The West Haven boys basketball team won its third game in a row and seventh in eight contests with a 64-39 victory at Sheehan Thursday evening. With the win, West Haven improved to 10-6 on the season.
The Westies had 10 players in the scoring column and were led by Manny Belcher with 16 points, including four 3-pointers. Tavares Tuck scored 10 points, while Kyle Kearson and Adam El Kharraz each scored seven.
West Haven’s defense was on its game, allowing just three field goals and a pair of 3-pointers in the first half.
West Haven had a 16-9 lead at the half as Tuck scored seven points in the opening quarter. Six different players scored in the second quarter as West Haven added 17 points and took a 33-14 lead.
West Haven won its fourth in a row and eighth in nine games with a 63-47 victory in Shelton Tuesday evening. The Westies improved to 11-6 with the win.
West Haven jumped out to a 15-7 lead after one quarter, led by Jared Butler’s six points. The lead increased to 33-19 as Kearson had seven second quarter points and Javaun Calhoun had four.
Kearson led the way with 13 points, while Tavares Tuck had nine, Butler and Manny Belcher each had eight, and Calhoun finished with seven.
After easily defeating Foran to open the Southern Connecticut Conference, the West Haven girls basketball team had a little tougher match in the quarterfinals as they hung on to beat Hamden, 54-51
West Haven jumped out to an 18-6 lead in the opening quarter as Amani Abuhatab had 10 of her game-high 28 points. Hamden stormed back with a 17-5 run in the second quarter, before an 18-9 West Haven run in the third had the Westies back on top.
Isabella Fiorillo hit a pair of 3-pointers in the third, while Abuhatab also had six points, and Kassidy Carrano added four.
Abuhatab hit five free throws in the fourth quarter and finished 13-of-15 in the game.
Carrano finished with 10 points, Fiorillo had six, and Dealyce Howard five in the win.
After losing in convincing fashion the first two times against Sacred Heart Academy this season, the West Haven girls basketball team played a much better contest against the Sharks the third time around.
Unfortunately for the Westies, it was not enough as Sacred Heart Academy defeated West Haven, 62-39 in the Southern Connecticut Conference semifinals. West Haven fell to 19-4 with the loss.
Abuhatab led the team with 19 points, while Howard had seven. Carrano and T’Naiyah Watters each had five points in the loss.
The Westies trailed just 16-13 after one quarter as Abuhatab had five points. The deficit was 28-23 at the half, but a 20-11 run by Sacred Heart Academy in the third quarter was too much to overcome.
The West Haven boys hockey team got back on the winning track with a 2-0 victory over Notre Dame-Fairfield. DJ Carfora scored twice and Javed Ullah made 20 saves for his second shutout of the season to help the Westies to their fourth win of the season.
The Westies took a 1-0 second period lead. Marcus Burrows was stopped twice in front in a span of 23 seconds early in the middle period, but Carfora got the Westies on the board with 4:18 remaining when he scored off an assist from Nico Bruneau.
Point shots by Jack Aloi and Yousaf Ullah were turned aside, before Carfora picked up a rebound and gave West Haven a 2-0 lead off an assist from Burrows.
The rest was up to Javed Ullah who denied a two-on-one early in the third period, before turning aside a shot in front a minute later.
Winners of two of its last three games, West Haven was looking to climb up the ladder of the Division I standings. They came up just short.
Falling behind early, West Haven’s rally failed in a 4-2 defeat at St. Joseph – Trumbull. With the loss, West Haven fell to 4-12 on the year.
Trailing 3-0 entering the third period, West Haven got within two goals when Mike Alfano knocked in a rebound of a Carfora shot on the power play 5:47 into the third.
The Westies got another power play goal with less than three minutes remaining as Carfora knocked in a loose puck. The goal, assisted by Alfano and Bruneau, had the Westies within striking distance, but St. Joseph added an empty-net goal with 58 seconds remaining to seal the contest.
West Haven won its second contest in three games with a 3-1 victory over East Catholic Monday evening. With the victory, West Haven improved to 5-12 on the season.
Carfora led the Westies with two goals and an assist, Ryan Bernardi scored once, and Javed Ullah made 29 saves in the win.
The Westies won their second game in a row and third in four games with a 4-3 victory over Amity. With the victory, West Haven improved to 6-12 on the year.
