A glance at the standings hinted at the pressure the New Canaan field hockey team was feeling. The runner-ups in the 2009 state championships had yet to win a game, and for a while on Thursday it looked like Brien McMahon would keep it that way. Great defense and some incredible saves by goalkeeper Amanda Milanovich held off a furious Senators attack to put the Rams in the win column, 2-1.
"We had a bit of a slow start, but we still have the same goals as last year -- win the FCIAC and the state title," Milanovich said. "We have a lot of new players and it was just a matter of getting them all to gel. I think after today we have our mojo back."
New Canaan was clicking in the first half, dominating time of possession in the McMahon end of the field. Alexandra Jonker got the Rams on the board off a nice pass from Carol Falcone, collecting her own rebound off the goalie and slamming it home. Anjelique Kyriakos added an insurance goal three minutes later.
It was a good thing the Rams got the extra goal, because McMahon came out in the second half refocused. The Senators got on the board with just under 19 minutes to play, cutting the lead to 2-1. McMahon had three corner passes and five shots on goal in the final five minutes, but Milanovich denied them.
"It was kind of nerve-racking being one of the only teams in the FCIAC without a win," Kyrakos said. "But now that we have one on the board, the rest will start to roll in. There's been a lot of pressure on us this year, but I think from here we can only go up."
The Rams now stand at 1-1-2 on the season. New Canaan has a tough week ahead with games against Cheshire, Greenwich and Staples.
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