Farmington Girls to Rely on Cohesive Team Play

Parity has caught up with the Farmington High girls soccer team.

The Indians ravaged the old Northwest Conference, falling into second place only occasionally when Berlin broke through.

Farmington went an unthinkable 147-13-12 in the NWC over the first eight years of the last decade. But with the proliferation of Northwest Catholic, and a schedule filled with two games each against Conard, Hall, Southington and Newington, the Indians have had their loss totals rise with each of the last three years.

The competition is no less daunting in 2011.

“We turned it around and had a very good win in the state tournament but we dug ourselves a hole early in the year that we couldn’t get out of,” head coach Steve Jarvis said.

After the first four games, Farmington was in a very unfamiliar spot at 1-3-2. They won a first-round Class L tourney match on the road at Fairfield Warde, 1-0, before bowing out against Avon.

“There are a lot more players playing year round now and the talent that comes to us is cyclical,” Jarvis said. “That’s what we’ve seen. The last two years, Northwest Catholic has been the powerhouse in the CCC West. We’ll see if we can fight our way back to the top.”

The Indians won the West in 2008, but fell to third in 2009. Last year, they were second, but 7-4-3 to Northwest’s 13-1.

If Farmington is to surge back in contention, it will be without a superstar.

“There are no individuals to single out,” Jarvis said. “It will be a team effort if we’re to be successful.

“Every single game is going to boil down to an individual stepping up, and it’s not going to always be the same one. There is enough potential for everyone to have a moment in the sun.”

Chynna Jarrett and Caitlin Reeves are the captains.

Three starting defenders — Marissa Paiano, Grace Dunn and Reeves — return, so Jarvis is looking for one more to “slide in.” Seniors Amber Manning, Liz Chamberlain and Dominique Papa are in the mix.

Defense, however, hasn’t been at issue. The Indians were only scored upon 17 times, but goals (26 last year with 13 in the two games against New Britain) have come at a premium and Jarvis will be conducting personnel experiments as the early games transpire.

“We’ll be using different players on a rotational basis to see who is going to put the ball in the back of the net,” he said. “I may use eight to 10 players until I find the right combination.

“We have enough depth, but who’s going to show up and pull the trigger?”

Sisters Celia and Olivia Devoe, who progressed with each game last year, loom as keys to the midfield. Sophomore Courtney Hofer is expected to start in goal.

FARMINGTON

Coach: Steve Jarvis (6th year, 63-18-13)

Last Year: 8-7-3 (7-4-3 CCC West, 2nd); lost to Avon in ‘L’ 2nd round

Key Losses: Alex Deluse, Kristin Jones, Michelle Truncali

Players: Chynna Jarrett (sr. capt., F), Caitlin Reeves (sr. capt., F/D), Amber Manning (sr., F), Liz Chamberlain (sr., D), Dominique Papa (sr., D), Celia Devoe (jr., MF), Marissa Paiano (jr. D), Grace Dunn (jr. D), Jerissa Goncalves (jr. F), Kaitlyn Baker (jr. D/MF/F), Megan Brockelman (jr. D/M), Becky Kulak (jr. GK/F), Olivia Devoe (so. MF), Courtney Hofer (so. GK)

Of Note: Indians look to stop the three-year trend of diminishing wins (12 in 2008, 11 in 2009, 8 in 2010) …