Burrows scored twice, Carfora had two assists and Javed Ullah made 16 saves in the victory for the Westies.
West Haven held a 4-1 lead in the third period before Amity scored a pair of quick goals to make things interesting. West Haven clamped down and Ullah made several key saves in the final minutes of the win.
Trailing 1-0, West Haven needed just 50 seconds to get the equalizer as Burrows scored with 10:08 left in the opening period off an assist from Haygen Axelrod.
Just 58 seconds later, the Westies scored on the power play when Aloi’s shot was deflected in front by Carfora to Bernardi for a quick tally.
West Haven took a 2-1 lead 1:17 in when Nico Bruneau picked up a rebound in front for a 3-1 advantage off assists from Alfano and Yousaf Ullah.
The Westies needed just 49 seconds to take a 4-1 lead in the third when Burrows scored off an assist from Carfora.
Leading 4-3, West Haven had a chance to ice the game, but Carfora’s breakaway was denied as was his shot in front one minute later with 10 minutes to go.
The West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy girls hockey team fell to Greenwich, 4-2 . The road loss dropped the Westies to 8-10 on the year.
Despite 37 saves from Grace Nowak, including 17 in the first period and 14 more in the third, the Westie Sharks could not mount enough offense in the loss. Ashley Welch had a goal and an assist and Anne Plunkett added a pair of assists in the loss.
After taking home the league title last season, the West Haven / Sacred Heart Academy girls hockey team was not going to be denied a return trip to the finals, especially since the state tournament was not an option as the team did not qualify.
Playing with an extra sense of urgency, second-seeded West Haven / Sacred Heart Academy controlled play from the start and never let up in a 2-0 victory over third-seeded Hamden in the Southern Connecticut Conference semifinals at the Edward L. Bennett Rink.
The Westie Sharks controlled play from the start, outshooting Hamden 20-10 in the first two periods and taking a 2-0 lead.
West Haven / Sacred Heart Academy needed just 1 minute, 54 seconds to take the lead when senior Maya Boyhen picked up a loose puck in front and beat Hamden goaltender Marcia Colten.
The Westie Sharks increased the lead to a pair of goals 3:20 later when Emilee DeGrand scored from in front off assists from Ashley Welch and Meghan Dupre.
The two-goal lead was more than enough as the defense of Julianna Montano, Dupre, Rachel Harrison and Alfano sealed any attempt Hamden would have.
Nowak finished with 16 saves in the shutout, while Colten made 22 saves in the loss for Hamden.
The Guilford Grizzlies spoiled the championship hopes of the Westie Sharks on the 11th shot of the extra session as Sofia Cuozzo deflected in a point shot by tournament Most Outstanding Player Kim Evans to send Guilford erupting from the bench. The Grizzlies topped WH/SHA, 4-3 in the Southern Connecticut Conference championship game.
The Grizzlies dominated overtime with an 11-5 shot advantage, but Nowak kept the hopes of the Westie Sharks alive with 10 saves. Her best was just 30 seconds in when she denied Daniella Vickerman in front with a pad save.
The Westie Sharks only had five shots in the extra session, but they were of high quality. Picard was denied in front by Guilford goalie Julia McDonald two minutes in, and Plunkett hit the post with 8:25 to go, before Guilford won the title with a power play goal by Cuozzo.
The third period was a thrill from the start as Guilford took the lead early after trailing entering the period, before the Westie Sharks used a brilliant goal by Meghan Dupre with 1:43 left to send the game to overtime.
Trailing by a goal, the Grizzlies evened the contest at two when Maddie Epke was left alone in the slot and beat Nowak between the pads 3:59 into the third.
Just 27 seconds later, Guilford took the lead when Vickerman’s quick shot in front found the back of the net off assists from Olivia Gill and Cuozzo.
The game looked as if it would end with Guilford taking home the title, but the ice started to tilt in favor of the Westie Sharks in the final five minutes of regulation. Dupre was denied in front with 4:30 remaining, before Guilford took two penalties in 42 seconds in the final 3:42.
With two seconds remaining in the two-man advantage, Dupre went the length of the ice before ripping a shot to the top right corner with 1:43 remaining in the third to force overtime.
Nowak finished with 47 saves, while McDonald stopped 25 shots for Guilford.