The West Haven boys’ hockey team traveled to Middletown on Saturday morning to face the Xavier Falcons with playoff positioning on the line. Needing a victory to secure a home game in the postseason the Westies battled with the Falcons for 45 minutes and needed overtime to get a decision. After a scoreless first period, the Falcons struck for three goals over a span of 2:47 to grab a 3-0 lead. Xavier scored with 12:12 left in the second period, again 39 seconds later and once more with 9:25 left in the period to put the Blue Devils in a tough spot. The Westies got one back when Niko Kyle ripped a shot from the slot with 6:07 left in the period on the power play, assisted by Kevin Moriarty and Richie Greene to cut the lead to 3-1. With time winding down in the second period, Moriarty’s shot from the slot was denied but a diving Kyle directed the puck home to narrow the lead to 3-2 with 11 seconds left.
West Haven had momentum entering the third period and took advantage just 1:43 into the period to tie the game 3-3. Niko Kyle gathered in a rebound of a Moriarty shot, made a nice move to freeze the Xavier goaltender and put the puck into the empty net to knot things up and complete his hat trick. The teams continued to battle with both teams having opportunities but both goalies were equal to the task forcing overtime. The Blue Devils had a golden opportunity in the OT when Kyle was hit in stride with a beautiful pass at center ice, sending him in on a breakaway. Kyle was pulled down with no call made. The Westies had another chance when a Xavier turnover gave Moriarty a chance but his rising shot caught the Falcon goaltender in the shoulder to keep the game tied. After West Haven was whistled for an intentional offside, the Falcons took advantage off the faceoff, intercepting a clearing pass and beating goaltender Jared Pliszka for the victory with 1:14 left in overtime. Pliszka finished with 27 saves between the pipes for the Westies.
The Blue Devils finished the regular season with a trip to Hamden on Monday and needed a victory to avoid the annual trip to face the Xavier Falcons in the first round of the CIAC playoffs.
The West Haven/Sacred Heart girls’ hockey team faced the Notre Dame of Fairfield Lancers on Thursday evening in the SCC South Division semifinals at the Bennett Rink. The girls dominated the game from the start and when Mackenzie Gardner fired a point shot past the Lancers’ goaltender it would be all the Westie Sharks would need in a 3-0 victory. Gardner’s goal came just 2:42 into the game and then Taylor Nowak took a pass from Jenna Hunt and made it 2-0 just 2:12 later. CC Condon made it 3-0 with six minutes left in the second period, assisted by Hunt. The Westie Shark defense and Kyleen Crowe did the rest. Crowe made 25 saves between the pipes for the shutout, sending the girls to the SCC Championship game.
On Friday night, the girls were looking for their third, consecutive SCC title when they faced the Amity/North Haven/Cheshire Blades. The game started just like the Westie Sharks wanted when Jenna Hunt sniped a beautiful goal from an almost impossible angle over the Blades’ goaltender’s shoulder and under the crossbar just 26 seconds into the game for a 1-0 lead. The Blades would get even on the power play at 3:06 but, Megan Froehlich’s goal with just 4.2 seconds left in the period, assisted by Brooke McNabola put the girls back in the lead 2-1.
After the Blades knotted the game up again 3:19 into the second period, Taylor Nowak blasted a shot from the top of the circle on the power play to put the Westie Sharks up 3-2 with 5:32 left in the second period. The Blades tied it again just 1:13 into the third period. Both teams had opportunities for the rest of the third period but, it was the Blades that took advantage with just 3:30 left in the game to grab a 4-3 lead and the SCC title. Kyleen Crowe made 24 saves for the Westie Sharks.
Taylor Nowak was named Player of the Year for the SCC and along with Veronica Lynn and Kyleen Crowe, was named to the SCC South Division First Team. Jianna Cohrs was named to the SCC South Second Team. The Westie Sharks, ranked #2 received a bye for the first round of the CHSGHA tournament and will play the winner of the Hamden vs East Catholic game in the quarterfinals on Saturday at 1 at the Bennett Rink.
The boys’ basketball team faced the Hillhouse Academics in the opening round of the SCC tournament on Thursday evening at the WHHS Gym. The Blue Devils battled with the Academics and trailed by just one 11-10 at the end of the first quarter. After the Academics went on a 17-4 run to open the second quarter, the Westies battled back to get it to 32-24 at halftime. The Blue Devils continued to battle and got within six points at 63-57 with half a minute left but fell short in the 65-58 final. Malcolm Duncanson led West Haven with 19 points while Mufee Cooper had 16 points in the loss.
The Westies will now prepare for the CIAC tournament. Tournament pairings were announced on Wednesday.