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Xavier edges Westies, 22-21

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The West Haven football team continues to battle in the 2019 season. Unfortunately for the Westies, they have not been able to pick up the victories.

In its fifth contest of the season decided by eight points or less, West Haven dropped to 2-7 with a 22-21 loss against Xavier Friday evening in Middletown.

The Falcons dealt the Westies another heartbreaking loss, scoring in the final seconds, then adding a two-point conversion for the win.

West Haven has lost four in a row, three of those contests by six points or less, and two in the final minute of the games.

The Westies scored twice on the ground and once by way of a fumble return for their three touchdowns. Andre Rentas and Jordan Berrios ran in two touchdowns, and Tamayo Ferreira had the fumble return for the score.

Devils fall to Knights

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Andre Rentas (2) was tough to contain against the Green Knights as he ran for three touchdowns and threw an- other. Rentas scored on runs of 1, 53, and 56 yards, while he threw a touchdown pass of 33 yards.

Throw away the records when the West Haven and Notre Dame football teams meet. Friday night was no exception.

Using a late score, Notre Dame rallied to defeat the Westies 41-35 in the Soderman Bowl at Veterans Field.

With the game even at 35, Notre Dame quarterback Jackson Zelinsky hit Aiden Stankiewicz for a 32-yard touchdown. Zalinsky threw for 288 yards and four touchdowns in the contest.

In the high-scoring affair, West Haven got on the scoreboard first when Andre Rentas scored from 1-yard out with 7:14 left in the opening quarter. The Green Knights responded with 11 ticks left in the quarter to take a 7-6 lead as Zalinsky hit Austin Pieck from six yards out.

Rentas hit Justin Medina for a 33-yard scoring strike 2:09 into the second for a 14-7 advantage, but the Green Knights evened the game with 5:57 left in the first half on a 9-yard touchdown run by Damian Blount.

The game continued its fast pace in the third quarter as Zalinsky hit Robbie Oliverio from six yards out, but the Westies took a 27-21 lead to the fourth quarter after Rentas scored on a 53-yard run 1:19 later, then ran in from 56 yards with 1:27 to go in the quarter.

Bliount ran in from 26 yards out 47 seconds into the fourth for a 28-27 Notre Dame lead, before the Green Knights increased their lead to 35-27 when Zalinsky hit Tommy Candelora from 51 yards out with 7:20 to go.

When Jaden Grant ran in from nine yards out and Rentas and Jordan Berrios connected on the conversion, West Haven evened the game at 35,

Rentas ran for 147 yards in the contest.

For all of your West Haven sporting news all season long, including game articles, photos, videos and more, visit www.westieblue.com.

Peewees drop a pair

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The West Haven Peewee A travel hockey team had its win streak snapped and its offense held in check over the weekend.  The Blue Devils lost to Wonderland A, 3-1, and Yale 2007A, 5-2.  West Haven is now 8-11-1 overall and 7-7-0 in CHC play.

On Saturday morning at the Wonderland of Ice, the Wizards and Westies skated to a 0-0 tie after one period.  Jacob Silva was sharp in goal for the Westies. Wonderland broke through with a pair of goals, the first with a man advantage, just over one minute apart early in the second period.  West Haven cut the lead to 2-1 with a goal two minutes into the third period. 

Brady Price carried the puck into the offensive zone.  His pass was gathered by Mike Page who spun and fired a wrist shot that found the net.  The Westies created a few more chances but were unable to capitalize. The Wizards scored in the final seconds for a 3-1 win.  Silva finished with 26 saves as Wonderland outshot West Haven, 29-22.

On Sunday morning at the Edward L. Bennett Rink, the Westies hosted Yale 2007A.  Yale took a 4-0 lead before Ronnie Mastroni got West Haven on the scoreboard with an unassisted goal with five minutes to play in the second period. 

After another Yale tally, the Westies completed the scoring when Alex Bowery fed Price for a back-hand goal late in the third period.  Greg Galasso and Silva split the game in goal and combined for 22 saves.

The West Haven Bantam A travel hockey team dropped a pair of contest this weekend. The WEsties fell to Darien AA Saturday evening and lost at home against Yale on Sunday.

West Haven opened the week with an 8-1 loss against Darien AA in Stamford Saturday evening. Trailing 2-0 in the first period, West Haven cut the deficit in half when Colin Deane scored off an assist from Cam Delvecchio with 2:47 remaining in the opening period. Darien scored less than 10 seconds later and the Westies never got closer again.

Darien put the game away with two goals in the second period and three more in the third.

The Westies hosted Yale Sunday evening at the Edward L. Bennett Rink and fell 4-2. Delvecchio scored both goals for the Westies.

Trailing 2-0, Delvecchio scored with 31 seconds remaining in the opening period off assists from Deane and Haygen Axelrod. Yale scored twice in 51 seconds for a 4-1 lead in the second, before Delvecchio cut the deficit in half with 7:44 to go in the game off an assist from Dave Brown.

West Haven put pressure on, but could not get any closer.

The West Have Blue Devils U-16 team, which is currently ranked 15th nationally in Tier II, captured the Tier II state championship in thrilling fashion this past weekend.

The weekend started off with a semifinal game against the number four seed Darien Blue Wave. The Blue Devils jumped out to a 4-0 lead seven minutes into the game and never looked back. West Haven got scoring up and down the lineup and defeated Darien 11-0 to move on to the championship game against the Wonderland Wizards.

During the championship game on Sunday morning, the Blue Devils jumped out to a 2-0 lead, getting goals from Anthony Ramano and Eli Brubacher. It was a back and forth game, but the Blue Devils were able to lock down their defensive zone coverage and win the game 2-1 in what was a true team effort by each and every individual.

Coaches Erik Roos and Rick Beckwith have now won eight straight U-16 state championships. The Westies will play in Troy, Michigan (April 2-6), where they will be competing once again for a national championship.

Roos and Beckwith will be heading back to the same venue where they captured their 2013 National Championship.

Blue Devils fall to Academics

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The West Haven football team fell to 2-5 on the year with a 14-12 loss to Hillhouse at Ken Strong Stadium in West Haven Friday evening. The loss was West Haven’s second straight after winning two in a row.

The Senior Night contest saw the two teams struggle to get going offensively, before Hillhouse used its special teams to help pull out the victory.

West Haven’s touchdowns came in different ways. Jaden Grant scored on the ground from 14 yards out, and Andre Rentas hit Justin Medina for an 8-yard scoring strike.

The season has ended for the West Haven volleyball team. Traveling to Woodbridge to Amity in the opening round of the Class LL state tournament, 15th-seeded West Haven fell, 3-0. The loss by scores of 25-14, 25-17, 25-18 completed West Haven’s season with a mark of 12-10.

“We started off a little flat and couldn’t get our offense going,” West Haven coach Kate Coldren said. “I saw some positive things throughout the match, but we just weren’t consistent enough with any of our skills.”

