After more than a two-week layoff, the West Haven girls basketball team was eager to get on the court. The Westies wasted no time continuing their winning way.
Behind a solid defensive effort and a balanced scoring attack, West Haven improved to 4-0 with a 60-29 victory at Cheshire Monday evening.
The Westies were dangerous from the outside, connecting on nine 3 -pointers, with Kassidy Carrano and Dealyce Howard leading the way with three apiece.
Carrano finished the contest with 17 points, Howard had 12, and Amani Abuhatab finished with 11. Tenique Gates and Isabella Fiorillo each scored eight points, while Ella Morgan rounded out the scoring with two points.
Abuhatab added 15 rebounds, five steals, three blocks and three assists, Howard had five assists, four steals and four rebounds, and Carrano finished with three rebounds, three steals and two assists.
The Westies jumped out of the gates quickly with 16 first quarter points, including four apiece from Abuhatab, Howard and Gates.
West Haven exploded for 24 points in the second quarter alone and never looked back as Fiorillo scored eight and Abuhatab had seven. Six different players scored in the quarter. Morgan also had six rebounds.
Carrano scored eight of her team’s ten points in the third quarter as West Haven rolled to its fourth victory of the season.
If any team is going to beat West Haven, it will have to find a way to stop the trio of Abuhatab, Carrano and Howard. Wednesday was not the night.
The trio combined to score 49 points in a 66-29 victory over Shelton at West Haven High. Carrano led the way with 21 points, Abuhatab scored 16 and Howard had 12 as the Westies improved to 5-0.
While the offense was clicking, the defense was just as good, allowing under 30 points. The defensive efforts were more than enough as the Westies scored 38 points in the first half alone.
The trio of Abuhatab, Carrano and Howard got going early, combining for 21 points in the first eight minutes. Carrano led the way with nine points, Howard had eight, and Abuhatab four.
Six players combined to score 17 points in the second quarter, with Abuhatab knocking in five and Carrano four.
The Westies scored 17 points in the final quarter as Carrano scored six and Abuhatab added four.
Fiorillo scored seven points in the victory for West Haven.
West Haven won its sixth straight contest to open the season with a 49-32 victory over East Haven at West Haven High Saturday afternoon.
Abuhatab led the way with 16 points, 14 rebounds, and two steals, while Carrano added 12 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists. Fiorillo scored 10 points, Dealyce Howard added 8 points, and Mya Flemming and Ella Morgan combined for 11 rebounds.
The Westies led 10-7 after one quarter and 26-12 at the half. Leading 32-21, West Haven closed the game on a 17-11 run.
Abuhatab scored five points in the opening quarter and Fiorillo had three. Abuhatab was at it again, leading the offense with eight points in the second quarter. Carrano scored five.
Fiorillo was the key in the final eight minutes with seven points, while Carrano and Howard each had four.
It was a game for the taking. Unfortunately for the West Haven boys hockey team, it was taken in an instant.
Patrick Dabrowski’s goal with 1 minute, 21 seconds left in regulation broke a tie and sent Notre Dame-Fairfield to a 4-3 victory over West Haven at the Rinks in Shelton Wednesday evening.
Dabrowski’s goal spoiled what was West Haven’s best effort in the initial four games of the season, twice rallying from one-goal deficits. Sophomore goaltender Javed Ullah (25 saves) came up big throughout, including a pair of big saves in front, just seconds before the eventual game-winner.
Despite the Lancers taking an early 1-0 lead, the Westies battled and took a 2-1 advantage with two goals in a span of 47 seconds early in the first.
West Haven evened the game at one with a power play goal 4:32 in as D.J. Carfora sent a perfect pass in front where Mike Alfano deposited the equalizer.
Less than a minute later, the Westies had the lead with another beautiful set up as Nico Bruneau found Ryan Bernardi in front and Bernardi put the Westies on top when he knocked in a rebound with 9:41 left in the opening period.
