The West Haven boys basketball team opened the season in impressive fashion, beginning the campaign with a win streak, and setting the pace for the rest of the season.
. Traveling to Trumbull, West Haven posted an 88-47 victory over St. Joseph in the season opener.
The high-powered West Haven offense started quickly and never let up in the opening win. West Haven jumped out to a 25-9 lead after one quarter, increased the margin to 47-22 at the half, and cruised to a 67-35 lead after three quarters.
Juniors Aaron Johnson led three Westies in double figures with 20 points, Brandon Bellamy had 18 points, and Loshon Roman finished with 14.
Johnson led the offensive run in the opening quarter with seven points, while Bellamy and senior John Pickett each had five. Bellamy added eight more in the second quarter, and Roman and Johnson each scored four. Pickett, Johnson, and Roman each scored four points in the third quarter.
West Haven won its second consecutive contest to start the season with a 61-46 victory over Jonathan Law in the home opener for the Westies.
The Westies had eight different players in the scoring column and were led by Kannan Morris with 24 points. Johnson finished with 11 points, while Bryan Tillman and Jahki Little each scored six.
Johnson scored seven of his points in the opening quarter and was instrumental in the two teams going to the second quarter even at 11. West Haven took a 26-20 lead into the half as Morris drained three 3-pointers in the second quarter.
Law cut the West Haven lead to 39-36 in the third quarter, before West Haven closed the game on a 22-10 fourth quarter run. Morris was the key in the fourth quarter as he scored 13 points, including three more 3-pointers and two free throws.
The Westies connected on seven of ten fourth quarter free throws.
West Haven returned to action with a 69-40 win over North Haven at the Floyd Little Athletic Center. With the win, West Haven improved to 3-0 on the year.
The Westies broke away in the second quarter to take a seven-point lead, before a 20-6 run gave the Westies a 48-27 lead after three quarters. Morris led the Westies with 16 points, Loshon Roman had 15 points, and Johnson scored 14 in the win.
Morris came up big in the second quarter with 12 points, while Roman had nine points in the third quarter. Johnson helped seal the game with seven fourth quarter points.
West Haven remained undefeated with a 49-47 overtime victory over Foran. With the road victory, West Haven improved to 4-0 on the season.
Johnson led the Westies with 16 points, and Morris added 12 points in the win for West Haven.
Behind nine points from Johnson, West Haven led 15-8 after one quarter. Morris scored five points in the second quarter to help the Westies to a 29-19 lead, before Foran used a 21-11 run in the third quarter to even the game at 40.
Each team scored just four points in the fourth quarter, before baskets by Johnson and Tillman, along with a free throw by Morris, proved to be the difference in overtime.
West Haven remained undefeated with a 67-52 home victory over East Haven. With the win, West Haven improved to 5-0 on the season.
The contest was a tight one until the Westies pulled away in the middle two quarters, outscoring East Haven 33-21 to take a 48-36 advantage to the final quarter.
Johnson led the Westies with 21 points, Morris added 16, and John Pickett had nine in the win.
Morris hit a pair of 3-pointers and Johnson scored four points for 10 of the team’s 15 first quarter points, before Johnson added six more in the second quarter. Morris and Johnson were at it again in the third quarter with Morris knocking down two more 3-pointers and Johnson hitting all four of his free throws.
Johnson helped seal the contest in the fourth quarter, scoring ten of his team’s 19 points.
West Haven improved to 6-0 with a 67-41 road victory over Sheehan. Four players were in double figures as the Westies remained perfect on the season.
Johnson led the way with 18 points, including nine in the second quarter. Morris finished with 17 points, eight of which came in the fourth quarter, and Roman had 14, including six in the first quarter.
The West Haven boys hockey team opened the season with a 3-2 victory over North Branford. Senior Matt Rasile finished with 20 saves, while Thomas Porto and Justin Bruno each had a goal and an assist.
Despite outshooting North Branford 12-4 in the opening period, West Haven trailed 1-0 after one period of play.
The Westies needed just 19 seconds of the second period to turn the tide as Brody DiNuzoo rushed down the right wing and evened the game. Bruno and Porto assisted on the goal.
Porto gave the Westies a 2-1 lead just 1:03 later with an unassisted short-handed goal. After West Haven pressure was turned aside, Bruno gave West Haven a 3-2 lead with 2:02 remaining in the middle period.
Rasile did the rest for West Haven as he stopped a pair of breakaways by Max Becker in the third period, and made a big save off a shot by T.J. Connelly in front with 5:34 left. Rasile’s stop of Becker’s breakaway with 4:12 remaining proved to be the difference.
West Haven could not keep the momentum going.
Putting only 12 shots on goal in the game, the Westies fell, 4-2, at North Haven in a Southern Connecticut Conference contest at Northford Ice Pavilion.
The Nighthawks wore the Westies down in the second period and it took 13 saves from West Haven goaltender Matt Rasile to keep the game within striking distance.
Rasile was forced to come up big throughout the period as West Haven did not get its first quality shot on goal until Cam Lipford’s shot in front with 3:15 remaining was denied by North Haven goaltender Joseph Salzano.
West Haven dropped its second straight contest and fell to 1-2 with a 9-3 defeat against Thornton Academy in the opener of the St. Dominic Hockey Tournament in Auburn, ME. Kai Lupa made 37 saves in the loss.
Trailing 2-0, Lipford scored off an assist from Mazuroski with 1:58 left in the opening period to get the Westies within 2-1. Thornton led 3-1 entering the third period, before blowing the game open with three goals in the first 1:29 of the third for a 6-1 lead.
Brady Price scored off an assist from Porto to get West Haven within 6-2, before Bruno got West Haven within 7-3 with 8:12 remaining. Thornton Academy added the final two goals in the opening win over West Haven.
