The West Haven Youth Hockey Mite C team played its first two games of the season. On Saturday, the Westies lost 5-3 against a tough Wallingford Hawks squad. Evan Harrison played well in goal, supported by Joey Mondo and Julius Stokes. Jax Guarino scored the first goal of the season for the team, and Tony Parise added the second, before Guarino picked up the third.
Ben Trenchard worked hard to get the puck and created a few scoring chances that forced the Wallingford goalie to make some great saves. Brady Salkins and Kyle Johnson showed off their growing stick-handling skills as they worked the puck down the ice.
On Sunday, the Mite C Blue Devils were back in action against a skilled Greater New Haven Mite B team. New Haven dominated early, but Guarino made some fantastic saves in goal. Mondo and Stokes worked hard to get their team back into the game. Trenchard played a great defensive game, as Harrison, Salkins, Johnson, and Parise tried to put the puck into the back of the New Haven goal.
The West Haven Squirt A travel hockey team defeated Greenwich A, 7-, in a convincing victory at Dorothy Hamill Rink on Sunday. The Blue Devils played with grit and determination for three periods en route to winning their ninth game of the season.
Forward Cameren Lipford (3 goals), center Tyler Silva (2 goals, 1 assist) and forward Aedan Guarino (2 goals) led the offensive charge for the Westies, with goaltender Alex Werle stopping 24 shots to smother the Cardinals’ offense.
In the first period, Silva put the Blue Devils up, 1-0, crashing the net and rebounding Lipford’s shot off the Greenwich goaltender. The Cardinals tied it on a power-play goal at 1:46 of the period.
Early in the second, Lipford caught a pass from Silva and fired a wrist shot from inside the right faceoff circle to put the Westies up 2-1. Silva made it 3-1 at 9:27 of the period on a rebound assisted by defenseman Andrew Grillo.
At 6:18 of the second, Lipford went coast-to-coast to give the Blue Devils a three-goal lead. Lipford then scored his third of the contest on a power play, launching a wrister from inside the right blue line at 2:56 of the period.
At 2:16 of the second, Werle made a highlight reel-worthy save. While lying on his back, he reached behind his body with his stick on the ice and batted a shot away, robbing a Greenwich goal.
Grillo and fellow defenseman Kyle Guarino complemented Werle’s tremendous defensive efforts and blocked several shots as well.
At 0:02 of the second, Aedan Guarino scored in front of the net to put the Blue Devils up, 6-1.
The Cardinals scored twice to start the third, cutting the Westies’ lead to 6-3. Aedan Guarino put the game out of reach at 3:45 of the period with his second goal of the contest on a rebound from forward Ryan Walsh. The Cardinals scored a final time at 1:35 of the third to pull within three.
The West Haven Peewee A travel hockey team went 2-1 over the weekend with a pair of convincing wins and a close loss. The Westies knocked off New Canaan A, 9-2, and Greater New Haven A1, 9-6, but dropped a 4-3 decision to Greenwich Skate A. The Peewee A squad is now 11-13-1 overall and 10-9-0 in CHC action.
On Saturday, the Blue Devils traveled to the New Canaan Winter Club’s outdoor rink for a game under the bright afternoon sun. New Canaan jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first five minutes before the Westies righted the ship.
Sean Studley broke into the New Canaan zone and fed Ronnie Mastroni to get West Haven on the scoreboard. Mastroni later connected with Mike Page for a one-timer with only twenty seconds remaining in the period to tie the game at two.
The Blue Devils erupted for four second period goals to take over the game. Studley fed Mastroni again in the opening minute. Brady Price found Page for his second goal of the game, Studley buried a wraparound goal, and Alex Bowery jammed home a rebound of Chris Consorte’s shot to give the Westies a 6-2 lead.
In the third period, Price roofed a wrist shot, Mastroni returned the favor and assisted Studley for a one-timer, and Page’s shot deflected to Price, who fired it in to close the scoring and give West Haven the 9-2 win.
Greg Galasso started in goal and made four saves, before falling ill and leaving the game. Jacob Silva relieved and shut out New Canaan the rest of the way with 15 saves. After shaking off the start, the Westies’ defensemen- Leo Mazuroski, Ryan Pniewski, Matt Kelly and Jonathan Charbonneau- were stout.
On Sunday morning at Edward L. Bennett Rink, the Westies hosted Greenwich Skate Club and fell behind 3-0 in the second period before mounting a comeback attempt.
