While it is early in the season, the West Haven boys hockey team sure felt like it needed a big win. After losing a pair of lop-sided contests, West Haven traveled to Northford to play North Haven on Senior Night for the Indians.
Scoring once in the first period and two more in the third, West Haven rebounded with a 3-0 victory over the Indians. Goalie Charlie Miller was the star of the show as he turned aside all 41 North Haven shots in posting his first career shutout as West Haven improved to 2-2.
Leading 1-0 in the third, the Westies gave Miller some insurance. After Miller made a point blank save on North Haven’s Jake Hines freshman Jayden Spreyer used a backhander in front to beat North Haven goaltender Andrew Sacco with 11:51 remaining in the game.
With the Indians outshooting West Haven by a large margin in the game, Ben Carfora iced the contest with a backhander in front with 3:20 remaining.
The Westies then opened the scoring in the first period despite being outshot 10-4. The best opportunities came from in close and that is where Nico Bruneau re-directed in a pass from D.J. Carfora just 3:40 into the contest for a 1-0 advantage.
West Haven turned to Miller in the opening period as he turned aside 10 shots, including a shot in front by Will Fiore and another in front off the stick of Mason Sullivan. Sullivan then hit the cross bar on a breakaway with 1:02 remaining in the opening period after West Haven just finished killing a major penalty.
Looking to build off Saturday evening’s victory over North Haven, the Westies wanted to set the tone early against Notre Dame-Fairfield.
While the Westies scored the opening goal of the game, the Lancers scored the next five, on the way to a dominant 7-2 victory over West Haven Monday evening at the Edward L. Bennett Rink. With the loss, West Haven fell to 2-3 on the year.
Behind a goal and an assist each from Ben Carfora, Boanno and Bruneau, and 18 saves from Miller, West Haven topped Immaculate-Danbury, 5-1, in a Southern Connecticut Conference Division I contest at home.
A more physical and faster West Haven team scored once in the opening period and added three more in the second for a commanding 4-1 lead.
Leading by three goals, West Haven took control of the game 12 seconds into the third period when Bruneau scored in front off an assist from Michael Kelly for a 5-1 lead.
The pace of the game picked up in the middle period and the Westies capitalized with three goals, one coming while on the power play, for a 4-1 lead after 30 minutes of play.
West Haven scored twice on the power play in the game and did not allow an Immaculate goal with the extra man in three opportunities.
West Haven needed just 42 seconds of the middle period to take a 2-0 lead when Bruneau fed D.J. Carfora, who circled around and ripped a shot to the top corner for a two-goal advantage.
West Haven built a 3-0 lead 1:35 later when Alfano found an open Madera on the left wing. Madera skated in the Immaculate zone and beat goaltender Harrison Palmer low to the blocker side for the freshman’s first career goal.
The game remained 3-1 after an Immaculate goa, until the Westies went on the power play late in the second. This time. It was perfect passing from Ryan Bernardi to Boanno to Ben Carfora, which set up a one-timer by Ben Carfora past Palmer with 1:15 remaining in the second for a 4-1 advantage.
Boanno’s goal was the only dent in the scoreboard in the opening 15 minutes as Miller came up big with 8:50 to go, denying a one-timer by Immaculate junior Freddy Brasli with a dazzling glove save.
The West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy girls hockey team improved to 2-0 with a 4-1 victory over the Amity/North Haven/Cheshire Blades Tuesday evening at the Bennett Rink.
Grace Nowak followed her shutout in the season opener with another solid performance, making 19 saves in the win.
The Westie Sharks never trailed in the contest and took a 1-0 lead 5 minutes, 52 seconds into the second period when Mackenzie Gardner. They increased the lead to 2-0 with 4:54 remaining in the middle period as Mia Celentano scored off an assist from Maya Boyhen.
DeGrand scored to make it 3-0 just 2:20 into the third with an unassisted tally, before the Blades got on the board with 2:27 remaining to get within 3-1.
That was as close as the game would get as Anne Plunkett scored off assists from Jenna Hunt and Geena Montano 40 seconds later.
The Westie Sharks improved to 3-0 with a dominant 7-0 victory over Hand/Coginchaug. The Westies controlled play from the start, leading 4-0 after one period of play and never looking back. The Westie Sharks held a 67-4 shot advantage in the contest as Hailey Alfano made four saves in the shutout win. Megan Hart made an amazing 60 saves in goal for Hand/Coginchaug.
Hunt led the Westie Sharks with two goals, while Juliana Montano and Gardner each finished with a goal and an assist.
After suffering three losses to Guilford a season ago, two in gut-wrenching fashion and the other in the Southern Connecticut Conference tournament, the Westie Sharks were out to erase those memories.
Behind two goals from Cohrs, a goal and three assists from Boyhen, two assists from Celentano, and 34 saves from Nowak, the Westie Sharks defeated Guilford, 5-3, in an away game at the Edward L. Bennett Rink.
The Westie Sharks trailed early in the game as Madison Epke went the length of the ice before her shot was turned aside by Nowak. The rebound went to Sofia Cuozzo to give Guilford a 1-0 lead 3:02 into the game.
WH/SHA needed just 1:44 to respond and scored the next four goals for a 4-1 lead. Cohrs got things started off a scramble in front to even the game at one, with assists going to Boyhen and Celentano.
