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6 Wizards top field in YL final

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The Yankee League All Star Pentathlon was packed full of exciting races and best times.The All-Star Pentathlon is a unique meet, in that all the swimmers compete in the same five events: butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, freestyle and a 100-yard individual medley. The times from the 5 events are added up and the swimmer from each age group with the fastest cumulative time wins.

Six Wizards ended in the top groups: Lauren Hoeppner – 1st place for the 6-&-under Girls, Madelyn Lisi – 4th place for the 6-&-under girls, Ari Rose – 4th place for the 7/8 girls, Sophia DeLauri – 6th place for the 7/8 girls, Aarya Mulmi – 5th place for the 11/12 girls, Kaleigh Morton – 3rd place for the 13/14 girls, Collin Charron – 2nd place for the 13/14 boys, Madison Hobart – 4th place for the 15 and over girls and Kaelyn Falanga – 5th place in the 15 and over girls.

At the end of the All Star meet, the Wizards get to cheer on their coaches as they race against the coaches from all the other teams in a relay. The Wizards coaches defended their title for the 3rd straight year, winning the relay.

The Wizards spring season is just around the corner. If you are interested in swimming, the spring season is an ideal time to get involved.

Registration will be opening in March 2020 through the West Haven Parks and Recreation. The Wizards Spring Season is an 8-week stroke clinic, it is a great opportunity for new swimmers to learn all 4 strokes and fundamentals of swimming.

It is also a great opportunity for experienced swimmers to refine their technique. The season concluded with a split squad meet so new swimmers will have an idea of what to expect of the competition season. All ages and abilities are welcome. For more information on the West Haven Wizards please visit our website at www.westhavenwizards.org.

Sharks’ duo hits end of ice careers

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By Mike Madera

Special to the Voice

MEGAN FROEHLICH

With the end of a sports season also comes the end of the careers for senior players. For the West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy girls’ hockey team, the bitter end came in an opening round loss of the state tournament.

Each player and coach pondered what could have been on the long bus ride home from Newington. What many may have also wondered was the question of what life would be like without two of the most heralded players in the program’s history as seniors Taylor Nowak and Megan Froehlich played in their last contest for the Westie Sharks.

“Taylor has made her mark on Connecticut girls’ high school hockey far beyond the West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy team,” head coach Erin Blake said. “She recorded 159 career points. She set records, broke records, and was a leader. Those are just a few things she has accomplished in her short four years of high school. Taylor has been the leading scorer and point holder for the past four years. She has played forward, defense, and wishes she could have played in goal too!” 

TAYLOR NOWAK

How good was Nowak? The senior became the first player since Gabi Prisco to be named All-State for three consecutive years with her third selection coming after this season.

Nowak, who will need to make a post-grad decision between Vermont Academy, Kent, and Choate, starred for the Westie Sharks for four years and finished her career with 114 goals, reaching 100 this year in a loss to New Canaan. Not only did Nowak score in triple digits, she finished her career as West Haven’s all-time points leader with 159.

“Anyone who watches Taylor play can tell that she puts her heart and soul into the game,” West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy assistant coach Jocey Morrell said. “She’s worked on and off the ice for many years to get where she is today and it shows. All of her hard work will pay off and I’m excited to see what’s next for her.”

“Taylor’s work ethic is admirable,” Blake added. “She always strives to be better than the day before. She has so many deserving accolades to go along with her tremendous career, but she is humble. That is what impresses me most about her. We can count on Taylor’s hockey intelligence, speed, and drive to help win games. She gives 100% when she touches the ice for practice and games. Taylor respects the game of hockey. From her coaches to her teammates, from officials to opponents, that is something that I will miss most. But, I feel lucky to have had the honor to coach such an incredible player and young lady like Taylor.”

Froehlich, who was named to the All-SCC/SWC first team and All-State first team following this season, entered her senior campaign needing 37 points to reach the 100-point mark. The senior accomplished this mark in a late season win over Hamden and finished the season with 23 goals and 27 assists for 50 points.

“I really did not know if it was possible,” Froehlich said. “Coach (Blake) said I may reach it in my senior year, but I did not really know.”

“Gritty. That’s one word I would use to describe Megan,” Morrell added of Froehlich. “She went out there every game for four years and gave it her all. Whether she was hurt, tired, or sick, she pushed herself to the limit for the success of the team.”

Both Nowak and Froehlich came on to the scene as highly-touted freshmen and neither disappointed in their rookie campaigns. Nowak helped ignite the offense of the Westie Sharks with 24 goals and 6 assists in her inaugural campaign, while Froehlich was just as impressive with nine goals and 10 assists as the duo combined for 49 points.

“Since it was a new program, I was a little nervous coming in,” Froehlich said of her freshman year. “I knew it had done well as a first-year combined team. I wanted to be part of it. We were able to win the SCC championship. I was glad to be part of it and be able to put some numbers on the board.”

Sophomore season saw the duo combine for 58 points as Nowak had 35 points on 25 goals and 10 assists, and Froehlich continued the balanced attack which would define her career with 12 goals and 11 assists for 23 points.

“Megan just goes out and she pushes herself to win and that passion is what makes her successful,” Blake said of Froehlich. “She is a playmaker. Megan isn’t in it for herself as she sees the ice extremely well and makes plays happen each shift. She communicates well on the ice and her drive to succeed is what makes her such a strong player. Whether setting up the pass with 62 assists or putting the puck in the net with 56 career goals, she has been such an asset to the team. Megan has been a huge part of the West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy growth and success for the past four years. She is a versatile player. I have used her on defense if need be throughout each season. She doesn’t complain, she listens, and she wants to do whatever is best for her team. As a coach, what more could you ask for? She has grown into a tremendous leader both on and off the ice. It has been a pleasure and honor to coach such a stand-up player and person like Megan.”