Amity was in control from the start, topping West Haven by 11 points in the opening game, and eight points in the second game.

“Bria (Stanley) and Noelle (Noble) played pretty well at the net, and defensively we worked hard,” Coldren said. “Sadly, we just didn’t do enough to keep our season alive. Despite the way we ended up this season, I was extremely proud of this team this season. They showed tremendous spirit and worked really hard to accomplish everything they did. I can’t thank my seniors enough for their dedication and pride in continuing to build our program.”

Giliana Santaniello led West Haven with eight assists and four digs. Bria Stanley added five kills and five digs, Noelle Noble had six kills and four digs, Savannah Lopez chipped in four assists, four digs, and three kills, while Neve Krajcir and Thiana Baez each had four digs.  

The West Haven boys’ soccer team opened the 2019 postseason with a play-in contest against Norwich Free Academy Saturday afternoon at Ken Strong Stadium. In frigid conditions, the 30th-seeded Westies topped NFA, 3-1.

With the victory, West Haven advanced to the opening round of the state tournament against third-seeded East Hartford Monday afternoon.

The Westies had three different goal scorers against NFA and took a 1-0 lead at the 8 minute, 42 second mark when Bernard Ocansey scored off an assist from Aldo Barragan. NFA evened the game4:13 before the end of the half to send the contest to the break deadlocked at one.

Barragan gave West Haven the lead for good at the 67:13 mark and Derick Meza scored 7:44 later for a 3-1 advantage.

West Haven held a 14-5 shot advantage in the win with Brian Carew making just two saves.

The postseason was not a long one for the West Haven boys soccer team. After topping Norwich Free Academy in a qualifying game Saturday afternoon, the 30th-seeded Westies traveled to play third-seeded East Hartford Monday afternoon.

Scoring twice in a span of 1:09, East Hartford ended West Haven’s season with a 3-1 victory in the opening round of the Class LL state tournament.

Rajay Robinson gave East Hartford a 1-0 lead at the 13:28 mark of the first half, but that was all the host team could manage until the 42 minute mark. Ryah Dylan scored at 42:36 and Yaw Nimo-Aquare tallied again at 43:45 for a 3-0 advantage.

Barragan got West Haven on the board at 61:23, but the Westies never got closer.

West Haven was outshot 16-8 in the contest with Carew making seven saves in the loss for the Westies.

For all of your West Haven sporting news all season long, including game articles, photos, videos and more, visit www.westieblue.com.

Westies stumble to 2-4 record

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The West Haven football team fell to 2-4 with a 37-0 loss against top-ranked Hand of Madison Friday night. With plenty to play for as head coach Dave Mastroianni made his return from his battle with cancer, the Tigers turned to their senior leadership to roll to a victory over West Haven in a Southern Connecticut Conference Tier I contest in West Haven.

Quarterback Phoenix Billings was on the mark in the opening half, connecting on 13-of-15 passes for 165 yards and two touchdowns, while fellow senior Austin Doyle spoiled any chance of a West Haven comeback with a key fumble recovery in the opening half. Billings finished 15-of-20 for 199 yards and three touchdowns.

Hand senior Jesse Lutz returned the opening kickoff 90 yards for a score and an 8-0 lead just 14 seconds into the game.

The Tigers (7-0) wasted no time taking a 16-0 lead as an 11-play, 80-yard drive was capped when Billings hit Isaiah McNeilly with a 19-yard touchdown pass with 3 minutes, 47 seconds left in the opening quarter.

The Westies (2-4) had a golden opportunity to get back in the game when Hand fumbled on its next possession and James Parker recovered at the Hand 42. But, two plays later, Hand’s Doyle recovered a West Haven fumble to set up another Hand score.

Billings hit Ethan Haberman for 67 yards on the first play, and Lutz scored from five yards out two plays later for a 23-0 advantage with 2:50 gone by in the second quarter.

Hand put the game away with 57 seconds remaining in the half, capping a seven-play drive with a 2-yard toss from Billings to Seth Sweitzer.

The Tigers added the final touchdown of the game with 6:29 left in the third quarter as Billings hit Haberman for a 34-yard score.

Hand’s defense was equally impressive, holding West Haven to just one yard of offense in the third quarter and 39 total yards in the second half, which also included running time after Hand’s final touchdown. The Tigers held West Haven quarterback Andre Rentas to just 51 yards passing.

Winners of four of five contests, the West Haven volleyball team looked to close the regular season in style on Senior Night. Unfortunately for the Westies, Career had other ideas.

After battling the entire contest, West Haven could not pull out the victory in a 23-25, 25-21, 23-25, 25-15, 13-15 loss at West Haven High Monday evening.

After two-point losses in the first and third games, West Haven rebounded after each. The match came down to the final game and Career was able to hold off the Westies in the fifth and deciding game.

Giliana Santaniello ran the offense with 11 assists. Santaniello also added 11 digs defensively, while Thiana Baez had 10 digs and three aces. Noelle Noble played well defensively with 17 digs and added seven kills on offense, while Neve Krajcir also had 17 digs, and added five aces and three kills. Savannah Lopez also played well with eight assists and six kills, while Chekeenah Jeudi had four kills.

Winless in five straight contests, the West Haven boys soccer team needed a big win before postseason play. The Westies got that win Monday evening.

Facing East Haven on the road, the Westies got goals from five different players in a dominant 5-0 win over East Haven. With the victory, West Haven improved to 7-6-3 on the year.

Brian Carew needed to make just one save in the shutout, while Jovan Loja, Sebastian Navarro, and Mario Acevedo each had their first career varsity goals, and Tejean Campbell picked up his first varsity assist.

After a scoreless first half, Loja scored off an assist from Luis Lopez at the 49 minute, 25 second mark for a 1-0 lead. Aldo Barragan made it a 2-0 game off an assist from Kevin Morales 1:40 later.

The Westies continued to pour it on when Bernard Ocansey scored at the 53:44 mark.

Campbell set up Navarro at the 68:18 mark and Derick Meza set up Mario Acevedo at 77:38.

West Haven held a 32-2 shot advantage in the game.

The West Haven girls swimming team fell to East Haven / Cross 99-71 Monday afternoon. With the loss, West Haven dropped to 1-10 on the season.

The Westies had one first place finish as Victoria Acuna took home the top spot in the 100 free in 1 minute, 4.69 seconds.

West Haven had nine second place finishes in the meet. The 200 medley relay team of Madison Hobart, Molly Wilson, Acuna, and Kaelyn Falanga was second in 2:08.77, the 200 free relay team of Hobart, Eileen Barrington, Wilson, and Morgan Falanga placed second in 1:56.06, and the 400 free relay team of Acuna, Morgan Falanga, Alana Orecchio, and Kaelyn Falanga was second in 4:17.20.