The lead lasted less than two minutes as the Lancers scored off a rebound in front to send the contest to the break even at two.
The Westies had several opportunities early to take the lead early in the second but could not get the go-ahead goal.
Trailing 3-2, West Haven carried all the momentum into the third period, scoring the equalizer with five seconds to go in the second period.
Anthony Peschell circled from behind the net, and when no one picked him up, his shot from in front evened the contest at three.
Behind a three-goal third period, Hamden defeated West Haven, 6-3, at Lou Astorino Rink in Hamden Saturday afternoon. With the loss, West Haven fell to 0-5 on the year.
Trailing 1-0 in the opening period as Hamden scored less than four minutes in off a faceoff, the Westies evened the game 47 seconds later with a goal by Carfora. Assists on the goal went to Peschell and Jack Aloi.
Hamden took a 2-1 lead to the break with a shorthanded goal with 3:56 remaining in the opening period, but the Westies evened the contest when Nico Bruneau scored off a one-timer in front just 15 seconds into the middle period.
Bruneau’s goal, assisted by Carfora and Peschell, evened the contest, but held for just 36 seconds as Hamden took the lead for good.
The Westies had opportunities to even the contest, but Bruneau’s shot and rebound were turned aside with 9:56 remaining in the second, and a shot in front by Marcus Burrows was denied with 5:23 to go.
Hamden scored off a West Haven turnover 2:13 into the third, before a goal by Jayden Spreyer got West Haven within 4-3 with 10:46 to go.
That was as close as the Westies got as Hamden scored twice in the final 8:37 for a 6-3 lead.
After playing Fairfield Warde/Ludlowe to a tight contest for the first 25 minutes the first time around, before being defeated, West Haven was looking to finish the job. Playing in another close contest, West Haven watched as Fairfield pulled away late in a 6-2 victory over the Westies at the Wonderland of Ice.
Trailing 2-0 in the second, West Haven cut the deficit in half when Mike Madera raced to a loose puck and sent it to Brady Price. Price found Thomas Porto along the boards and his odd-angled shot trickled in to get West Haven within 2-1 with 7:16 left in the middle period.
Fairfield added its second power play goal 2:58 later to increase the lead to 3-1, before West Haven put the pressure on to start the third.
Killing off its fifth penalty of the game, West Haven got within 3-2 when Bruneau blocked a shot and scored on a breakaway with 10:36 remaining.
The Westies never got closer as Fairfield made it 4-2. Javed Ullah played well in goal, keeping the Westies in the contest throughout, until the Mustangs scored twice in a span of eight seconds to ice the game later in the third.
West Haven is finally in the win column. Behind a bruising forecheck, a stifling defense, and the 18-save shutout performance from Ullah, West Haven defeated East Haven, 4-0, at the Edward L. Bennett Rink.
Ullah was the difference in the game as two nights after stopping 50 shots in a loss to Fairfield Warde/Ludlowe, the sophomore turned aside 18 shots for his first career shutout and victory.
Bernardi and Carfora accounted for a pair of goals with Carfora setting up Bernardi for a pair of goals.
The Westies took a 1-0 lead just 1 minute, 51 seconds into the contest when Porto’s shot was denied, but the rebound when to a streaking Madera, who put a one-timer in the back of the net for a 1-0 advantage.
In the second period, Bernardi picked up the rebound and put the puck in the back of the net for a 2-0 lead with 8:10 left in the middle period.
The Westies created some separation in the third period, and it was Bernardi again as he took a pass from Carfora and scored for a 3-0 lead with 46 seconds gone.
Peschell’s point shot gave West Haven a 4-0 lead, with assists going to Porto and Joe D’Aurio with 10:06 to go.
The West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy girls hockey team won its second straight contest and third in four games with a dramatic 3-2 overtime victory over Hamden.