The wins continued to pile up for the Westie Sharks as junior year saw the Westies win 20 games, before falling in the state semifinals. Both Nowak and Froehlich, who played on a line which also included Jianna Cohrs, were a big part, combining for 62 points.

“We have been together the past three years,” Nowak said of the line. “We always talk on the ice and we have a really good bond off the ice.”

Nowak, who also plays soccer and lacrosse, reached 80 goals and 100 points with 31 goals and 41 points for 106 career points. She reached over 100 goals and 159 points with 34 goals and 53 points her senior campaign.

“I would not have gotten those without my teammates,” Nowak said. “It was an exciting four years. It is sad this is it and I will never put that jersey on again.”

Froehlich, who is still deciding her collegiate plans on where she will study psychology, continued her stellar senior season in fine fashion, finishing with 23 goals and 27 assists for 50 points as a senior and 113 points in her career.

“I felt like I had an off year my junior year,” Froehlich said. “I did not play my best. Before I went to captains’ practice, I knew I really needed to work hard this year. I set some goals I wanted to accomplish, and just went out there doing the best I can.”

While the points and honors will add up, it was the way which both Nowak and Froehlich competed which will long be remembered. Not only did both play hard each shift, but they avoided penalties.

In four seasons, the duo combined for just 34 penalty minutes, with Nowak having just 12 penalty minutes against her, including none her sophomore year and just two her senior year.

“It is just a lot of clean play,” Nowak said. “I just kept my feet moving and backchecked. When you stop moving your feet, that is when you get called for penalties. I always kept my head up and went for the puck.”

After 14 penalty minutes her freshman campaign, Froehlich had just four penalty minutes her sophomore year, and two each in her junior and senior campaigns.

Accounting for the duo’s 272 combined career points will be hard to figure out for the Westie Sharks. Replacing the student-athletes in Froehlich and Nowak will be even tougher.

Panthers take WHGBL crown

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The Chuck’s Garage Panthers concluded an undefeated season by capturing the West Haven Girls Basketball Championship Friday night as they upended the TBNG Eagles, 21-16. Jaecianna Mitchell knocked down a three pointer with a little over a minute to go to seal the win for the Panthers.

The Panthers jumped out to a big first quarter lead behind the scoring of Hayden Holm, Kylie Gibbons and Tiranke Keita. In the second quarter, Jaecianna Mitchell and Fatoumata Keita scored to push the Panthers lead. Bria Johnson also scored for the Panthers.

The Eagles were led by the scoring early from Jayda Cilberti and Daniela Bazar. Perez Rosario and Emily Valasquez kept the game tight. Trailing by 10 points entering the fourth, Justice Butler knocked down six quick points to bring the Eagles within two points. The top of the key jumper from Mitchell sealed the game and title for the Panthers.

In semifinal action, The Eagles upended the Emmitt’s Auto Bruins, 25-6. Daniela Bazar erupted for 14 points for the Eagles and used the offense of Hailey Locus and Brooklyn McCormick in the win. The Bruins scoring came from Amare Bennett, Jada Turner and Sarah Went.

The Panthers reached the final by outlasting the Gunning Law Firm Huskies, 28-16. Tiranke Keita, Fatoumata, Jacianna Mitchell, and Hayden Holm led a balanced attack for the Panthers. Finley Gunning and Taryn Walker each hit for eight points for the Huskies.

Pee Wee AA celebrating with trophy

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The team shows off its state championship trophy after winning the Tier 2 Connecticut Hockey Conference title.

In its regular season finale, the West Haven Mite C hockey team took on the Wallingford Hawks Mite C’s.  The two teams played a series of competitive games this year, and this one was no different as West Haven posted the victory. 

West Haven went up 1-0 early on a Logan Minio goal, as he received a pass from Kyle Johnson and finished past the Hawk’s goalie.  The two combined again to put West Haven up 2-0, and Minio finished the hat trick after he scored from a pass from Ben Trenchard.  Trenchard and Minio would assist on a Johnson goal. 

Trenchard added one himself after he put pressure on a Wallingford defenseman, forcing him to cough up the puck which Trenchard picked up and took in on a breakaway and put through the 5-hole for the goal. Jax Guarino added the final goal for West Haven, scoring a great back-hand shot after Brady Salkins gave him a nice pass. 

The Pee Wee A team hosted Western Major at Edward L. Bennett Rink on Sunday morning.  Western came away with a 4-3 win after an evenly played game.

The Westies dominated early and controlled played throughout the first period but Western got on the scoreboard first and led 1-0 at the first break. West Haven outshot Western, 12-6, in the period.
Just over a minute into the second period the Blue Devils tied the game. Ronnie Mastroni picked up a loose puck, skated to the net, and deposited a backhand. Two minutes later, Mike Page carried over the blue line and hit Ethan Kelly with a pass. Kelly went right back to Page who roofed the shot for a 2-1 lead. Western tied the game midway through the second and it remained tied into the third period.
Western scored in the first minute to regain a one-goal lead. It looked worse when the Blue Devils went down a man for four minutes. The team rallied to kill off the penalties and then immediately tied it.  Page corralled the puck and hit ahead to Brady Price leading to a breakaway.  Price buried the chance and it was tied 3-3 with 3:57 to play. 

Western came back and won the game with a goal 1:21 later.  The Westies pulled their goalie but could not get the equalizer.

Greg Galasso started in net and stopped 9 shots. Jacob Silva played the second half of the game and had 12 saves. Western outshot West Haven 25-23 for the game.