The 200 free saw Morgan Falanga second in 2:18.81, the 50 free had Kaelyn Falanga second in 28.07 seconds, the 100 free saw Acuna second in 1:04.69, and the 500 free had Kaelyn Falanga second in 6:05.95.

Hobart was second in the 100 back in 1:13.75 and Wilson placed second in the 100 breast in 1:20.76.

The Westies fell to Guilford 97.5-85.5 Wednesday afternoon in West Haven. West Haven had a pair of first place finishes as the 200 medley relay team of Hobart, Wilson, Kaelyn Falanga, and Morgan Falanga won in 2 minutes, 4.53 seconds. The 1 meter diving had Kaylee Taulty win with 166.05 points.

West Haven also had 10 second place finishes. In the 200 IM, Orecchio was second in 2:38.79, while Kaelyn Falanga was second in the 50 free 27.86 seconds.

In one-meter diving, Eva Predom was second with 112.25 points, while the 100 fly had Hobart second in 1:12.69. The 100 free had Acuna second in 1:03.28, the 500 free saw Kaelyn Falanga second in 5:56.60. Hobart was also second in the 100 back 1:15.63, and Wilson was second in the 100 breast in 1:19.81.

The 200 free relay placed second with a team of Hobart, Acuna, Kaelyn Falanga, and Morgan Falanga in 1:53.70. The 400 free relay team of Orecchio, Acuna, McKenna Driver, and Sofia Shubin was second in 4:32.31.

For all of your West Haven sporting news all season long, including game articles, photos, videos and more, visit www.westieblue.com.

Westie netters on a roll

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Bria Stanley leads the cheers in last week’s match with North Haven. The Blue Devils won, 4-1.

The West Haven volleyball is riding into the postseason on a positive wave. Winners of four of their last five matches, the Westies are 12-7 on the year.

West Haven won its third straight match and seventh in its last eight contests with a 3-1 road victory over Hamden. With the 25-23, 18-25, 25-17, 25-23 victory, the Westies improved to 11-6 on the year.

Nokelle Noble and teammate Thiana Baez dig in while fighting for a point at the West Haven gym. West Haven is turning in a standout season in the tough SCC circuit. The blue Devils had a five-game win streak going into the final weeks of the regular season.

“We started off kind of slow again tonight, but were able to pull it together to get the win,” West Haven coach Kate Coldren said. “We really need to figure out a way to start off these games with more intensity and energy and play more consistent volleyball, starting with our serving. Getting this win was very important and we played well in general, but I know we’re capable of much better. We need to finish off the regular season strong and keep the momentum going for playoffs.” 

Involved in a tough match from the start, the Westies won both the first and fourth games by two points each. After losing the second game, West Haven pulled away for a third game victory, before edging Hamden in the fourth game.

“Collectively our serve receive and defense was very good,” Coldren said. “We struggled a bit in the front row against some tough blockers, but we found a way to make it work. Bria (Stanley) and Noelle (Noble) played well in the front row and came up with some big hits when we needed them the most. For the third and fourth games, we served tough and that made all the difference.”  

Noelle Noble and Neve Krajcir led the defensive efforts with 11 and 10 digs, respectively. Giliana Santaniello added eight digs, eight assists, and four aces, while Bria Stanley had six kills and five digs, and Savannah Lopez had seven assists and five digs.

Noble also had six kills, and Krajcir finished with four aces and three kills.

West Haven posted its fourth win in five matches with a 3-1 victory over North Haven. The 19-25, 25-13, 25-18, 25-22 victory allowed West Haven to improve to 12-7 on the year.

“They played so much better and seem to be back on track with a solid team effort,” Coldren said. “We got off to a slow start, but they put everything together by the second game.  We were able to run our offense because our passing was on point.”

Stanley led the way with 17 kills, seven digs, and three blocks, while Krajcir had nine kills, four aces, and four digs. Lopez had nine assists, four digs, three aces and three kills, Noble had six digs, three aces, and two kills, and Santaniello had 16 assists, four kills, three aces and two digs.

“Noelle (Noble) and Savannah (Lopez) played very well on defense and really got the rest of the team motivated to work hard.  Bria (Stanley) and Neve (Krajcir) were unstoppable at the net and really made some smart plays when we needed them the most. I can’t say enough about how well they played, and it was good to get a win over North Haven.”

West Haven girls soccer coach Pete Trenchard enforced the importance of entering the postseason on a positive note. Winning two of their last three matches, the Westies were able to do so.

With a 0-2-1 stretch staring in its face, West Haven looked for a way to get out of its slump. Facing a tough Hand-Madison squad, the Westies turned to its defense and goalkeeping, along with timely scoring to post a 2-0 victory in West Haven Monday evening.

The win improved West Haven’s record to 5-5-4 and qualified the Westies for the state tournament.

Mackenzie Gardner made six saves, Jessica Robinson and Selena Izzo found the back of the net, and a solid defense which held Hand to just seven shots, helped West Haven get back on track.

“Overall, we played very well tonight,” Trenchard said. “We bounced back from the loss to Sheehan in our last game, and got a big win against a good team. The win qualified us for the state tournament, which is always the endgame.”

Both West Haven goals came as a result of hard work as Robinson scored on a penalty kick and Izzo scored on a free kick after a foul was drawn by Maya Bermudez.

“Defensively we were solid, and we weathered their attacks and didn’t give them many quality chances,” Trenchard said.

Trenchard wanted to close the regular season on a high note as the postseason approached. Winning two of three games to close the regular season had the Westies enter the postseason with a 6-6-4 record.

West Haven ended the season in impressive fashion with a 2-0 victory over Wilbur Cross on Saturday.

“It was nice to finish the regular season with the win,” Trenchard said. “Cross played well and made it tough on us, but we found a way to score and to finish the season with a .500 record. Now, we take a couple of days off to rest and recuperate, and then get back to work to focus on the state tournament. ”

Gardner picked up her eighth individual shutout of the year with six saves.

The Westies had 10 shots in the contest and took a 1-0 lead when Emma Walker scores from Alexia Guerrero at the 23:37 mark. 

Cross battled and gave West Haven all it could handle before Julia Tsakonas scored from Robinson at 76:04.

The West Haven boys soccer team is looking to get back on track. With a tough stretch to end the regular season, the Westies are working to get back to their winning ways.

In the midst of a 3-1-1 stretch, West Haven was looking to keep the season rolling along. Unfortunately for the Westies they ran into a tough North Haven team and fell 6-0 on the road Monday evening. With the loss, West Haven fell to 6-5-2 on the year.

North Haven held an 18-12 shot advantage in the contest with West Haven goalkeeper John McLaughlin making 10 saves. North Haven’s Matt Casey finished with eight saves.

Kasey Mongillo scored three goals for the Indians, who jumped out to an early lead 6 minutes, 9 seconds into the contest on a goal by Mongillo. Mongillo scored at the 13:02 mark to sandwich a tally by Jack Pollard for a 3-0 advantage.

