The inaugural CIAC championship squad from 1973 is being honored as the first team elected to the Connecticut Field Hockey Hall of Fame.
Tim Jensen, Patch Staff
GRANBY, CT — More than two decades before UConn women's basketball brought female sports to a national, and eventually global audience, a dozen and a half teenage girls from little Granby began turning heads within the state by capturing the inaugural Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) field hockey tournament.
The debut of the field hockey tournament came shortly after enaction of the Education Amendments of 1972. Commonly known as Title IX, the landmark legislation prohibited sex-based discrimination in any school or any other education program that receives funding from the federal government.
In Nov. 1973, 38 high school field hockey teams participated in the first tournament. They came from across the state, from schools of all sizes; divisional state tournament competition did not begin until the following year.
Coach Dot Johnson, who played softball, volleyball and basketball - but not field hockey - at Westfield (MA) High School and Springfield College, had been brought in to head up the Granby program in 1969. After splitting that season's first four contests, the Bears would not lose again until 1975, a stretch of 67 consecutive games.
In the midst of that unbeaten streak was the 1973 tournament. With a 13-0-3 regular season record, the Bears ranked second behind Guilford, which was 14-0-1 and had a population more than twice that of Granby.
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As documented in retired sportswriter Rob Penfield's 2021 book "A Life of Obstructions," the Bears faced some stiff competition in that postseason. They went to double overtime before an Ellen Burbridge goal knocked out neighboring Simsbury, 1-0, then topped Old Saybrook 2-0 to reach the semifinals.
The penultimate game against downstate powerhouse Darien was scoreless for 60 minutes of regulation time, then the two squads battled through three 15-minute overtime sessions with goose eggs still on both sides of the scoreboard. Following the rules of the day, Granby held a 9-6 advantage in penalty corners, and was awarded the victory and a berth in the title contest.
When the 10 a.m. starting time arrived at Yale University on Nov. 17, 1973, the mercury read 34 degrees, but competition on the field was red-hot between the Bears and Indians. At the end of regulation time, the teams were deadlocked 1-1, sending Granby into its third overtime in four games.
Neither team found the back of the cage in the first extra period, and the second overtime session appeared to be on its way to the same result. Then, with 28 seconds left before a third overtime was needed, Mary Byrnes, who had replaced Burbridge in the second half, beat Guilford netminder Leslie Gribus with the title-clinching goal.
"I was truly blessed to have such a hard-working, dedicated, talented, fun-loving, team," Johnson told Patch. "They truly deserved that first-ever championship."
A dozen Bears saw action in the final matchup: co-captains Sue Hebert and Pam Sproull, Byrnes, Burbridge, Lynsie Wickman, Jody Wickman, Sharin Schneider, Val McCord, Sue Jensen, Linda Dewey, Nancy Hutchings and goalkeeper Joanne Sproull. Not playing in the title game, but very much contributing members of the championship squad, were Debbie Blair, Alice Burns, Dawn Elliott, Terrianne Hahn, Nancy Hebert and Sharon Voskowsky.
And their leader? Johnson went on to capture six more state titles during her 34-year tenure, earning induction into the Connecticut High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1992 and the Connecticut Field Hockey Hall of Fame and National Field Hockey Coaches Association Hall of Fame, both in 2005. In 2018, she received the prestigious Gold Key Award, one of the state's highest athletic honors, from the Connecticut Sports Writers' Alliance (now the Connecticut Sports Media Alliance).
Several of her former players have joined her as inductees into the state shrine. On Sept. 7, the entire roster will be feted at the organization's 25th anniversary celebration at the Aqua Turf Club in Southington. Ticket information will be forthcoming.
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