NMHS Athletic Hall of Fame

The attention-getters in field hockey often are the goal-scoring forwards and, at the other end of the field, the acrobatic goaltenders. Yet during the 2010, ’11 and ‘12 seasons at New Milford High School, it was midfielder Vienna Pallisco who proved to be where the action was for the Green Wave.

 

Also a sprinter for NMHS girls’ indoor track and a key player for Green Wave softball, it was nevertheless Vienna’s superb efforts on the field hockey pitch that paved her way to NMHS Athletic Hall of Fame induction.

 

Vienna’s potential was readily apparent as a freshman on the junior varsity, soaking up the atmosphere as coach Dawn Hough’s varsity played its way to a South-West Conference title and a 14-2-3 record.

 

By the time the 2010 campaign began, Vienna was ready, earning her place as a reliable midfielder along with fellow AHOF inductee Kelsey Heaton, two years her senior. Vienna was soon being praised for her defensive performances as the Green Wave outscored its season’s opponents by a cumulative 42-7 count.

 

Vienna and her teammates shut out Bethel and New Fairfield to advance to the SWC playoff title match, only to be edged, 1-0, in overtime by arch-rival Pomperaug.

 

The Green Wave then ripped Hall of West Hartford, 7-3, and eased by South Windsor, 1-0, in the state ‘L’ tournament before meeting its match vs. Glastonbury with a 1-0 loss in the semifinals. The defeat ended a 16-3-2 season for Vienna and Co. For her sophomore efforts, she was recognized as honorable mention all-SWC and accorded the team’s Most Improved Player honor.

 

Albeit not as dominant in the fall of ’11, Vienna and her teammates displayed a tenacious defense and a knack for making the big play at the most important moments. The Green Wave followed a 9-3-2 regular season by edging Lauralton Hall, 2-1, on Vienna’s goal in overtime in the SWC playoff semifinals, then avenging a regular-season loss to New Fairfield by beating the Rebels, 1-0, in the league championship match.

 

The Green Wave dropped its state ‘L’ tournament debut, 2-0, to New Canaan, yet Vienna’s season closed with recognition as a first-team all-SWC honoree and second-team ‘L’ all-stater. She was also presented with the team’s Most Valuable Player award by coach Hough, who called Vienna “the MVP of the conference.”

 

As her senior field hockey season was starting, Vienna had the full confidence of coach Hough. “She was a dominant force from one end of the field to the other,” her coach reflected. “She did the heavy lifting and more. She had exceptional field awareness.”

 

As the Green Wave carved out a 12-2- regular season, Vienna included among her highlights numerous pivotal plays during shutout wins over talented New Fairfield and Immaculate squads.

 

Once in the SWC playoffs, she helped her team cruise by Bethel, 6-0, in the quarterfinals and Joel Barlow, 3-1, in the semifinals. With the Green Wave’s hopes for the a third SWC title in four seasons on the line, Vienna rose to the occasion to anchor a 2-2 deadlock with Lauralton Hall in the title match, thus earning NMHS a co-championship.

 

The Green Wave then relied again on its defense in the state ‘L’ tournament, whitewashing Brien McMahon and New Canaan, 1-0, the latter match in triple overtime, before finally bowing out to Darien, 1-0 in the state semifinals.

 

Vienna again was accorded all-SWC first-team laurels and was honored as a first-team ‘L’ all-stater, as well as the team’s MVP for a second straight season. For her three varsity seasons, Vienna and the Green Wave built a 43-10-6 record.

 

For two winter seasons, Vienna competed for the Green Wave indoor track team. As a junior, she ran the opening leg on the 4 x 200-meter relay, sparking the NMHS girls to third place in the SWC meet. Vienna also claimed fifth place in the league’s 55-meter final, clocked in a respectable 7.75 seconds.

 

Her efforts earned berths in the state ‘L’ meet, and the 4 x 200 relay quartet even advanced to competition in the climactic state open event.

 

Vienna’s athletic skills, competitive instincts and leadership proved themselves again in softball during four seasons of varsity ball. The Green Wave diamond crew didn’t enjoy the success she’d experienced in field hockey, but she distinguished herself as a defensive standout both as a fleet centerfielder and as a reliable catcher.

 

She also showed marked improvement as a batter during her NMHS career, improving from a .200 batting average as a freshman to solid .286 and .279 averages, respectively, as a sophomore and junior.

 

With hopes finally of qualifying for the state tournament as a senior, Vienna climbed to a .354 average at the plate, scoring 16 runs and collecting seven RBIs. For a second straight season serving as a team co-captain, her performances helped lift her team to a 10-10 regular season and a berth in the state ‘LL’ tournament.

 

Her impressive high school athletic career behind her, Vienna attended Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven, for which she played four seasons of field hockey.