While the West Haven boys soccer team is still searching for its first victory in a handful of games, the Westies took a step in the right direction Saturday afternoon with a 1-1 draw against Jonathan Law.

The draw, which moved the Westies to 0-3-2 in their last five games, and 6-6-3 overall, was in comeback fashion.

After Law’s Marcus Dostal scored at the 35:56 mark for a 1-0 advantage, West Haven pressured. That pressure finally paid off when Derick Meza scored at the 62:11 mark off an assist from Aldo Barragan. 

West Haven held a 13-10 shot advantage in the contest. 

McLaughlin made three saves and Brian Carew made four saves in the draw for West Haven. 

Danici Malkut made nine saves for Law.

The West Haven girls swimming team fell to 1-8 with a 98-80 loss at Hamden Monday evening. The Westies had two first place finishes, including the 100 backstroke by Madison Hobart in 1 minute, 10.86 seconds, and the 400 freestyle relay team of Morgan Falanga, Alana Orecchio, Kaelyn Falanga, and Hobart in 4:21.68.

The Westies also had four second place finishes. The 200 medley relay team of Hobart, Molly Wilson, Victoria Acuna, and Kaelyn Falanga had a time of 2:09.57, Morgan Falanga was second in the 200 freestyle in 2:20.22, Kaylee Taulty was second in the 1 meter diving with 175.50 points, and the 500 freestyle had Kaelyn Falanga place second in 6:04.54.

The Westies had a competitive meet against Jonathan Law Thursday afternoon, but fell in a home meet 94-84. With the loss, West Haven fell to 1-9 on the year.

West Haven had two first place finishes as Taulty won the 1meter diving with 180.45 points, and Kaelyn Falanga was victorious in the 500 freestyle in 5 minutes, 52 seconds.

The Westie shad five second place finishes, with three of those outcomes coming in the relay events. The 200 medley relay team of Hobart, Wilson, Acuna, and Kaelyn Falanga was second in 2:07.63, the 200 freestyle relay team of Morgan Falanga, Wilson, Orecchio, and Sofia Shubin placed second in 1:58.15, and the 400 freestyle relay team of Acuna, Kaelyn Falanga, Morgan Falanga, and Hobart was second in 4:23.36.

The 50 freestyle saw Kaelyn Falanga place second in 28.22, while the 100 butterfly had Hobart second in 1:11.79.

The West Haven boys and girls cross country teams participated in the Class LL division championships Saturday afternoon at Wickham Park.

The top runners for the boys were senior Sebastian Villanueva in 17 minutes, 29 seconds, sophomore Eric Owen in 19:21, and junior Allen Aldrich in 19:35. The top runners for the girls were freshman Amanda Gullo in 26:14, senior Rowanne Mustafa in 27:35, and senior Daelle Coriolan in 28:40.

For all of your West Haven sporting news all season long, including game articles, photos, videos and more, visit www.westieblue.com.

Westies’ fortunes rebound with win

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Jaden Grant was all over the field on Friday, rushing for 97 yards on 25 carries, while scoring on touchdown runs of 6, 11, and 3 yards.

Through four games of the regular season, the West Haven football team may have had only one win, but realized the record could be switched with how tough they played. 

West Haven continued to play well, topping Norwich Free Academy, 27-13, Friday evening at Ken Strong Stadium in West Haven. With the second straight victory, West Haven improved to 2-3 on the year. 

The contest was even at 13 at halftime as junior Jaden Grant, who rushed for 97 yards and three touchdowns on 25 carries, gave the Westies a 6-0 lead in the second quarter with a 6-yard run.

With the game even at six, quarterback Andre Rentas ran in from 1-yard out for a 13-6 advantage. Grant put the game away with a touchdown run in each of the final two quarters.

The juniors gave West Haven a 20-13 advantage with an 11-yard score in the third, and added insurance with a 3-yard scoring run in the fourth.

Rentas finished the contest 14-of-23 for 146 yards in the air.

The West Haven volleyball team won two of three matches this past week to improve to 10-6 on the season. The Westies fell to Cheshire, but then rebounded to top Bassick and Foran.

team saw its four-game winning streak come to an end with a 3-1 loss to Cheshire Tuesday evening at West Haven High. With the 20-25, 25-19, 17-25, 15-25 defeat, West Haven fell to 8-6 on the year.

After a strong first game in which the Westies lost by just five points, West Haven came back to take the second game by six. Cheshire showed why it is one of the top teams in the area over the next two games, capitalizing on West Haven’s mistakes to win games three and four.

Noelle Noble led West Haven defensively with nine digs, while Neve Krajcir had seven digs, Giliana Santaniello five digs, and Bria Stanley four blocks.

On the offensive side, Santaniello had six assists and three kills, Stanley had six kills, Savannah Lopez added four assists, Noble had three kills, and Krajcir added three aces.

The West Haven volleyball team won its fifth match in six decisions with a 3-0 decision over Bassick in Bridgeport Thursday evening. The 25-8, 25-11, 25-10 victory allowed the Westies to improve to 9-6 on the year.

Santaniello led the Westies with 13 aces and 11 assists. Stanley had nine kills, four aces, and three digs, Noble had nine aces, three digs, and two aces, while Lopez had six aces and six assists.

The Westies team improved to 10-6 with a 3-2 victory over Foran Saturday afternoon. The 25-23, 21-25, 23-25, 25-12, 15-10 comeback victory was won in the fourth and fifth games.

After losing a tough third game, West Haven rolled by 13 points in the fourth game and pulled out a fifth game victory.

Lopez led the way for West Haven with 10 assists, seven digs, and six kills, while Stanley had seven killls, six digs, and four aces. Noble had nine digs and six kills, Thiana Baez had seven digs, Krajcir was solid with 11 digs, six kills, and three aces, and Chekeenah Jeudi added three blocks and two kills.

The West Haven girls’ soccer team played to a draw and took a loss in its two contests this week.

After seeing its six-game unbeaten streak come to an end in a loss to North Haven, the Westies got back on the field three days later. Playing a hard-fought contest, West Haven and Cheshire played to a scoreless draw at Ken Strong Stadium in West Haven Tuesday evening.

With the tie, West Haven moves to 4-4-4 on the year and the team is 3-1-3 over its last seven contests.

Each team had eight shots on target in the contest. West Haven goalkeeper Mackenzie Gardner led the way with eight saves for the Westies.

The game was West Haven’s sixth shutout on the year, and Gardner’s fifth, with one combined.

Gardner was aided by a strong defensive effort from the Westies. Selena Izzo strong at midfield.

Tomalyn Williams, Grace Nowak, Taylor Nowak, Riley Severino, Caitlin Walker, and Amanda Tsakonas were stellar in front of Gardner.