The Westies are the No. 2 seed in the upcoming Pee Wee Tier 4 state championship and begin play Wednesday, March 4 at the Newington Ice Arena. Western Major is seeded fifth.

West Haven Peewee A split a pair of games last week as the Blue Devils lost to Wallingford A , 8-3, before knocking off the Darien 12U girls team, 5-2.

On Saturday morning on the campus of Choate Rosemary Hall, the Westies took on Wallingford A.  The home team controlled the play early and led 5-0 after one period. Matthew Kelly, Alex Bowery, and Mastroni scored for West Haven. Silva (10 saves) and Galasso (9) split time in goal for the Westies.

On Sunday morning at the Edward L. Bennett Rink, the Blue Devils hosted the Darien IceCats Tier 1 girls.  The IceCats took an early 1-0 lead 3:15 into the first, before Page found the puck and snapped in a wrist shot to tie the game at 1-1 less than a minute later. Later, Page dug the puck off the boards where Bowery buried the loose puck and the Westies led 2-1 after one period.

Page scored the only goal of the second period when he chipped the puck ahead to himself and snapped in a wrist shot that snuck through the five-hole. Mastroni made it 4-1 with a power play goal four minutes into the third period and he capped the scoring for the Westies when he took Sean Studley’s faceoff win, split two defenders, and roofed his shot. 

Galasso went the distance in net for West Haven and made 19 saves. The Westies outshot the IceCats, 28-21.

The goal for the West Haven Peewee AA travel hockey team at the beginning of the season was to win the Tier 2 state championship. Mission accomplished.

The state tournament began on Thursday as West Haven faced a tough Yale 07 AA team. The Westies finished with a 3-1 victory.

On Saturday, West Haven shut out Northwestern 2-0, and later in the day finished in a 2-2 tie with Wonderland, moving on to the semifinals on Sunday as the top seed.

The Westies battled Greater New Haven Warriors and played like a team that would not be denied a bid for a shot at the state championship. Collectively, West Haven peppered GNH, resulting in a 5-2 victory, moving on to the last step in completing the goal of winning the state championship.

On Sunday evening, the Westies faced Wonderland AA, a team they previously tied, 2-2. To make things more difficult, West Haven would need to beat Wonderland in its own rink.

West Haven was not to be denied, using first period goals by Brody DiNuzzo and Gabe Locklear to take a two-goal lead, before cruising to a 4-0 title-clinching victory. Billy Mascari and Locklear added goals which were more than enough for Nate Kempton, who posted the shutout in goal.

The West Haven Peewee AA team consisted of Zach Goetze, John Donohue, Nick Salzano, Beckett Stenz, Mascari, Nicky Stevens, Kempton, Tyler Donroe, DiNuzzo, Tim Donohue, Thomas Porto, Nick Eberhart, Connor Benz, Locklear, and Jack Aloi.

West Haven will now take its 48-9-4 record to the Regionals, which take place the weekend of March 13 in Rhode Island. 

The season has come to an end for the West Haven Bantam A travel hockey team. Playing in the Tier 3 state tournament, the Westies were eliminated in the state quarterfinals last weekend.

The Westies opened the state tournament playing the eventual state runner-up, Putnam. With the game even at one, Putnam scored three short-handed goals in a span of 3:23, on its way to a 12-5 victory.

Mickey Dowd led the offense with three goals, while Cam Delvecchio and Jayden Spreyer each added a goal and an assist. Matt Wezenski, Kyle Droney, Haygen Axelrod and Michael Madera all had assists in the contest.

In the second contest of the tournament, West Haven led late, but watched as Greenwich A scored the equalizer with 18.5 seconds remaining in a 4-4 tie. Dowd had two goals, Spreyer added two goals and an assist, Wezenski added a goal, and Will Giaquinto and Madera each had assists.

Wezenski gave West Haven a 1-0 lead 2:29 into the contest off an assist from Giaquinto, before Greenwich scored the next three goals for a 3-1 advantage.

West Haven got within 3-2 with 4:41 left in the second on a goal by Spreyer, before Dowd evened the contest 40 seconds into the third with a power play goal off an assist from Spreyer.When Dowd scored his second of the game off assists from Spreyer and Madera, West Haven held a 4-3 lead with 7:19 to go.

The season ended with a 4-0 loss to Wallingford in the quarterfinals.

The West Haven Bantam B travel hockey team headed to West Hartford to play in the Governor’s Divisional state tournament.

On Wednesday, the Westies faced host West Hartford B at Loomis Chaffe and after a 45 minute school lockdown, solid goaltending, a goal from Zack Fonda (Javed Ullah assisted) and a game-winner from Yousaf Ullah (Matt Wright assisted), West Haven posted a 2-1 victory.

In Saturday morning’s game against Northwestern A1, Alex Kurowski started the scoring by redirecting a shot from Deklan Loehfelm and got his second of the game unassisted. Yousaf Ullah, off assists from Kurowski and Fonda, added a goal a minute later. Matty Wright added a third period goal to seal the 4-2 win.

In their second game of the day and the final game of the tournament, the Westies took on Ridgefield A. Fonda, off an assist from Cody Rocchio, scored in the second period to open the scoring. Yousaf Ullah added a goal in the third period which would hold to be the game winner in a 2-1 win, sealing a first place seeding for the semifinals.

Early Sunday morning, the Westies had to face Echo A, whom they had previously lost to less than two months ago. Trailing after letting two first period goals in, the Westies fought back and Wright rallied a goal in the second on an assist from TJ Levenduski.

