn. – Perfection won't cut it for the New Canaan High girls lacrosse team.

The Rams put the finishing touches on their best regular season in program history with a thrilling 13-10 win over Wilton on Wednesday evening, capping off a perfect 16-0 year. But the celebration was brief because the players know it won’t mean much unless a championship is added to it.

“We knew there was a lot of hype about it, and people kept telling us, ‘Oh, you’re going undefeated,’” New Canaan’s Olivia Hompe said. “But anyone who’s watched the games this season against Wilton or Darien or Greenwich or Staples know the [conference] title is really up for grabs.”

After Wilton jumped out to a 6-4 halftime lead, Hompe led the charge back for New Canaan in a wild second half. The standout junior gave New Canaan its first lead in an impressive display of athleticism. Hompe spun around a defender and fired a sidearm shot from 15 yards out to put the game’s momentum in New Canaan’s corner.

Wilton was not about to go quietly, however, as it knotted the game at 10-10 with six minutes to play. Just 30 seconds later, Brianna McEwan put New Canaan up for good and locked up the perfect season.

Seven Rams players found their way into the scorebook, led by Hompe’s four goals. Sarah Mannelly added three tallies, Kristine Ryan scored twice and McEwan, Isabel Taben, Lily Citrin and Bea Eppler each scored once.

New Canaan will begin play in the conference playoffs Friday, with the first game tentatively scheduled for 4 p.m. The Rams are the tournament’s top seed.

“If you look at all the scores of the games of the top teams in the [conference], not everything is as clear-cut as you might think,” Hompe said. “Come playoffs it’s going to be whoever shows up and who’s hungry.”

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