The Westies fell to 4-5-4 with a 2-0 loss against Sheehan in Wallingford Saturday afternoon.

West Haven was outshot 9-7 in the contest. Gardner led the way for West Haven with seven saves.

After an eight-day layoff, the West Haven boys’ soccer team was eager to get back on the field. Traveling to Milford to play Foran, the Westies knew they were in for a battle.

With a defensive game in hand, West Haven and Foran played to a scoreless draw at Foran High Tuesday evening.

The tie helped West Haven move to 6-3-2 on the year and was the team’s fifth shutout of the year. John McLaughlin, who has been part of three of the shutouts, made four saves in the draw for West Haven.

The Westies held a 13-5 shot advantage in the contest, but Foran goalkeeper Luca Marinella made 10 saves to preserve the shutout for the Lions.

The scoring drought continued for the Westies as they fell to Hand 2-0 Saturday evening in West Haven. The Westies managed just three shots in the contest, which Hand goalkeeper Timothy Perez denied.

Hand, which held a 7-3 shot advantage, scored the only goal it needed at the 27:46 mark when Chris Porter found the back of the goal.

Brian Carew made four saves in goal for the Westies.

The West Haven girls swimming team fell to 1-7 with a 99-81 loss to Sheehan in Wallingford Wednesday evening.

The Westies had just one first place finish which came in the 50 freestyle as Kaelyn Falanga won in 27.48 seconds.

West Haven had several second place finishes. The 200 medley relay team of Madison Hobart, Molly Wilson, Victoria Acuna, and Kaelyn Falanga was second in 1:08.85, the 200 free relay team of Acuna, Wilson, Alana Orecchio, and Morgan Falanga was second in 1:59.75, while the 400 freestyle relay team of Orecchio, Kaelyn Falanga, Morgan Falanga, and Hobart was second in 4:16.63.

Morgan Falanga was second in the 200 freestyle in 2:21.55, Hobart placed second in the 200 IM in 1:40.19, while Acuna was second in the 100 fly in 1:16.32. Kaelyn Falanga was second in the 500 free in 6:00.42, while the 100 backstroke had Hobart second in 1:10.37, and the 100 breaststroke had Wilson second in 1:23.45.

For all of your West Haven sporting news all season long, including game articles, photos, videos and more, visit www.westieblue.com.

Westies finally win big contest, 27-23

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Julia Tsakonas (32) scored three goals and added an assist in a 7-1 victory over Career/Hillhouse.

After falling in a pair of heart breakers in the first three games of the season, the West Haven football team was looking to pick up its first victory of the season. That victory finally came Saturday afternoon in West Haven. 

Never giving up, the Westies rallied to defeat North Haven, 27-23, at Ken Strong Stadium in West Haven. With the victory, West Haven improved to 1-3 on the year.

In a game which saw four lead changes in the second half, West Haven had the last and most important lead.

Trailing 23-20, West Haven quarterback Andre Rentas connected with Dontea Noel for a 19-yard scoring strike midway through the fourth quarter for a 27-23 lead.

Jaden Grant gave West Haven a 7-0 lead with a 10-yard rushing touchdown. Rentas, who threw three touchdown passes in the game, hit Jordan Berrios for a 26-yard touchdown reception and a 13-6 lead.

Trailing 16-13, West Haven took a 20-16 advantage when Rentas hit Justin Medina with his second scoring pass of the contest.

In a season full of highs and lows, the West Haven volleyball team, sure knows how to play some thrillers. In yet another close match, West Haven rallied to defeat Mercy 3-2 in Middletown Monday evening.

The 15-13 victory allowed West Haven to avenge an earlier season five-game loss to the Tigers. With the victory, West Haven improved to 6-5 on the year.

Savannah Lopez and Giliana Santaniello ran the offense with 19 and 18 assists, respectively, Bria Stanley had 21 digs, Neve Krajcir added 10 kills, and Noelle Noble had eight kills in the win.

Noble and Krajcir also stood out defensively with 11 and 10 digs, respectively.

Santaniello finished with six kills and five aces, Lopez had three aces, three kills, and three digs, while Thiana Baez and Stanley each had four digs.

After a slow start in the first half of the season, the West Haven volleyball team knew it had to take everything one step at a time. Those steps are on the verge of leading to a postseason berth.

Behind a balanced effort which saw senior Bria Stanley lead the way with 18 digs, and Santaniello and Lopez combine for 32 assists to run the offense, West Haven rallied to defeat Sacred Heart Academy, 3-2 in a Southern Connecticut Conference interdivision contest Thursday evening at West Haven High.

The victory helped West Haven avenge an earlier season loss to the Sharks and also improved the team’s record to 7-5.

A pair of kills by Stanley put West Haven up by three points, before Noelle Noble increased the margin to 6-3. Lopez extended the margin to 8-4 with an ace, before the Sharks got within 9-6 on an ace by Julianna Corniello.

An ace by Noble had West Haven up 11-6, and Krajcir and Chekeenah Jeudi followed with kills to get the Westies within a point of closing out the match.

West Haven qualified for the postseason Saturday afternoon with a 3-0 victory over Hillhouse at West Haven High. The 25-19, 25-16, 25-13 victory allowed the Westies to improve to 8-5 on the year.

The Westies controlled play from the start, winning the first game by six points, the second by nine points, and the third by 12.

Stanley led the offense with 11 kills, Santaniello ran the offense with 15 assists, and added seven aces, and four kills. Lopez played well with 11 digs, eight assists, and two kills, while Noble had eight digs, four kills, and four aces. Krajcir chipped in five kills, four digs, and three aces, while Baez added five digs, and Stanley had four digs.

The West Haven girls’ soccer team remained undefeated in its last six games with a 7-1 victory over Career/Hillhouse Monday afternoon at Ken Strong Stadium in West Haven. With the victory, West Haven improved to 4-3-3 on the season.

Julia Tsakonas led the Westies with three goals and one assist. Jessica Robinson had two goals and an assist, while Cori Severino and Grace Nowak each scored once for the Westies.

Selena Izzo finished with three assists, while Mackenzie Gardner and Kassidy Carrano each recorded one save for West Haven.

West Haven wasted no time getting going, taking a 3-0 lead just 6 minutes, 47 seconds into the contest. Tsakonas scored all three goals off assists from Izzo on each. Emma Walker also had a helper on the first tally 1:42 in.

Severino made it a 4-0 contest at the 15:50 mark off an assist from Madison Lentine, before Robinson scored off an assist from Caitlin Walker 1:02 later. Robinson then set up a goal by Grace Nowak at the 36:58 mark for a 6-0 lead.

Robinson closed the scoring at the 60:52 mark off an assist from Tsakonas.

West Haven held a 10-1 shot advantage in the contest.

The streak came to an end in North Haven Saturday afternoon with a 2-0 loss against North Haven. Gardner made five saves in the loss.