Echo opened the third period with a goal, but the Westies did not quit and answered right back when Fonda, off an assist from Ashley Welch, got the Blue Devils within one. With two minutes left in the game, Danny Johnson, off an assist from Rocchio, tied the game.

With a minute left in the game, Wright put the Westies on top when he got past the Echo defense and scored. Fonda, off an assist from Taylor Alfano, sealed the win with an empty net goal.

In the finals, the Westies had to face a recharged West Hartford team. Despite a first period goal from Yousaf Ullah, the Westies were unable to find the back of the net for the rest of the game and ultimately lost the game, 3-1. 

Wizards take second in conference championships

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The Wizards came up big at Yankee League Championships. The Wizards won second place over all in the Yankee League, three age group awards for the 6 & under boys, 9/10 boys and 15& over girls, are sending 40 swimmers to the All-Star Pentathlon and several Wizards took first place in the league for their individual events: Ella Sutton in the 6 & under girls 25-yard butterfly and 25-yard freestyle, Aarya Mulmi for the 11/12 girls 50-yard butterfly and 50-yard backstroke, as did Collin Charron in the 13/14 boys 100-yard butterfly and the 100-yard backstroke, he also set a new Wizard record in the 100-yard backstroke.

From championships, the top three swimmers in each event qualify for the All-Star Pentathlon.

The All-Star Pentathlon is a unique meet, in that all the swimmers compete in the same five events: butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, freestyle and a 100-yard individual medley. The times from all five events are added up and the swimmer from each age group with the fastest cumulative time wins.

This year, 40 Wizards advanced to All Stars, and three others qualified as alternates.

The following swimmers will compete in the All Star Pentathlon: Lauren Blake, Ethan Burgard, Lucy Cacioppo, Collin Charron, Jacob Collete, Sophia DeLauri, Emily Eschweiler, Kaelyn Falanga, Morgan Falanga, Gavin Falcigno, Sean Fitzpatrick, Jeffery Flores-Copa, Owen Giannettino, Jillian Goldbeck, Madison Hobart, Lauren Hoeppner, Madelyn Lisi, Carter Liston, Raymond Listori III, Michael Meglio, Erin Morton, Kaleigh Morton, Aarya Mulmi, Dylan Ojeda, Daniel Orazco, Anna Piskura, Hannah Rascoll, Macie Rascoll, Ari Rose, Roman Shubin, CJ Sutton, Ella Sutton, Kaylee Taulty, Caroline, Tirollo, Emma Tirollo, Kaya Vital, Lucas Vital, Molly Wilson and Lucas Yavagnilio. The alternates are; Evan Piskura, Johann Chen and David Ojeda.

For more information on the West Haven Wizards please visit our website at www.westhavenwizards.org

The Wizards’ spring season is just around the corner. If you are interested in swimming, registration will be opening in March 2020 through the West Haven Parks and Recreation. The Wizards Spring Team is an eight-week stroke clinic, it is a great opportunity for new swimmers to learn all four strokes and the fundamentals of swimming. It is also a great opportunity for experienced swimmers to refine their skills. All ages and abilities are welcome.

Knights top Jesuits in SCC quarterfinal

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Brett Hutchison helped the 5th-ranked Notre Dame basketball team advance to the semifinal round of the SCC Tournament. They played Monday against Hamden hoping to make their third title game appearance in the last four years.

Basketball — Brett Hutchison scored seven of his 15 total points in a strong spurt late in the second quarter to help the Green Knights beat Fairfield Prep 64-53 in the quarterfinal of the SCC Tournament on Saturday, February 29, 2020. It was the third time this season Notre Dame beat Fairfield Prep. The win advanced the Green Knights to the semifinal round where they plated Hamden on Monday night. Zach Laput led the way with 17 points. Amadou Kamara added 10 points while Ben Carroll chipped in with nine to lead a balanced scoring effort. With the win, Notre Dame won its 20th game in a season for the third time in the last four years. ND improved to 20-1 with the win, after beating Cross and Xavier on the road to end the regular season with a 19-1 mark. Notre Dame will be the 4th-seed in the Division I State Tournament next week. They will play their first game on Wednesday, March 11 when they host the winner of the Manchester/Danbury first round game.

Hockey — The hockey team ended the regular season with a 14-6 record after splitting its final four games of the regular season. Notre Dame beat West Haven and Ridgefield, while falling to Fairfield Prep and Darien. John D’Errico and John-Michael Childs scored in the Green Knights’ 4-2 loss to Darien on Feb. 24. Notre Dame will play Fairfield Prep in the SCC Division I Championship Game on Friday, March 6. The pairings for the CIAC Division I state hockey tournament will be released on Saturday, March 7.

Swimming — The swim team concluded its regular season falling to an undefeated Xavier squad on Feb. 25. Alexander Ozonoff and Sean McDermott won their marquee events against the Falcons. Ozonoff captured the 500 freestyle in 5:16.30 to take first place in this event. McDermott was a second and a half better than the Falcons’ William Schnedier in the 100 breaststroke. McDermott won the event in 1:07.49. Dylan Schwartz took second in the diving portion, scoring 168.50 points. Schwartz and fellow diver Hunter Stenquist finished 21st and 19th respectively in the SCC Diving Championship on Feb. 28. The team competed in the SCC Championship Meet on Wednesday, march 4 before setting sights on competing at the CIAC Class M events that start with the diving portion on Thursday, March 12.

