Stonington — It was a better start to the season than last year’s 5-0 opening day loss to Guilford. The Stonington High School field hockey team fell 2-1 to Guilford on Thursday night, with Stonington on the attack as time expired.

But this Stonington team has a different approach to September than last year’s, which fielded an almost entirely new roster after the graduation of 10 seniors from the season before.

This year’s objective was to beat Guilford, unheard of a year ago at this time.

“The girls are disappointed, we’re all disappointed because we know that we have the ability to win this game tonight,” Stonington coach Jenna Tucchio said.

“Unfortunately, we made our own mistakes. I don’t feel like Guilford forced us into anything. I think we had an answer for everything they were giving us. I thought that we made great opportunities for ourselves. Unfortunately, a team like Guilford, you’ve got to play 60 minutes. We had a few lapses.”

The game began at 7:10 p.m., with the closure of I-95 North during the late afternoon hours wrecking havoc with Stonington’s opening day schedule, forcing the cancellation of the scheduled 5:30 p.m. boys’ soccer game against Bacon Academy.

The field hockey start time was pushed back, too, delaying the new year for the Bears, who have been to back-to-back Class S championship games.

Stonington’s growth from start to finish a year ago was exponential, finishing 17-3-1 with Eastern Connecticut Conference regular-season and tournament titles.

On Thursday, Guilford’s Tania Evans struck first just 4 minutes, 27 seconds into the game, with Stonington on its heels early.

But Tucchio’s team controlled play to end the first half, with opportunities to score on three penalty corners, and a kick save from goalie Hailey Allard.

The Bears then scored the equalizer less than three minutes into the third quarter on a goal by Marina Lewandowski assisted by junior right wing Anna Lettiere, a Class S second team all-state selection a year ago.

The teams headed for the fourth quarter still deadlocked at 1. Allard, the younger sister of last season’s starting senior goalie Madi Allard, chased a ball past the post to her left at the 12:02 mark, thwarting a Guilford charge.

But Evans scored her second goal of the game with 11:20 to play.

Stonington had several more chances, with Lettiere carrying the ball down the right sideline, sidestepping several defenders, with 1:45 remaining. A Guilford hit coming out of the Grizzlies’ end was ruled dangerous, giving the ball to Stonington going in.

Tucchio took a timeout with 24 seconds left, but the Bears came up short as Guilford’s defense was able to clear the ball.

“It’s encouraging that we were able to match up with a team like Guilford because they are very good and, historically, we have been challenged by them and last year we really struggled,” Tucchio said. “I’m glad we at least came to play and gave them a game, but yeah, we are, we’re disappointed.

“I really believed that we could give them a run for their money. I think we did. I don’t think Kitty (Palmer, Guilford coach) thought that she had that game in the bag even when it was 1-0 because we answered right back. We didn’t score right away but on the field of play we answered right back and started controlling the game.”

v.fulkerson@theday.com