The same trio was at it again 2:19 into the second period as Cohrs gave the Westie Sharks a 2-1 advantage off assists from Boyhen and Celentano.
Plunkett needed just 1:33 to extend the lead to 3-1 off assists from Boyhen and Meghan Dupre, before Boyhen closed the second period scoring with 2:11 remaining off an assist from Dupre.
While the offense was clicking with 20 shots in the middle period, the defensive effort of the team was just as solid. Nowak made 11 saves in the middle period as the defense helped by blocking shots and pushing the play outside.
Guilford cut the WH/SHA lead to 4-3, but Hunt came through in a big way with an unassisted goal with four minutes to go for a 5-3 advantage. Nowak finished with 34 saves in the victory.
The West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy girls hockey team improved to 5-0 with a 5-2 victory over Masuk Friday evening in Shelton. The Westie Sharks received three goals from Hunt, a pair from DeGrand, and got a 36-save effort from Alfano in goal in the win.
The West Haven girls basketball team is in a very good spot. Despite it being early in the season, the Westies won their third straight contest to open the campaign.
Even with the win, West Haven coach Jessica Moriarty was not completely satisfied with the play. At 3-0 after a 58-32 victory over Career Tuesday afternoon, Moriarty still sees room for improvement with her team.
The Westies had seven players in the scoring column and were led by freshman Isabella Fiorillo with 19 points. Sophomore Amani Abuhatab had 15 points and 19 rebounds, while Kassidy Carrano had 14 points.
The Westies led by three points after the first quarter and 28-21 at the half, before going on a 17-6 run in the third quarter to take a 45-27 lead.
Fiorillo drained a pair of 3-pointers in the opening quarter, and Abuhatab and Carrano each scored four points in the opening eight minutes for West Haven. Abuhatab added seven points in the second quarter, and Fiorillo added another 3-pointer and scored four points as West Haven took a seven-point lead.
Fiorillo and Carrano were at it again in the third quarter when West Haven went on its decisive run as Fiorillo scored seven points and Carrano added four. Carrano scored six of West Haven’s 13 fourth quarter points.
West Haven was 14-of-22 from the free throw line in the win.
The Westies continue to roll. Despite having to wait an extra day because of inclement weather, West Haven improved to 4-0 with a 58-50 victory over East Haven Saturday afternoon at Neil Cavallaro Court at West Haven High.
Abuhatab led the Westies with 25 points, 17 rebounds and four steals. Carrano added 14 points, eight rebounds and two steals, while Davina Mendez had 6 points, 6 rebounds, one steal and one block in the win. West Haven finished the contest just 17-of-33 from the foul line.
After opening the season with four straight victories, West Haven team was looking to make it five straight. Unfortunately, Law did not cooperate.
Going on a 21-8 run to start the second half, Law pulled away in a 58-49 victory in Milford Monday evening. With the loss, West Haven fell to 4-1 on the year.
The Westies have gotten a balanced scoring attack throughout the start of the season. Against Law, the balance was not there as Abuhatab was the lone West Haven player in double figures, finishing with 28 points. Mendez had eight points and Sarah Evangelista added six.
West Haven led by five points through eight minutes, before Law flipped the switch in the second quarter to even the game at 22.
Law then shut West Haven down in the third quarter, allowing just eight points. While the Law defense was doing its part, the offense put up 21 points, putting West Haven in a 43-30 deficit with eight minutes to go.
While the Westies picked up the offensive output in the fourth and got within eight with three minutes to go, it was not enough in West Haven’s first loss of the year. After opening the season with four straight victories, the West Haven girls basketball team has run into a pair of hot teams. Those teams have cooled the Westies off. Dropping its first game of the season to Law, West Haven looked to rebound in Hamden against Sacred Heart Academy Wednesday evening. As was the case against Law, the Westies struggled to get any consistent scoring and fell 56-34. With the loss, West Haven fell to 4-2 on the year. Tenique Gates was the lone Westie in double figures with 10 points, while Abuhatab scored seven and Fiorillo scored six.
The West Haven boys basketball team returned from quarantine with a 67-40 victory over Amity in Woodbridge Saturday evening. The Westies had seven players in the scoring column, including three in double digits, to improve to 2-0 on the year.
Eli Blackwell led West Haven with 21 points, including three 3-pointers, while Malcolm Duncanson had 15 points and Kairon Hooks added 13 points, including a pair of 3-pointers. Manny Belcher also connected on two 3-pointers for six points. Javaun Calhoun had eight points.
The game was even to start as the contest was tied at 12 through eight minutes of play. Calhoun led the way with six points in the opening quarter.
West Haven pulled away for good in the next 16 minutes. The Westies went on a 37-15 run in that time frame, including 19-8 in the second quarter, for a 31-20 halftime lead.
Blackwell and Hooks were the story in the second quarter as the two combined for the 19 points. Blackwell started to heat up with 12 points and Hooks added seven.
In the 18-7 third quarter run, Duncanson was the key as he scored nine of his 15 points. Duncanson scored 13 points in the second half as West Haven rolled in its opening game back.
For all your West Haven sporting news throughout the year, including game articles by Mike Madera, highlights, photos and more, visit www.westieblue.com.