The West Haven boys’ soccer team won its third straight contest in impressive fashion. Rallying twice, the Westies defeated Notre Dame-West Haven, 6-5, at Veterans Stadium in West Haven Monday afternoon.

Aldo Barragan and Kevin Morales each scored twice as West Haven improved to 6-3-1 on the year. Goals by Justin Pollio (9:42) and Tom Ellis (21:38) gave the Green Knights a 2-0 lead, before West Haven cut the deficit in half when Barragan scored 10:11 later.

Ellis scored his second goal of the contest at the 42:04 mark to extend Notre Dame’s lead to 3-1, before West Haven scored three unanswered goals for a 4-3 advantage.

Morales got West Haven within a goal at 48:06 off an assist from Derick Meza, before Meza scored 4:46 later to even the contest at three off an assist from Bernard Ocansey. When Barragan scored at the 54:30 mark, West Haven had its first lead of the day.

That lead was short-lived. Notre Dame’s Connor Naumann evened the contest 52 seconds later at 55:22, and Ellis recorded his hat trick at 73:16 for a 5-4 Notre Dame lead.

With time ticking away, not only did the Westies even the game, but they pulled out the victory in the final 10 minutes.

Just 1:22 after Ellis gave Notre Dame the lead, Morales knotted the game for the Westies off an assist from Brian Rivadera.

A short time later, Sebastian Novoa put in the game-winner as West Haven won a thriller from its cross-town rival.

West Haven held a 17-10 shot advantage in the contest. John McLaughlin and Brian Carew each recorded one save in the contest. Zack Benson made eight saves for Notre Dame.

The West Haven girls swim team got into the win column this week. West Haven fell to 0-6 with a 93-85 loss at Lyman Hall Monday evening. The Westies did not have any first place finishes, but had several second place positions.

The 200 medley relay team of Madison Hobart, Molly Wilson, Victoria Acuna, and Kaelyn Falanga was second in 2 minutes, 6.36 seconds, as was the 200 free relay team of Acuna, Wilson, Kaylee Taulty, and Alana Orecchio in 2:02.24. The 400 free relay team of McKenna Driver, Kaelyn Falanga, Taulty, and Hobart was also second in 4:32.02.

The following events also had second place finishes as well. Orecchio finished the 200 IM in 2:42.86, Kaelyn Falanga was second in the 50 free in 27.58 seconds, Taulty placed second in the 1 meter diving with 165.55 points and Wilson was second in the 100 free in 1:05.99.

The 500 free saw Kaelyn Falanga place second in 6:04.17, the 100 backstroke had Hobart second in 1:10.24, and the 100 breaststroke saw Wilson finish second in 1:21.13.

The Westies picked up their first victory of the season with a 94-92 decision over Sacred Heart Academy Thursday afternoon. West Haven had six first place finishes and nine second place finishes in the win.

Kaelyn Falanga won the 50 free in 27.96, the 1 meter diving was won by Taulty with 140.10 points, and the 100 butterfly was won by Orecchio in 1:17.51. Kaelyn Falanga won the 500 freestyle in 5:57.78, Wilson took home the 100 breaststroke in 1:18.00, and the 400 free relay team of Kaelyn Falanga, Morgan Falanga, Sofia Shubin, and Hobart won in 4:18.89.

Second place finishes were taken home in the 200 medley relay with a team of Hobart, Wilson, Acuna, and Kaelyn Falanga in 2:05.95 and the 200 freestyle by Morgan Falanga in 2:26.17.

Orecchio was second in the 200 IM in 2:42.96, Acuna was second in the 100 butterfly in 1:19.46, and Hobart was second in the 100 freestyle in 1:03.42. The 200 free relay team of Acuna, Orecchio, Taulty, and Morgan Falanga was second in 1:59.48.

Hobart placed second in the 100 backstroke in 1:13.89, Acuna was second in the 200 breaststroke in 1:28.31, and the 400 free relay team of Taulty, Orecchio, Eileen Barrington, and McKenna Driver was second in 4:22.65.

The West Haven boys cross-country team fell to Fairfield Prep 27-30 Friday afternoon in Fairfield. West Haven fell to 7-6 with the loss.

Sebastian Villanueva was first overall in 18 minutes, 8 seconds. Allen Aldrich finished in 19:27, Ryan Martinez was third on the Westies in 19:31.

Westies 4-4 at midway point

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Jessica Robinson (left) and Cori Severino do a victory dance during their team’s game against Career last week.

The West Haven volleyball approached the hallway point of the season with mixed results. The Westies saw their two-game winning streak snapped and fell to 4-4 on the season with a 3-2 loss to Hamden Monday evening in West Haven. In a sloppily played contest, West Haven fell,, 25-22, 14-25, 25-22, 15-25, 4-15.

After winning two of the first three game by identical 25-22 scores, West Haven could not close out the match. The Westies could not get anything going consistently and Hamden fought back to win the fourth game.

With all the momentum, the Green Dragons easily closed out the contest in the fifth and deciding game by 11 points.  

Bria Stanley led West Haven with seven kills, five digs, two blocks and two aces. Giliana Santaniello added three aces, five digs, and six assists, Noelle Noble had three aces, four kills, and seven digs, Savannah Lopez had six assists and two digs, while Neve Krajcir chipped in three aces, three kills, and five digs.

With a loss to Hamden still fresh on its minds, West Haven was looking to bounce back. A road trip to North Haven was going to be a tough battle.

The Indians were too much to handle as North Haven posted a 12-25, 15-25, 25-23, 7-25 victory at North Haven High. The loss dropped West Haven to 4-5 on the year.

The Westies did not get off to a good start, dropping the first two games. West Haven rallied to win the third game, before North Haven cruised to the win in the fourth game.

Santaniello led West Haven with eight assists and six digs, Stanley had eight digs and seven kills, Neve Krajcir added five digs and three kills, while Chekeenah Jeudi had four digs and three kills.

The fall season is a quick one. If any team knows that, it is the West Haven volleyball team.

Already at the halfway point of the season, the Westies entered the second half in style, winning their second straight contest to improve to 5-5 on the year.

Traveling to Career Friday evening, West Haven battled to a 3-0 win in New Haven. The scores in the victory were 25-20, 26-24, and 25-23.

Stanley had a monster game for the Westies, finishing with 15 kills, 14 digs, four blocks, and two aces. Santaniello also played very well with 13 assists, nine digs, and two kills.

West Haven’s defense was on its game tonight as Noelle Noble finished with 15 digs, Lopez had 13 digs, and Krajcir had seven digs.

Lopez also added eight assists, Krajcir had four kills, and Thiana Baez finished with five digs.

The West Haven girls soccer team is back to the .500 mark.

After a pair of scoreless ties, West Haven evened its mark at 3-3-2 with a 6-0 victory over Wilbur Cross at Ken Strong Stadium in West Haven Tuesday afternoon.

