Photo by Dave Phillips/ Hand’s Colette Kraemer (6) and Guilford’s Zoe Demitrack battle for control of the ball.
GUILFORD — Ever since losing to Cheshire, 4-3 in the season opener, the Guilford girls’ soccer team has been perfect.
The Indians won their 13th consecutive game Saturday night with a 2-0 shutout of archrival Hand at Kavanaugh Field.
With the win, Guilford finished 6-0 in the Southern Connecticut Conference Hammonasset Division and 13-1 overall. The Indians didn’t allow a goal to any division opponent all season, collecting six shutouts.
Hand fell to 5-3-6 with the loss.
“I think we felt something in that loss that said to us that we were a really good team,” Guilford coach Scott McMahon said. “It’s not shocking to us that we’ve done this. It’s taken a lot of work.”
The Indians scored the only goal they needed 13 minutes, 19 seconds into the contest.
Gabi Sejourne sent the ball near the box and Hand goalkeeper Amy Boswell fell down trying to clear the ball out. Instead the ball ended up on the right foot of Maddie Weil who got the ball to Kyera Bryant, who put the ball into a wide-open net.
“She (Boswell) went down, there was a collision, one of my girls got pushed and they capitalized on it,” Hand coach Katie Hice said.
McMahon credited the play of Sejourne earlier on the play.
“It began with Gabi dribbling into the middle and putting the ball on net,” McMahon said. “When Hand tried to clear it, it went off her head and then it was panic for them and we got the goal. What a great effort by her.”
Guilford collected an insurance goal when Allison Stephens blasted a shot past Boswell from 20 yards out into the top-left corner.
“We wanted that second goal,” McMahon said. “We knew had some great opportunities. Their goalie is sensational and made some incredible saves.”
Guilford goalie Emily Stephens really was tested once, that coming late in the first half, but she knocked the ball aside.
“Our defense was solid and did a good job of clearing the ball out,” McMahon said.
Guilford outshot Hand 20-3.
“We challenged them a lot in their offensive third,” Hice said. “Whether we challenged their keeper is another thing, but I think we made them nervous. We got it up there, but it’s a matter of finishing the job.”
