9U New Canaan Rams Baseball Bests Monroe for Tourney Title
—submitted by Greg Hickey
The 9U New Canaan Rams
The 9U New Canaan Rams ran the table in the 2017 Kindness Tournament in Bethel.
They jumped out to an early lead in their opening game against Easton, tacking on 11 in the first frame, to win 18-4.
Michael Marciano and Adrian Delicata got the bats started for the Rams in the 1st. Strong base running by Joseph Cerami, Ben Leibowitz and Lucas Jetnil added to the lead they never relinquished.
The 9U New Canaan Rams
Stewart Hellman and Andrew Zoccolillo made quick work from the mound silencing the Easton bats, allowing only 5 hits.
The afternoon game against Newtown was broken open in the bottom of second with big hits and crafty base running from Grant Hickey, Nick Stern, Jake Valente and Connor Eich.
The big lefthander Delicata started on the mound pitching a gem and turned it over to Finn Roeder to finish off Newtown.
The 9U New Canaan Rams
The last game in pool play was against a gritty Monroe team. Hickey took the mound and pitched a great start, a low scoring tug of war into the 4th. Zoccolillo laced a clutch double in the 5th to help the Rams tack on 5. Mason McClave got some great support from his staff taking the mound in the 6thinning, showing grit and passion in his effort than most 9 year olds.
The 9U New Canaan Rams
Valente made two amazing catches off the bats of Monroe to seal the victory, 8-4. If the battle against Monroe wasn’t tough enough, the New Canaan players and parents had to wait 4 hours to play the Championship game on Leonard Field.
New Canaan would meet Monroe again in the Tournament Final.
Hellmann took the mound and made quick work taking the bats out of the hands of Monroe team. Early runs again proved to be the difference for the Rams, Leibowitz and Zoccolillo both doubled in the bottom of the second. Three runs in that inning and a great relief effort from Delicata proved to be all they needed to capture the title. The Rams ended the season with six straight wins, taking some much needed momentum into the summer season.
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Momentum Builds for New Canaan Football Club 2007 Boys Red
—submitted by Ed Ho
Memorial Day – the much anticipated arrival of warm weather (maybe by the 4th this year?) and a three day weekend that we all celebrate with family getaways, barbecues, and … soccer tournaments! But, let’s not forget the real meaning of this great American weekend – remembering those who paid the ultimate sacrifice to preserve the freedoms and liberties that we enjoy in this great country of ours. Thank you and know that the NCFC boys honor you.
Top: L-R Drew DeGaetano, Rogan Lowe, Coach Hahn. Middle: Brooks Walker, Javier Minuesa, Sajan Shah, Joaquin Blanco, William Arnold. Bottom: Max “Ocho” Maggard, Dylan Ho, Shane McMahon, Chase Harden, Rohan Shenoy
One of the small liberties we as parents of the NCFC 2007 Boys Red team cherish is watching our kids play and acting like the silliest wildest supporters in the entire state. To add to our usual state of excitability, the boys lost their three first matches after being promoted to the elite division and the eagerness for the team’s first win was reaching a feverish pitch with boys and parents alike.
Match 1 of 4 NCFC vs Stamford Gold
Javier Minuesa, who raised his game in the offseason with a dedicated training program, struck first with two lovely passes from William Arnold and Max “Ocho” Maggard. Stamford dug in and equalized late in the match. As hopes of the team’s first victory seemed to fade with time winding down, Dylan Ho took the ball deep into Stamford territory by dribbling deftly around the Gold defense. A small touch to his stronger left foot, a crisp shot into the upper right and the sweet taste of victory was once again ours. That sweet taste, in addition to the sweet delicacies in the NC tent/incredible buffet organized by the Shah family, created the weekend excitement we all hungered for.
Match 2 vs New Milford
Finding confidence in life occupies enormous shelf space in today’s self-help industry. Here’s my contribution – you create confidence by winning. The NCFC Boys victory vs Stamford unleashed the swagger the team needed. Eight unanswered goals in the first half with scoring contributions coming from Rohan Shenoy and Rogan Lowe, Sajan Shah and Brooks Walker. Drew DeGaetano found his stride playing the opposition with ferocity and aggressiveness while Shane McMahon seemed to cover the entire pitch with his hustle and desire.
Match 3 vs Weston
I highlight Javier Minuesa again because all the boys can benefit from his example. He worked as hard as Rocky Balboa over the winter and the team now sees the benefits during match play. Javier scored first with a successful penalty kick and is the team’s leading scorer. Hard work pays off boys! And so does good old-fashioned John Wayne manliness as Weston tried to intimidate the Red with a very rough, physical style of play. Playing out their own version of “True Grit,” the Red Boys answered with their own well-mannered, competitive fire in full display. Building on a 2-1 lead in the second half, Ocho answered the call for a goal. And just like Dylan Ho and Daniel Day Lewis, Max took his left foot and turned it into glory putting his finest performance into the back of the Weston net. Next up, Chase Harden. After getting knocked on his butt in the penalty area, Chase dusted himself off and capped off a well deserved 4-1 victory with a perfect PK. Match of the Day!
Match 4 vs Ridgefield
A few disputed calls led to a narrow defeat to Ridgefield 4-3. But the result did not tarnish what turned out to be a glorious day for the Red Boys, the coaches and the parents. And what will be remembered is that the best things in life are worth fighting for…family, honor and country.