West Haven got back in the win column and improved to 2-2 with a 6-1 win over Lewiston, ME. Porto and Bruno led the way with two goals and an assist each, and Rasile made 21 saves for the win.
The Westies took a 1-0 lead late in the opening period on the power play when DiNuzzo scored from the point off an assist from Porto.
West Haven put the game away with four goals in the second period for a 5-0 lead. Porto scored twice 2:07 apart for a 3-0 advantage, Price scored an unassisted goal for a 4-0 lead, and Bruno did the same with 10 seconds left in the period for a 5-0 advantage.
Bruno closed West Haven’s scoring in the third period off an assist from Adam McGlone.
West Haven closed its trip to Maine with a 6-3 loss to Edward Little High School. The Westies trailed early, fought back, but did not have enough in the end.
Trailing 3-0 in the second period, West Haven got within a goal on tallies by Price and Josh Rodrigue 29 seconds apart. Porto got the Westies within a goal once again, but Edward Little pulled away late for the victory. Rasile made 14 saves in the loss.
West Haven moved to 2-3-1 with a 1-1 tie against Lyman Hall at Northford Ice Pavilion. The Westies pressured throughout the contest, but they were unable to score until the final two minutes.
Lyman Hall took the lead with 1:08 remaining in the opening period, and that lead held until the final two minutes. Off assists from Bruno and DiNuzzo, Porto used a wrap around to even the game with 1:17 left in regulation.
Neither team scored in overtime as the Westies played to the tie.
The West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy girls hockey team opened the season in impressive fashion with a 3-2 victory over Guilford.
Alessandra Picard scored twice for the Westie Sharks, including the game-winner late in the third period. Cara Milrad finished with two assists.
Trailing 1-0 in the opening period, WHSHA tied the game with 5:38 remaining when Olivia Twarowski scored off assists from Milrad and Picard. Just 1:19 later, the Westie Sharks took a 2-1 lead as Picard scored off assists from Milrad and Elena Losito.
With a tie game and 1:01 remaining in regulation, Picard sent the Westie Sharks to the win with assists going to Heather Fonda and Taryn Lattanzi.
Evelyn Twarowski made nine saves in the win for WHSHA.
The team improved to 2-0 with a 9-0 victory over Hand in the team’s home opener at the Edward L. Bennett Rink.
Evelyn Twarowski made nine saves over the first two periods and Megan Losito made four saves in the third period of the shutout victory.
Olivia Twarowski and Picard each scored twice, with Picard adding three assists, and Olivia Twarowski also having an assist. Fonda and Hailey Azzarone each finished with a goal and an assist in the win for the Westie Sharks.
WHSHA won its third straight contest to start the season with a 2-1 victory over the Amity/North Haven/Cheshire Blades.
Each team scored in the opening period and the game remained tied at one until Picard scored an unassisted goal with 6:26 remaining in the contest for a 2-1 lead.
The Westie Sharks got on the scoreboard first with 4:15 remaining in the opening period when Gonzalez scored off an assist from Azzarone. That lead was short-lived as the Blades evened the game at one with 33 seconds remaining in the opening period.
Behind a strong defensive effort, Evelyn Twarowski made 22 saves for the Westie Sharks, including nine in the first period and eight in the second. The Westie Sharks allowed just five shots on goal in the third period.
In a battle of unbeaten teams, Hamden showed the Westie Sharks the team would be tough again this year as a late first period goal paved the way to a 5-1 Hamden victory at the Edward L. Bennett Rink.
Hamden scored with less than a second remaining in the first period and added two more in the second for a 3-0 lead.
The Westie Sharks got within 3-1 when Lattanzi scored an unassisted goal 3:09 into the third period, but West Haven / Sacred Heart Academy never got closer. Hamden’s Abby Petersen scored twice in the final 3:33 to ice the game.
Evelyn Twarowski made 25 saves in the loss for the Westie Sharks.
West Haven / Sacred Heart Academy closed the week with a 3-0 loss against Hall-Conard. With the loss, the Westie Sharks fell to 3-2 on the year.
The West Haven girls basketball team opened the season with a dominant effort in a 78-23 victory over Wilton at West Haven High.
Noelle Lawrence led the Westies with 28 points, while Ella Morgan finished with 12 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists.
West Haven girls improved to 2-0 with a 71-32 home victory over Lyman Hall. Lawrence led West Haven with 24 points, Taryn Walker had 15 points and 13 rebounds, while Morgan added 10 points and 11 rebounds.
West Haven fell to 2-1 with a 56-37 road loss to Mercy in Middletown. Lawrence led West Haven with 26 points.
The Westies dropped their second straight contest and fell to 2-2 with a 53-22 home loss against Trumbull. Lawrence led West Haven with 12 of the team’s 22 points.
West Haven got back on the winning track and improved to 3-2 with a 78-13 victory over Norwalk in the opener of the West Haven Holiday Tournament. The Westies led 48-5 at the half and cruised to the win.
Morgan led the way with 14 points, 15 rebounds, eight blocks, and five assists. Lawrence added 12 points and 10 assists in the win.
West Haven won the 2024 West Haven Holiday Tournament with a 50-40 victory over Bristol Eastern in the championship game.
Lawrence was the tournament’s most valuable player, and she finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds. D’Lyana Dixon finished with 10 points, and Morgan had eight points to go along with her solid defensive effort.
West Haven improved to 5-2 with a 57-21 victory over Shelton. Lawrence led the way with 24 points, 10 rebounds, and five steals. Dixon had 11 points, and Morgan added nine steals, six rebounds, and five assists.
The Westies fell to 5-3 with a 62-42 home loss against Amity. Lawrence led the Westies with 15 points and eight rebounds. Sophomore Taryn Walker added 12 points in the loss.
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