Wrestling — Alex Barbour was the top Green Knight finisher at the Class M State Championships as he advanced to the semifinals before ultimately placing sixth in the 182-pound division. Barbour won his first two matches over Jacob Sparks from Berlin and Aiden Ghiroli from Guilford. He then lost his final two matches by decisions to Waterford’s Jackson Harshberger (14-2) and Platt’s Evean Oguendo by a 10-4 decision. By placing sixth, Barbour qualified for the CIAC State Open Meet, but he could not wrestle due to an injury.

You can get all the latest athletic news, scores, and more by following @NDWHAthletics on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Periscope while frieNDing the @NDWHAthletics Facebook group.

Lady devils ousted in tournament

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The streak is finally over. After seven consecutive attempts to qualify for the state tournament, the West Haven girls basketball team is now in.

With an 86-22 victory over Harding Tuesday afternoon, West Haven advanced to the postseason for the first time since 2017. West Haven finishes the regular season at 8-12.

West Haven had 10 different players in the scoring column and was led by Amani Abuhatab with 23 points. Kassidy Carrano scored 12 points, Davina Mendez had 10, and Tenique Gates and Dealyce Howard each scored nine.

After the first quarter, in which West Haven took a 13-4 lead, the game was never in question as a 28-3 second quarter run by the Westies increased the lead to 41-7 at the half. A 25-4 run in the third quarter gave West Haven a 66-11 lead and ensured the trip to the postseason for the first time in three years.

Abuhatab, who also recorded 13 rebounds and four steals in the contest, had five of her team’s points in the opening quarter, then led the second quarter explosion with seven points. Carrano had six points in the quarter, and Howard added five.

West Haven held Harding to single digits in points in each of the first three quarters and allowed just seven points in the first half.

The run in the state tournament was a short one for the 28th-seeded Westies as they fell to fifth-seeded Trumbull, 52-34, in the opening round of the Class LL state tournament. West Haven converted on just 8-of-24 free throws in the contest.

Abuhatab led West Haven with 14 points, Carrano had nine points, and Howard added six points in the season-ending loss.

The goal of any team in the regular season is to be peaking at the right time. The West Haven boys basketball team is doing exactly that.

With an 82-50 victory over North Haven Tuesday evening, the Westies won their seventh straight contest and improved to 13-5 on the year.

As has been the case throughout the season, the Westies received a complete team effort and were led by Malcolm Duncanson with 22 points. Shea Sheffield added 15 points, Marlin Walker had 11, and Laron Holmes scored nine in the victory.

While the Westies struggled at the free throw line, hitting on just 11-of-23 shots, they connected for 11 3-pointers, led by Sheffield with four, and Duncanson, Walker and Allen Meyers with two apiece.

West Haven team advanced to the quarterfinals of the Southern Connecticut Conference tournament with a 50-34 victory over North Haven Thursday evening at West Haven High.

Duncanson led the way with 17 points, while Khalel Francis added 12 points, and Sheffield had 10 points.

Behind eight first quarter points from Duncanson, West Haven jumped out to a 16-10 lead. Buckets by Duncanson, Walker, and Javon Calhoun had West Haven out to a 6-0 lead.

The Westies pulled away in the second quarter when a basket by Francis had the Westies up 23-17. The Indians pulled within five points in the third quarter, but a basket by Duncanson, and a 3-pointer by Francis had the Westies up 34-24 in the third quarter.

Sheffield hit a pair of 3-pointers in the fourth quarter for a 45-31 advantage.

West Haven boys basketball team was hoping to make a run to the Southern Connecticut Conference finals. A tough team in Hamden stood in the way.

West Haven trailed early and had to fight back from a 15-point deficit to even the game in the fourth quarter. West Haven never took the lead, and the battle back from a 21-7 deficit could not be completed.

Sheffield led the Westies with 22 points, including five 3-pointers, while Duncanson added 17 points, and Manny Belcher had 10.

Having lost two straight and four of five entering last Tuesday night’s contest with Amity, the West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy girls hockey team knew the game was coming at the right time.

Looking to get going in the right direction once again, the Westie Sharks rallied from an early deficit, then scored twice in the third period to defeat Amity 7-5 at the Edward L. Bennnett Rink.

Brooke McNabola led the way with three goals, Taylor Nowak and Jenna Hunt each had a goal and two assists, and Hannah Davey made 24 saves to help WH/SHA improve to 12-6 on the season.

The last time Guilford and West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy met was a classic affair which did not end in the favor of the Westie Sharks at Webster Bank Arena.
While Guilford rallied for an overtime victory in the first meeting, it was the Westie Sharks who rallied to force overtime last Friday evening. The result, however, again belonged in favor of the Indians.
Despite WH/SHA scoring twice in the final 1:56 of regulation, Guilford used an overtime tally to top WH/SHA 7-6 at the Edward L. Bennett Rink in West Haven. With the loss, WH/SHA fell to 12-7 on the year.
Megan Froehlich led the offense with two goals, while Nowak had one goal and four assists. Davey was outstanding in goal with 43 saves.
West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy opened the Southern Connecticut Conference tournament with a 7-0 victory over Hand at the Edward L. Bennett Rink in West Haven.

Nine different players were in the scoring column as WH/SHA advanced to play Guilford in the semifinals of the tournament.

Jenna Hunt led the offense with three goals and one assist, Jianna Cohrs had a goal and two assists, and Meghan Dupre finished with a pair of assists. Hailey Alfano and Davey combined to make 10 saves.

There will be no Southern Connecticut Conference championship for the WH/SHA girls hockey team. Looking to top Guilford after a pair of gut-wrenching losses to the Indians, the Westie Sharks did not have to worry about any last-minute defeat.

Trailing early and never having the lead, third-seeded WH/SHA fell to second-seeded Guilford 8-3 in the SCC semifinals in East Haven last Wednesday evening.