Sophomore Geena Montano scored the winner off assists from Juliana Gonzalez and Caitlin Welch to move the Westie Sharks to 4-2 on the year.
Trailing 2-1 in the third period, the Westie Sharks got the equalizer on a goal by Meghan Dupre at the 4:09 mark.
Grace Nowak finished with 24 saves in the win.
West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy saw its two-game winning streak come to a halt with a 4-2 loss at Simsbury. They got back on the winning track with a 7-2 victory over Amity/North Haven/Cheshire.
Maya Boyhen led the offense with three goals and three assists, Taylor Alfano had three assists, and Melissa Tsakonas and Julianna Picard each had a goal and an assist as nine players were in the scoring column.
Nowak made 11 saves in the first two periods, before being replaced by Hannah Davey, who finished with 12 saves.
The Westie Sharks won their second straight contest and improved to 6-3 with a 2-1 victory over Masuk Tuesday evening at the Edward L. Bennett Rink in West Haven.
The Westie Sharks rode the strong play in goal by Nowak to the victory. Nowak finished with 19 saves, including eight in the final period. Goals came from Ashley Welch and Picard.
West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy was looking to stretch its winning streak to three games. Traveling to Newington, the Westie Sharks ran into a tough East Catholic team.
Behind Mary McKiernan’s first period goal, East Catholic topped the Westie Sharks 1-0 Friday evening. With the loss, West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy fell to 6-4 on the year.
After starting the season with a pair of losses, then enduring more than two weeks off, the West Haven boys basketball team returned to action with a 61-35 victory over Foran at Foran High.
The Westies were in control from the start with eight different players in the scoring column, led by Henry Smith with 15 points.
West Haven turned up the defense in the opening quarter, holding the Lions to two points and taking a 12-2 lead behind six points from Manny Belcher. The Westies extended the margin to 29-13 with a 17-11 margin in the second quarter as Smith added eight points.
The Westies put the game away with a 21-6 run in the third quarter. Smith had seven points in the quarter, Tavares Tuck added six points, and Belcher drained a 3-pointer.
Tuck and Belcher each finished with 11 points, while Jared Butler and Javaun Calhoun each scored eight.
West Haven returned to action by getting back in the win column. With nine players in the scoring column and a pair in double digits, West Haven cruised to a 65-25 road victory over East Haven Tuesday evening.
Leading 22-15 at the half, West Haven (2-3) put the game away with a 21-0 run in the third quarter. Calhoun had nine points in the quarter, while Henry Smith added six in the third.
West Haven closed the game on a 22-9 run and finished the second half outscoring East Haven 43-9. Butler led West Haven with seven points in the final quarter.
The Westies jumped out to a 17-8 lead in the first quarter as Adam El Kharraz, Butler and Smith each drained 3-pointers. Butler had seven points in the quarter and Smith added five. Tuck scored the only five points in the second quarter for West Haven.
Butler led West Haven with 14 points, Smith had 13, and Tuck and Calhoun each scored nine.
West Haven was looking to rebound from an opening day defeat against cross-town rival Notre Dame-West Haven in the second meeting of the two teams Friday evening. The second contest was reminiscent of the first.
Not allowing West Haven to get going offensively, the Green Knights cruised to a 76-43 victory at West Haven High. With the loss, West Haven dropped to 2-4 on the year.
The Westies hit just once from 3-point range in the game and were unable to get going on the inside. The Green Knights led 18-8 after one quarter and 36-14 at the half, which proved too much for the Westies to overcome.
The Green Knights jumped out to a 7-2 lead, before West Haven got within two points on a bucket and free throw by Tuck. The Westies never got closer.
Butler got West Haven within 13-7, before a free throw by Smith had the Westies within 18-8. The Green Knights scored the first five points of the second quarter for a 23-8 lead. Kearson got West Haven within 24-10, but that was as close as the Westies got.
Tuck led the Westies with 11 points, Calhoun had eight, and Butler scored six in the loss.