Mackenzie Gardner and Kassidy Carrano combined on the shutout, with Gardner making three saves and Carrano one.

Selena Izzo, Jessica Robinson and Julia Tsakonas each scored twice in the victory, with Cori Severino picking up a pair of assists.

West Haven took control of the game with five goals in the opening half. Izzo got things going just 1 minute, 47 seconds in off an assist from Severino, before Madison Lentine set up Jessica Robinson 6:23 later.

Robinson gave the Westies a 3-0 advantage, scoring at the 29:10 mark off an assist from Severino. Just 4:50 later, the lead was 4-0 when Tsakonas scored off an assist from Kaylie Hollister.

Tsakonas wrapped up the first half scoring when she scored off a feed from Alexia Guerrero at the 38:27 mark. Robinson added to her two goals by setting up Izzo for a 6-0 advantage at the 71:44 mark.

When West Haven and Sacred Heart Academy met to open the season, the Sharks had a clear advantage in a two-goal victory. The second time around saw clear changes from the Westies.

With each team taking just five shots, Gardner stopping all five, and the West Haven defense playing a strong contest, West Haven and Sacred Heart played to a scoreless draw Friday afternoon in Hamden.

For the Westies, the tie moved the team to 3-3-3 on the season and extended its unbeaten streak to four games with two wins and two ties.

The West Haven boys soccer team won two of three matches this week to move top 5-3-1 on the year. The Westies fell to 3-3-1 with a 3-1 loss to Coginchaug Monday afternoon. West Haven held a 17-7 shot advantage in the contest.

Coginchaug jumped out to an early lead with two goals in the first 12 minutes, 19 seconds of the game. Max Temple gave the guests a 1-0 lead just 2:19 into the game and Anthony Gavrilovic increased the margin to a pair of goals 10 minutes later.

With West Haven’s constant pressure, the Westies cut the deficit in half when Aldo Barragan scored off an assist from Adair Perez-Garcia at the 29:54 mark.

West Haven never got closer. Evan Hempel scored at the 68:51 mark, extending Coginchaug’s lead once again two goals.

Looking to bounce back from a disappointing loss just two days earlier, Barragan and the West Haven boys soccer team did just that.

Behind two goals from Barragan, a solid defensive effort, and a combined shutout from Brian Carew and Holden Axelrod, West Haven blanked Jonathan Law 3-0 Wednesday evening at Ken Strong Stadium.

Carew finished the contest with three saves and Axelrod had two as the Westies held a 14-11 shot advantage in the contest. West Haven improved to 4-3-1 with the victory.

Barragan gave the Westies a 1-0 lead at the 12 minute, 20 second mark, before he increased the margin to a pair of goals at the 31:08 mark off an assist from Sebastian Navarro.

When Derick Meza scored at 41 minutes, West Haven had more than enough cushion to post its fourth win of the season.

After three losses and a tie over a four game span, the team appears to be back on track. Posting its second consecutive shutout, West Haven improved to 5-3-1 with a 7-0 victory over East Haven Friday evening at Ken Strong Stadium in West Haven.

Carew and Holden Axelrod combined on the shutout with Carew finishing with two saves and Axelrod one. West Haven held a 15-5 shot advantage in the contest.

Kevin Morales, Eren Sarikaya and Aldo Barragan led the offense as Morales and Sarikaya each finished with a pair of goals, and Barragan had a goal and three assists. Sebastian Novoa added a pair of assists in the win for West Haven.

West Haven got going early in the contest and never looked back. Barragan opened the scoring just 1:09 into the contest, then set up Derick Meza 8:35 later. Sarikaya gave West Haven a 3-0 lead off an assist from Isaiah Knight at the 32:54 mark, before Morales scored off an assist from Barragan.

Morales kept the momentum going in the second half with a tally off a feed from Barragan at the 47:02 mark, before Nova set up Brian Rivadera 13:09 later. Sarikaya scored his second of the game off an assist from Nova at the 78:45 mark.

The West Haven girls swim team fell to 0-5 with a 94-81 loss against Mercy at West Haven High Monday afternoon.

The Westies had a pair of first place finishes as the 50 freestyle was won by Kaelyn Falanga in 28.19 seconds, and the 100 backstroke was won by Madison Hobart in 1:10.94.

West Haven also had four second place finishes in the meet. The 200 medley relay team of Hobart, Molly Wilson, Victoria Acuna, and Kaelyn Falanga was second in 2:08.75, as was the 200 free relay team of Kaelyn Falanga, Kaylee Taulty, Acuna, and Morgan Falanga in 1:55.70.

The 200 freestyle saw Morgan Falanga place second in 2:26.17, and the 100 freestyle had Kaelyn Falanga place second in 1:09.48.

The West Haven boys and girls cross-country teams traveled to Milford Friday afternoon. The boys picked up three victories, defeating Stratford, 23-37, Law, 25-30, and Platt Tech, 20-35.

Senior Sebastian Villanueva led all runners in a time of 17 minutes, 46 seconds. Junior James Weber ran in 19:25, senior Ryan Martinez-Miranda ran 19:27, junior Allen Aldrich was just behind at 19:28, and freshman Khai Outhavong ran a 20:03.

The girls fell to Jonathan Law, 15-50, but defeated Stratford, 15-50 and Platt Tech, 20-35. West Haven’s top runners were junior Kenedi Merola in 26:21, freshman Amanda Gullo in 26:46, and senior Rowanne Mustafa in 26:47.

The boys improved to 7-5, while the girls moved to 2-9.

Westies edged again, go 0-3

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West Haven’s Selena Izzo heads up field in last week’s game with East Haven. The two shoretown schools played to a scoreless tie.

The West Haven football team fell to 0-3 to start the season with a 21-14 loss against Newtown Friday evening. The road loss marked another close contest against a top 10 team in the state in what could have easily been victories.

Despite creating numerous turnovers, the Westies could only manage 14 points. Newtown took advantage with touchdowns in the third and fourth quarters to pull out the victory.

Quarterback Andre Rentas gave the Westies a 7-0 lead with an 8-yard touchdown run in the opening quarter as Isaac Morales also tacked on the extra point.

Newtown evened the game at seven, before West Haven picked up its last lead of the game. Kason Ligas-Nygren’s 15-yard fumble return for a touchdown along with the extra point by Morales put West Haven up 14-7 at the half.

Rentas completed 12-of-16 passes for 127 yards, while also running for 45 yards and a score in the loss.

The West Haven volleyball team fell to 2-3 on the year with a 3-0 loss at Cheshire Monday evening. The Rams cruised to a 25-7, 25-17, 25-12 victory.

Giliana Santaniello led the offense with six assists and Bria Stanley had four kills. Noelle Noble led the defense with six digs, and also added three kills, while Thiana Baez had three digs as did Savannah Lopez. Anh Nguyen had four digs. 