Froehlich led the offense with a goal and an assist, Mackenzie Gardner had two assists, and Davey made 15 saves, but it was not enough in the lop-sided loss.

Guilford scored the first three goals of the game, including taking a 2-0 lead after one period of play. WH/SHA finally got back into the contest in a span of 3:06, scoring twice, and cutting the deficit to 3-2 with 3:07 left in the second period.

The Indians rebounded by scoring twice in the final 1:27 of the middle period for a 5-2 lead, and increased the margin to 7-2 in the third.

Nowak scored off assists from Gardner and Froehlich to get within 7-3.

The season came to a crushing end for the Westie Sharks Monday evening in a heart-breaking 1-0 loss to seventh-seeded East Catholic. The tenth-seeded Westie Sharks dominated play with 49 shots on goal, but could not get one to find the back of the net.

Davey played well in goal for the Westie Sharks with 20 saves, but East Catholic scored the winner with 33 seconds to go on a rush by Mary McKiernan.

West Haven senior goaltender, Jared Pliszka, has been tremendous all season, and was nothing short of sensational in a 1-1 tie with Xavier.

This one may sting a little bit. After returning to game action for the first time in eleven days, the West Haven boys’ hockey team played a thriller against Xavier.

Unfortunately for the Westies, they could not bury several glorious opportunities and played to a 1-1 tie with the Falcons. Despite everything which felt good about the contest, including 50 saves from Jared Pliszka, the tie pretty much sealed West Haven’s fate as the ninth seed in the Division I state tournament.

In all likelihood, West Haven will open the tournament with a road contest at Greenwich. A victory over the Falcons would have put the Westies in a position where a home contest in the tournament would have been a possibility.

After a scoreless first period in which Pliszka made 14 saves, Pliszka denied a 2-on-1 just 3:33 in, then made another stop in front with 7:38 left in the second.

While Pliszka was doing his thing, the Westies could not capitalize offensively as D.J. Carfora was denied on a 2-on-1 with Ben Carfora.

West Haven finally took a 1-0 lead when Ben Carfora created in front, then took the initial shot which was tapped in by Colin Hines for a 1-0 lead with 6:29 left in the second.

Both teams put the pressure on in the third, but the only goal belonged to Xavier as a short-handed tally evened the contest with 4:35 gone by.

The Westies then had three breakaway opportunities to either take the lead or win the game, but could not convert.

Nick Boanno was stopped with 9:40 remaining by a pad save, as was Kaden Morgillo with 3:05 left. Morgillo was then turned aside in overtime with 2:50 remaining.

Mite C tops arch rival Hamden, 12-4

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On Saturday morning, the West Haven Mite C hockey team hosted the Hamden Dragons Mite C’s.  The Westies came out on top by a score of 12-4. 

Logan Minio and Brady Salkins each picked up a hat trick, and Julius Stokes, Jax Guarino, and Anthony Parise also scored.  Ben Trenchard played a great game in goal, picking up 16 saves in the win for the Blue Devils. 

The team played in the Mite Jamboree at Taft in Watertown on last Sunday, going an impressive 3-1-1 on the day against five B travel teams. 

In the opening game of the day, the Blue Devils took on the Simsbury Mite C team, falling 6-2.  Trenchard made his debut in goal, making 21 saves to try to keep his team in the game.  Logan Minio scored both goals, and Joe Mondo played well defensively. 

In game two, the Mite C’s took on the Hamden Mite B team, and in a tough back-and-forth game, the Westies won, 5-4.  Anthony Parise, Minio (two), Kyle Johnson, and Minio scored for West Haven. Evan Harrison played great in goal to help the Mite C’s picked up their first win of the day. 

In game three, West Haven played the Watertown Mite B Redwings.  West Haven came up with a big 10-2 win.  Minio continued his scoring streak, as Trenchard continued to find him and get him the puck.  Stokes and Johnson also assisted on Minio goals.  Johnson picked up his second goal of the day, as Trenchard picked up another assist.  Brady Salkins scored a nice goal as Jax Guarino beat a Redwing and put the puck in front of the net for Salkins to bang home. 

In game four, the West Haven played rival Greater New Haven Mite B.  The Westies tied 3-3 against New Haven, and played one of their best games of the season.  The Trenchard-Minio connection continued, as Minio netted twice off of Trenchard assists. Johnson picked up the third goal.  Mondo and Guarino were both great defensively, and Harrison made several big stops to preserve the tie. 

In game five, the Blue Devils took on the Wallingford Hawks Mite B team.  It was a tense game, as Harrison and the Wallingford goalie both made several big saves.  Parise, Stokes and Mondo were big on defense, as Trenchard put the pressure on the other team and forechecked hard.  Guarino, Johnson and Minio cut off Hawk passes and got the puck deep in their end to create scoring chance. As the seconds ticked away, the score remained 0-0 until Salkins broke through on a breakaway and buried the puck into the back of the goal to give West Haven the 1-0 win.

Despite a good effort, the West Haven Squirt A travel hockey team lost, 5-3, to Avon A at Bennett Rink on Saturday.

After falling behind 1-0 just 56 seconds into the game, Westie center Cameren Lipford tied the game on a wrist shot from the slot at 5:38 of the first. Forward Aedan Guarino assisted on the play.

The Panthers went up 2-1 three minutes later, but Lipford tied it once again — this time rebounding defenseman Kyle Guarino’s shot from the right point and backhanding the puck past the goaltender with 50 seconds left in the period.

At 4:24 of the second, Lipford then rebounded forward Grady Schulte’s shot from the slot and fired a wrister that deflected off the goalie’s blocker into the net to put the Blue Devils up 3-2. The Panthers clawed their way back, however, to tie it at 3:13 of the period.

