The Coginchaug girls basketball team ended last season with a 20-6 record, capping it off with a win in the Class S State Championship. The team is returning three of their starting five that made that magical run. With the team’s first game kicking off on Dec. 11, the team looks to make strides to show that they are ready to repeat.

       The girls look to run through the Shoreline Conference, starting their season against a strong Valley Regional team. But that is just the first game; the Devils have had their mind on one game ever since the end of the Shoreline tournament.

      Last year, the Devils had a close loss to the Cromwell Panthers, which they are still thinking about. “The team still wishes we had that game back, but looking back at last season, I think it really fueled us and gave us more energy in the state tournament,” senior captain Lindsey Marino stated.

        This year is another chapter in the Blue Devils long journey; not only will they have to face their rivals in the Shoreline tournament but also in the state tournament as well, with Cromwell moving down into division four. While talking to the girls, there seems to be more excitement than fear with this change, they get another chance to play a game that all of them will truly never forget.

        Looking at this year’s team there are some new faces in the starting line-up due to the graduation of two varsity starters from last season. “We are looking for players to step up and fill those roles quickly so we can build more team chemistry,” Marino explains, “we all know what know what we are stepping into. Every team we play is going to give it their all, and we have to be ready for that.”

       The Devils start their long season off with two straight home games which they are looking forward to. The home environment is something you cannot describe, and the girls look to take advantage of this opportunity, hoping to gain momentum to build off of for the rest of the season.