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Mountaineers keep kicking in state tournament

Mountaineers keep kicking in state tournament

Ava Segalla, Housatonic Valley Regional High School's all-time leading goal scorer, has takes a shot against Coventry in the Class S girls soccer tournament quarterfinal game Friday, Nov. 7.

Photo by Riley Klein

FALLS VILLAGE — Housatonic Valley Regional High School’s girls soccer team is headed to the semifinals of the state tournament.

The Mountaineers are the highest seeded team of the four schools remaining in the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference Class S playoff bracket.

HVRHS (3) will play Morgan High School (10) in the semifinals. On the other side of the bracket, Canton High School (4) will play Old Saybrook High School (9). The winners of both games will meet in the Class S championship game.

To start the tournament, HVRHS earned a first-round bye and then had home-field advantage for the second-round and quarterfinal games.

Lyla Diorio scores for HVRHS in the second-round game against Stafford High School Tuesday, Nov. 4.Photo by Riley Klein

In the second round Tuesday, Nov. 4, HVRHS won 4-3 against Stafford High School (19) in overtime. Ava Segalla scored three goals for Housatonic, including the overtime winner, and Lyla Diorio scored once. Bella Coporale scored twice for Stafford and Gabrielle Fuller scored once.

HVRHS matched up against Coventry High School (11) in the quarterfinal round Friday, Nov. 7. In the 2024 tournament, Coventry eliminated the Mountaineers in the second round.

Georgie Clayton, left, races Mazie Cox for the ball.Photo by Riley Klein

Revenge was served in 2025 with a 4-2 win for HVRHS. Segalla scored her second hat trick of the tournament and Georgie Clayton scored once. Coventry’s goals came from Jianna Foran and Savannah Blood.

“The vibes are great,” said HVRHS Principal Ian Strever at the quarterfinal game.

Housatonic celebrates a goal in the Class S tournament.Photo by Riley Klein

The semifinal against Morgan will be played Wednesday, Nov. 12, on neutral ground at Newtown High School.

If HVRHS wins, it will mark the girls soccer team’s first appearance in the Class S title game since 2014.

Morgan was the runner-up in last year’s Class S girls soccer tournament, losing in penalty kicks to Coginchaug High School.

Goalie Vi Salazar makes a save late in the quarterfinal game Nov. 7.Photo by Riley Klein

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