May 16, 2008
Top of the world: Ram girls drive to first in FCIAC golf
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New Canaan High girls’ golf coach Dave Fine likes to remind people, as he puts it, “on any day, anything can happen” in a sport as unpredictable as golf.
So when someone suggests to him that the Rams are a heavy favorite to win the FCIAC championship this year — as many have done — the cautiously guarded coach is quick to point out how three other talented teams will be gunning for the same prize.
But whether he wants to hear it or not, even Fine has to admit New Canaan has clearly established itself as the team to beat when the FCIAC girls’ golf tournament takes place May 27 at the Smith Richardson Golf Course in Fairfield.
The Rams, 8-0 in the FCIAC entering Wednesday’s key match against Staples, have already secured their spot in the four-team tournament. But Fine will be the first to tell you a one-day tournament is a crapshoot and if the top seed — even a team as talented as New Canaan — has an off-day on the course, an upset could be in the offering.
Then again, if the Rams play anywhere near the consistent golf they’ve displayed this spring, they will certainly be hard to overtake.
“They’ve really come together as a team,” Fine said after New Canaan scored a 183-212 non-league win over Lauralton Hall on Monday to improve to 11-0 overall. “They’re playing better and better everyday, and if we continue to do what we’ve been doing and finish out the season strong, we have a chance.”
He’s not the only one who feels that way.
“I definitely think so,” echoed senior co-captain Ellie Deluca, the Rams’ No. 1 golfer. “Last year we came pretty close. We were only three strokes away from winning the FCIAC and this year’s team is much stronger. So I definitely think we have a good chance.”
Deluca and the Rams face a few more major tests before the conference championships in a week and a half, starting with Wednesday’s home match against Staples, the defending FCIAC and state champs.
In fact, the Westporters were also unbeaten coming into that match with a record of 4-0-1 in the league and 8-0-1 overall.
“That will be a big match for us,” Fine said after Monday’s win.
The Rams will be right back at the Country Club of New Canaan today to face a Danbury team that could also be in the playoffs.
“We beat them earlier this season at Richter, but they’re still a solid team and they have five girls with the ability to play well,” Fine said. “Like I say all the time, on any day, it can be a totally different match.”
Then on Monday, the Rams play at Greenwich, another FCIAC playoff-bound team that began the week 4-1-1 in the conference and with an 8-1-1 overall mark.
“We know we’re going to face both Greenwich and Staples in the FCIAC tournament, so it’s a chance to see how we can do against them,” Fine said.
Deluca, for one, was looking forward to the challenge.
“Staples has always been very good and Greenwich is better than they were before,” she said.
The Rams won’t have much time to rest. On Tuesday, they close out the regular season by hosting Darien, a 1-5-1 team that’s not going to the playoffs, but tied Staples this season.
“Darien played a great match,” Fine noted, “and Staples didn’t play very good, so you ended up having an upset.”
Apparently that’s what the New Canaan coach means when he says “on any day, anything can happen.”
Fairfield Ludlowe is another team in the playoff chase, battling Danbury for the fourth and final berth, and the Rams beat the Falcons 183-214 last week.
In that match, New Canaan’s top four golfers all broke 50 at the par-37 CC of NC course as Deluca fired a 40, junior Laura Valk shot a 45, and sophomore Emily Milano and junior Phoebe Davis each carded 49s.
In Monday’s win over Lauralton Hall, Deluca shot a 43, Valk a 45, sophomore Bridgett Maguire a 47 and Milano a 48.
“The past couple of matches they’ve all shot under 50, and they’re changing positions (among the top five) on who scores,” Fine pointed out. “They’re doing a great job staying consistent, too. Even when someone does not have a great round, they don’t blow up. They hold together.”
That wasn’t the case the last couple of seasons. Last year, Valk won her second consecutive FCIAC individual championship, while Deluca finished runner-up, giving the Rams the best one-two punch in the conference.
There was a big drop, however, at the three, four and five positions.
This year New Canaan is getting production from everyone in the lineup and that’s been the biggest difference.
“Laura and I were usually the only ones to shoot low scores last year,” Deluca said. “But this year all the other girls have stepped up and that’s made us a much stronger team.”
Deluca has certainly done her part to set the tone, earning medalist honors in all but two of New Canaan’s matches.
“Ellie is one of the best golfers in the state right now,” Fine said. “Her game is just unbelievable. She has every shot in her bag and uses them consistently. She is the leader of this team and does a great job on and off the course.”
“I’m glad I’m having my best season so far as a senior,” Deluca said. “There were some things I tried to work on last summer that’s really helped me a lot this year.”
Hopefully they’ll continue to do so. A week after the FCIAC Championships on the 27th, the Rams will look to add a state title to their resume on June 3.
And if things really work out well, they may even hit the trifecta and go undefeated this season.
Just don’t mention that to Fine.
“I’m the type of coach who doesn’t talk about those kinds of things,” he laughed. “I like to let things happen the way they happen. Our focus is on two things, winning the FCIAC and state championships.”
Some of his players, however, are at least thinking about an undefeated season.
“We always joke about it and it is something we think about,” Deluca said. “Our No. 1 goal is to win the FCIAC and state championships, but we also hope we can go undefeated.”
“They definitely are focused,” Fine said. “They’re jelling as a team, they’ve having fun together, and they’re playing well together.”
What’s really scary, though, is the NCHS coach thinks the Rams can play even better than they’ve shown so far.
“All five girls have not played up to their potential on the same day yet,” he said. “We’re waiting for May 27 and June 3 to do that.”
© Copyright 2008 by Hersam Acorn Newspapers
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