West Haven pushed its record back to the .500 mark with a 3-1 victory over Lyman Hall Wednesday evening. The 25-18, 25-18, 24-26, 25-19 victory over the Trojans at West Haven High improved West Haven’s record to 3-3 on the year.

Santaniello had a solid outing for the Westies as she ran the offense with 18 assists, three kills and three aces, while also leading the way on defense with 11 digs. Stanley also played well with 13 kills, four digs, and three blocks, while Noble added nine kills and seven digs.

Neve Krajcir played well with five aces, four kills and three digs, and Lopez had eight assists, four digs, three kills, two blocks, and two aces.

West Haven improved to 4-3 on the season with a 3-0 victory over Foran in Milford Thursday evening. The Westies won by scores of 25-17, 25-21, and 25-11.

Santaniello ran the offense with 15 assists, Stanley had 11 kills, and Noble added eight digs, three kills and two assists. Krajcir also played well with six aces and six kills.  

The West Haven girls soccer team snapped a three-game losing skid and improved to 2-3 on the season with a dramatic 1-0 home victory over Sheehan Tuesday evening.

With time running out in the contest, Madison Lentine’s shot was denied, but the rebound was grabbed by Julia Tsakonas, who buried the game-winner.

Along with the goal by Tsakonas, solid defense and the goalkeeping of Mackenzie Gardner helped lead the Westies to their second win of the year. Gardner finished with nine saves in the victory as Sheehan held a 9-7 shot advantage in the contest.

West Haven moved to 2-3-1 with a 0-0 draw against Hand in Madison Thursday evening. The Westies limited Hand to just seven shots in the contest, including just one in the first half, but could not come away with the victory.

Gardner picked up the shutout as she turned aside each shot she faced in what was a sold all around effort from the Westies.

The Westies moved to 2-3-2 with a 0-0 draw against East Haven Saturday evening at Ken Strong Stadium in West Haven.

Gardner made one save in the shutout for West Haven.

The West Haven boys soccer team dropped its first contest of the year in Madison Tuesday evening. After allowing just two goals in the first three games of the season, West Haven gave up seven to Hand in a 7-0 loss to the Tigers. With the defeat, West Haven fell to 3-1 on the year.

Scott Testori led Hand with three goals, while Jason Wallack scored twice in the Hand victory. Testori and Wallack set the tone from the start as each scored twice in the first half for a 4-0 lead.

Testori started the scoring 45 seconds in, and added another at the 27:55 mark for a 4-0 lead. In between, Wallack scored twice (7:35 and 23:31).

Hand scored three times in the second half of the lop-sided victory. Eli Davis made six saves in the shutout for Hand as the Tigers held a 21-6 shot advantage in the contest.

John McLaughlin made nine saves and sophomore Brian Carew finished with six for the Westies.

West Haven moved to 3-1-1 with a 1-1 tie against North Haven Thursday evening in West Haven. After taking an early lead and playing with that advantage the majority of the contest, West Haven watched as the Indians tied the contest in the final 10 minutes of regulation.

Junior Derick Meza gave West Haven a 1-0 lead 6 minutes, 35 seconds into the contest when he scored off an assist from fellow junior Aldo Barragan. Despite having 10 shots in the contest, West Haven could not find the back of the net again.

Carew kept the Indians off the scoreboard and was inching closer to a shutout until Jack Pollard scored at the 71:55 mark to even the game at one. Carew finished with five saves in the contest.

West Haven fell to 3-2-1 with a 7-1 loss at Cheshire Saturday evening. West Haven fell behind by three goals early and never recovered in its second loss of the season.

Barragan scored West Haven’s lone goal at the 39:56 mark to get West Haven within 3-1 as Cheshire scored three times in a span of 2:50 for a 3-0 lead.

Cheshire added four second half goals in the win. Jack Loura and Denys Fuentes each scored twice for the Rams.

McLaughlin made three saves and Carew made two saves for West Haven in the loss. Cheshire held a 23-7 shot advantage.

The West Haven girls swim team fell to 0-3 on the year with a 95-81 loss against North Haven Tuesday afternoon in West Haven. The Westies did not have any first place finishes, and had just two second place positions.

The 200 yard medley relay team of Madison Hobart, Molly Wilson, Victoria Acuna, and Kaelyn Falanga was second in 2 minutes, 7.80 seconds, while Kaylee Taulty was second in the 1 meter diving with 172.40 points.

Falanga then rounded out the top three finishes as she was third in the 50 yard freestyle in 27.74 seconds, third in the 100 yard freestyle in 1:04.62, and third in the 500 yard freestyle in 6:04.64.

The West Haven girls swim team fell to 0-4 on the year with an 89-81 loss at Shelton Friday evening. The Westies had five first place finishes.

The 200 yard medley relay team of Hobart, Wilson, Acuna, and Kaelyn Falanga won in two minutes, 5.22 seconds, and the 400 yard freestyle relay team of Morgan Falanga, Eileen Barrington, Kaelyn Falanga, and McKenna Driver won in 4:18.25.

The 200 yard freestyle was won by Morgan Falanga in 2:18.89, while the 500 yard freestyle was won by Kaelyn Falanga in 6:10.02. The 200 yard freestyle relay team won in 1:56.57 with a team of Hobart, Wilson, Morgan Falanga, and Acuna.

The Westies also had five second place finishes. Hobart was second in the 200 IM in 2:46.51, Kaelyn Falanga was second in the 50 yard freestyle in 27.50 seconds, Morgan Falanga placed second in the 500 yard freestyle in 6:15.50, while Hobart was a runner-up in the 100 yard backstroke in 1:17.30, and Wilson placed second in the 100 yard breaststroke in 1:19.74.

Eileen Barrington was third in the 200 yard freestyle in 2:28.72 and the 100 yard freestyle in 1:04.54, and Sofia Shubin was third in the 200 IM in 2:51.59. The 200 yard freestyle relay team of Aliyah McAuley, Barrington, Shubin, and Kaylee Taulty was third in 2:04.94.

The West Haven boys and girls cross-country teams ran in Eisenhower Park in Milford Wednesday against Foran, Hillhouse, Sacred Heart Academy, and Notre Dame.

The boys team defeated Foran, 20-48, and Hillhouse, 15-50, but fell to Notre Dam,e 20-48. Senior Sebastian Villanueva led all runners with a time of 18 minutes, 21 seconds. Junior James Weber ran 19:58 and freshman Khai Outhavong ran 20:01, The boys team is now 4-5 on the season.

On the girls side, West Haven fell to Foran 17-47, Sacred Heart 15-50, and Hillhouse 26-35. The top runners for West Haven were junior Kenedi Merola at 26:30, freshman Amanda Gullo at 27:56, and senior Daelle Coriolan at 28:28. West Haven is now 0-8 on the year.

For all of your West Haven sporting news all season long, including game articles, photos, videos and more, visit www.westieblue.com.