It was all Avon from there.Andrew Grillo and Kyle Guarino played well defensively for West Haven, while goalie Alex Werle stopped 25 shots.

West Haven won, 6-2, over the Connecticut RiverHawks at Bennett Rink last Saturday. Gavin Coady, Tyler Silva, off an assist from Michael D’Aiuto, Cameren Lipford (two goals), D’Aiuto, off an assist from Ryan Walsh, and Walsh all scored.

Werle stopped 17 shots and Andrew Grillo, Brooklynn Maher and Kyle Guarino played well defensively.

The West Haven Pee Wee A hockey team faced the IceHawks of Northwestern A1 in a home-and-home series over the weekend.  The Blue Devils came away with a win and a tie and have an overall record of 23-24-2 on the season.

On Saturday morning at O’Neill Arena on the campus of Canterbury School, the Westies got four goals and three assists from Brady Price in the 8-8 tie.

Greg Galasso made four saves in the first period. Jacob Silva came on in relief and made ten saves the rest of the way.  West Haven outshot Northwestern 41-22 for the game.

The rematch was Sunday morning at Edward L. Bennett Rink.  The Westies went up 1-0 in the opening minute when Bowery fed Kelly in the high slot for a wrister.  Northwestern tied it four minutes later.

Penalties mounted on both sides during the second period.  The IceHawks scored a power play goal to lead 2-1.  The Westies were on a man advantage when a delayed penalty was called.  Dylan Bosworth skated on as the extra attacker and pounced on a rebound of Pniewski’s shot to knot it at 2-2. Still on the power play, Bowery hit ahead to Price who roofed a backhand shot a minute later for a 3-2 lead. 

Despite controlling most of the play (West Haven outshot Northwestern 41-18), the home team yielded an early goal in the period and it was tied again.  Bowery’s breakout pass to Price led to the winning goal.  Price slid the puck to Kelly and he cashed in to make it 4-3.  Solid defense and goaltending (Galasso made 15 saves in between the pipes) over the final four minutes earned West Haven the win.

The team split a pair of close games last weekend.  The Blue Devils controlled play against East Haven A1 in a 4-2 victory on Saturday, before dropping a 5-4 decision to Wonderland A on Sunday.

The West Haven Bantam A travel hockey team won its only game of the weekend with a 6-4 victory over Western A at the Edward L. Bennett Rink Saturday morning. Cam Delvecchio led the way with two goals and two assists, while Matt Stevens had four assists.

West Haven took a 1-0 lead just 28 seconds into the contest when Delvecchio scored an unassisted goal. Western evened the game 29 seconds later, before West Haven took a 3-1 lead after one.

Jayden Spreyer gave the Westies a 2-1 lead off an assist from Stevens 3:16 in, before Delvecchio’s second of the game off another assist from Stevens increased the margin to 3-1 with 59.2 seconds left in the first.

Western got within 3-2, but Michael Madera scored a power play goal off assists from Delvecchio and Stevens for a 4-2 lead 3:21 into the second.

West Haven added two more goals in the second for a 6-2 lead. Mickey Dowd scored off assists from Delvecchio and Stevens, and Matt Wezenski scored off an assist from Spreyer 2:27 apart.

West Haven won the Jimmy Welch tournament in Berkshire, Massachusetts last weekend. The Westies played four games and outscored their opponents 32-2.

Behind strong defensive play from Matt Wezenski, Haygen Axelrod, and Jason Alling, Bryan Hong posted three shutouts in the tournament.

Cam Delvecchio led the way with three goals and nine assists, Jayden Spreyer had five goals and three assists, Dante Hardt had three goals and five assists, Matt Wezenski had a goal and seven assists, Mickey Dowd added six goals and one assist, Michael Madera had five goals and two assists, and Will Giaquinto scored four times and added two assists.

West Haven advanced to the finals with a 7-0 victory over the Berkshire Bruins Saturday evening. Madera and Dowd led the offense with two goals and an assist apiece, Hardt scored twice, Wezenski had three assists, and Delvecchio added a pair of assists. Hong was solid in goal in posting the shutout.

The Westies took home the title with a 6-0 victory over the Berkshire Bruins on Sunday. Delvecchio led the way with a goal and two assists, Dowd scored twice, Hardt had a goal and an assist, and Wezenski and Stevens each had two assists.

In its only game last weekend, the West Haven Bantam B travel hockey team played New Canaan Winter Club at Bennett Rink Sunday afternoon and posted a 4-1 victory. After going down 1-0 in the first, the Westies bounced back in the second with three goals.

Alex Kurowski got the first goal off assists from Ashley Welch and Matty Wright on the power play. Still on the power play, Wright would then connect 36 seconds later from Yousaf Ullah. Shortly after, Kurowski (unassisted) netted his second of the game while short-handed. The Westies added a goal in the third period from Ullah with a top corner shot from the point. The goal was unassisted and the score would remain 4-1 for the Westie win. 

Wizards splash at Trials

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The West Haven Wizards had a successful weekend at Yankee League Swim Trials. The Yankee Swim League consists of 11 teams and more than 600 swimmers. Trials took place at two different venues, over four sessions on both Saturday and. A total of 128 Wizard swimmers competed, 66 swimmers will advance to Yankee League Finals in one or more events and an eight were selected as alternates.

