News

Wreckers End New Canaan Girls Soccer’s Season in 2016 CIAC Class LL Opener

By |

After finishing on the outside of the FCIAC tournament field, the New Canaan girls soccer team was eager to get back out on the pitch and see if it could duplicate last year’s impressive state tournament run when the 2015 girls rode upset after upset all the way to the CIAC Class LL semifinals. And after a two week layoff, which included a CIAC seeding error that caused their scheduled first round contest on Monday at Middletown to be cancelled, the Rams were finally back in action on Wednesday afternoon—this time at familiar FCIAC foe Staples, who became New Canaan’s opponent after the CIAC’s error was resolved. But after a promising first 18 minutes of back-and-forth action, the Wreckers took the lead with a goal in the 19th minute and never relinquished it, shutting the Rams out in their season finale, 3-0. “I was encouraged by our start,” head coach Rich Hickson told NewCanaanite.com. “I thought we had a good start to the game which was nice with how long it’s been since we last played.

News

‘A Game of Inches’: Post Gets in Way of NC Girls Soccer’s Upset Bid, Ties Westhill 1-1

By |

After a disappointing home loss to Trumbull on Tuesday, the Rams (3-2-3) were back in action Thursday afternoon against Westhill (6-0-2). And after a back and forth contest against the FCIAC’s co-No. 1 seed, with the clock running down on the Rams in the second half and the score tied at one, the ball found Maeve Selvaggi’s right foot. From point blank range, in an attempt to avoid Westhill goalkeeper Emily Pritchard, the junior sent it to the net’s right side. Rams fans were ready and waiting to cheer a potential victory if the ball hit the back of the net.

News

Getting Off on the Right Foot: 2016 New Canaan Girls Soccer Preview

By |

After being hired away from Brien McMahon’s program back in April, Rich Hickson knew exactly the type of program he was taking over—one that’s been competitive in the FCIAC on a yearly basis for a long time. And the opportunity to lead such a program had the new coach just itching for the fall season to arrive. On Saturday, Sept. 10, it finally does. Hickson inherits a team that, while finishing the regular season 8-8 and on the outside of the FCIAC tournament, reeled off an impressive string of victories in the CIAC Class LL tournament as the #23 seed—knocking off higher seeded Amity, Middletown and FCIAC foe Wilton before eventually being eliminated by another FCIAC opponent, Ridgefield, in the semifinals.

News

‘I Am Extremely Honored’: NCHS Hires New Girls Varsity Soccer Coach

By |

New Canaan High School Athletic Director Jay Egan on Thursday afternoon notified local soccer families that the head varsity soccer coach at Brien McMahon had been hired away to fill the same role for the Rams.

Rich Hickson was selected from a final pool of three candidates because he “demonstrated all qualities and attributes we had identified as important for our position.”

“These included having been a head coach in the FCIAC, understanding how to build and maintain positive team dynamics, technical and tactical instructional expertise and the willingness to be involved with our players as they come through youth soccer as well as supporting them if they are interested in pursuing college soccer opportunities. Rich checked all the boxes,” Egan said. What follows is a letter of introduction from Hickson:

Hi all,

I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself as New Canaan High School’s new varsity soccer coach. I am extremely honored to have been given this opportunity and I am looking forward to getting to know our players and everything else the job entails. 

I have been coaching soccer professionally in America for 10 years and during this time, have cultivated a well-rounded understanding of coaching all age groups, levels, and abilities. My experience at the high school level began in 2008 when I was fortunate enough to have been the assistant for Westhill’s girls varsity team. While I was a part of the program, the team made the state finals two years in a row, winning their first appearance and narrowly losing in their second.