The following swimmers will advance to Yankee League Finals: Elyze Ancheta, Kelly Asperas, Christina, Ayala, Katherine Ayala, Marco Ayala, Lauren Blake, Ethan Burgard, Lucy Cacioppo, Carli Cassone, Gianna Cassone, Collin Charron, Nathan Charron, Johan Chen, Jacob Collette, Olivia Delauri, Sophie Delauri, Khondo Dorjee, Emily Eschweiler, Emily Falanga, Kaelyn Falanga, Morgan Falanga, Gavin Falcigno, Sean Fitzpatrick, Jeffrey Flores, Adriana Giachino, Aiden Giannettino, Owen Giannettino, Jillian Goldbeck, Madison Hobart, Lauren Hoeppner, Aubrey Holthous, Hayden Holthous, Hayden Jocob, Madelyn Lisi, Raymond Listori, Carter Liston, AJ Meglio, Michael Meglio, Erin Morton, Kaleigh Morton, Aarya Mulmi, Evan Murphy, Daniel Ocozco, Alanna Orechio, David Ojeda, Dylan Ojeda, Hannah Rascoll, Macie Rascoll, Ari Rose, Carter Shearer, Roman Shubin, Sophia Shubin, Ella Sutton, CJ Sutton, Ainara Soto, Kaylee Taulty, Caroline Tirollo, Emma Tirollo, Nevan Vidosevic, Kaya Vital, Lucas Vital, Chloe Wardman, Michael Wight, Xander Wight, Molly Wilson and Lucas Yavagnilio.

The following swimmers were selected as alternates: Giocanni Caciopppo, Emma Dorjee, Ethan Joseph, Yusuf Khan, Evan Piskura, Ryan Schmitt, Ella Simonear and Naomi Shubin.

In addition, the Wizards had 5 swimmers qualify first in the league in one or more individual events and two relay teams qualify first. This means that they had the fastest time for their age group. Those coming in first were: Ella Sutton in the 6 & under girls 25-yard butterfly and the 25-yard freestyle; CJ Sutton in the 9/10 boys 50-yard freestyle; Aarya Mulmi in the 11/12 girls 50-yard butterfly and 50-yard backstroke; Kaleigh Mortonin the 13/14 girls 100-yard butterfly; and Collin Charron in the 13/14 boys 100-yard butterfly and 100-yard backstroke.

The 6 & under girls 100-yard freestyle relay team and the 13 & over girls 200-yard medley relay team also qualified first in the league.

Yankee League Finals will be held at the West Haven High School Pool on Saturday.

For more information on the West Haven Wizards Swim team please visit www.westhavenwizards.org.

Knights get ready for tournament runs

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Notre Dame honored its Class of 2020 basketball seniors at its annual Senior Night Game on Friday, a 62-43 win over Fairfield Prep.

Basketball –The 5th-ranked Green Knights beat Fairfield Prep 62-43 on its annual Senior Night game on Valentine’s Day. Four of the five seniors got in the score column and as a group they tallied 42 points. Zach Laput led the way with 21 points and 11 rebounds. Fellow seniors Amadou Kamara added 10, Matt Consorte 7, and Marquise McDuffie 6. Brett Hutchison ran the show from the point guard spot well. Notre Dame had a busy week as they scored 78 points both Monday and Tuesday nights beating Bassick and East Haven. Notre Dame improved to 17-1 and travel to Cross and Xavier to conclude the regular season.

Hockey — It was a week of mixed emotions for the Notre Dame hockey team. They opened the week with a thrilling 2-0 win over West Haven in a very well-played game by both teams that can best be categorized as an instant classic. The winning goal came off the stick of West Haven native Connor Faughnan with just 1:21 left in the game. Notre Dame added an empty netter with four seconds left. The Green Knights couldn’t tide that momentum into Saturday’s game against Fairfield Prep. The Jesuits roughed up the Green Knights, 8-1. ND is 13-5 with Ridgefield and Darien left on the regular season schedule. Notre Dame will get a chance at redemption against the Jesuits in the SCC D1 championship game on Friday, March 6 at the Bennett Rink.

Indoor Track — Jared Russo won the 55-meter hurdles, while Max Bothwell won the pole vault to help the Notre Dame indoor track team to a fourth-place finish at the CIAC Class L Championship Meet. Russo crossed the finish line in 7.89. Bothwell cleared 12-6 to win the pole vault event. The 4×200 relay team ran fourth. All three will compete in the CIAC State Open Meet this Saturday at the NH Athletic Center.

Swimming — The quartet of senior divers stole the show in the Green Knights Senior Day swim meet against Amity. The Spartans would emerge victorious 93-79. The Green Knights would win three events, led by the diving quartet of Michael Iasalvatore, Dylan Schwartz, Chase Socquet, and Hunter Stenquist. Iasalvatore would capture first place scoring 156 points for his six dives. Stenquist totaled 154 points, Schwartz 141 points, and Socquet 83 points. Alex Ozonoff would capture his signature event, the 500 freestyle, touching the wall in 5:21.60. Sean McDermott won his best event, the 100 breaststroke, touching the wall in 1:07.70. Notre Dame has one regular season meet left against Xavier before heading into the postseason.

Wrestling — Jackson Paulishen became the second Notre Dame wrestler to claim an SCC championship by winning the 220-pound division. Add in a third-place showing by Alex Barbour and it was a solid showing by the Green Knights, who are only in their fourth year of a varsity program. Paulishen had a first round bye, then won his next two matches by pin to advance to the finals. In the championship match, Paulishen beat East Haven’s Gunner Horton 8-0. Barbour lost early in the competition in the 182-pound division. He then rallied to win three matches, two by pin, then an 11-4 decision to reach the consolation finals. He then won that match in OT to place third in what was a busy day of wrestling for him. The team finished 11th overall and will compete in the Class M Championship Meet this weekend!

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