While short-handed, Studley dug out the puck and hit a streaking Mastroni who converted a beautiful wrist shot. Greenwich extended the lead to 4-1 in the third period when, with just over five minutes remaining, the Westies pulled Silva and added the extra attacker.
Page found Dylan Bosworth at the right point and he fired one over the goalie’s shoulder. With the Westies’ net still empty, Bosworth again shot from the point and Studley redirected it in to cut it to 4-3. The equalizer could not be found though and time ran out on the Westies. Silva made 23 saves in goal.
On Sunday afternoon, the Westies headed to the Northford Ice Pavilion to face Greater New Haven and won, 9-6.
Consorte opened the scoring with a laser assisted by Studley. Matt Kelly then scored on a power play with assists to Bowery and Bosworth. The Warriors came back with three straight goals to open the second period and went up, 3-2.
Page quickly tied the game when he converted Studley’s drop pass. GNH then scored twice more for a 5-3 lead, but Consorte scored less than ten seconds later when Bosworth won the face off to him. The Westies tied the game with 29 seconds left in the period when Studley’s shot was saved and Bowery swept in the rebound.
West Haven scored four goals to start the third period and ice the game. Page chipped in Matt Kelly’s pass, Price was foiled on a wraparound attempt, but Studley knocked in the rebound, Bowery found a streaking Studley for a wrist shot, and Mastroni converted a breakaway with assists from Kelly and Bowery.
Galasso started the game and made 13 saves while Silva finished up with 10 saves.
The West Haven Peewee AA travel hockey team has finally arrived atop the CHC ratings as it continues to ride a winning streak which has earned the team rights to the number one rating in the state. The Devils opened the weekend in Long Island against the Nassau County Lions AA on Saturday, looking to avenge an earlier season loss.
John Donohue gave the Devils a 1-0 lead in the first when he beat the Lions goaltender. Nick Eberhart added to the lead off a beauty started by Thomas Porto behind the net who fed Nicky Steven before he put a pass on Eberharts tape for a goal and a 2-0 lead.
The Lions tried to claw their way back but ultimately fell to West Haven, 4-3. John Donohue finished with a hat trick, including the game-winner. Tyler Donroe, despite allowing three goals, played extremely well as he was tested early and often.
On Sunday, the Westies hosted New Canaan (ranked 3rd in CHC) and posted a 6-3 victory at the Bennett Rink.
Donohue delivered again after picking up a loose puck and going the rest of the way shorthanded with 7:23 remaining in first for a 1-0 lead. Donohue scored again 4:15 into the second period, adding to the lead with a power play goal and he completed his hat trick five minutes later for a 3-0 advantage.
Porto opened the third by battling to win possession along the boards, before scoring for a 4-0 lead. New Canaan bounced back to cut the deficit in half, before Nicky Stevens scored off an assist from Eberhart for a 5-2 lead. Leading 5-3 with 33 seconds remaining in the game, Billy Mascari sent a backhand pass across the slot to a wide open Porto, giving West Haven the final margin of victory.
Nate Kempton tended net, completed the game and was outstanding along the way. The Devils are now riding an 18-game winning streak.
The West Haven Bantam A travel hockey team swept three games this weekend, topping Greater New Haven, Long Island Mustangs, and Southeastern. Bryan Hong was the story in goal all weekend as he came up with several big saves in each of the three games.
The Westies opened the week with a 5-3 victory over Greater New Haven Friday evening at the Edward L. Bennett Rink. Michael Madera and Dave Brown led the offense with two goals apiece, while Colin Deane added two assists.
Brown gave West Haven a 1-0 lead with an unassisted goal 1:19 into the contest, before Madera broke a 1-1 tie in the second period when he knocked in a rebound of a Deane shot. With the game even at two, Brown scored off an assist from Cade Simone for a 3-2 advantage with 5:05 to go in the second.
Cam Delvecchio gave West Haven a 4-2 lead in the third off assists from Jayden Spreyer and Mickey Dowd, and Madera increased the lead to three off an assist from Deane with 1:12 to go.
The Westies won their second of the weekend with a 7-1 victory over Long Island in West Haven Saturday afternoon. Spreyer led the way with three goals, while Dowd and Delvecchio each had a pair of assists.
West Haven took a 3-0 lead in the first as Spreyer opened with an unassisted goal 3:02 in, then scored off an assist from Dowd 2:27 later. Delvecchio made it a 3-0 game off assists from Dowd and Matt Wezenski with 28 seconds left in the first.
Simone increased the lead to 4-0 off an assist from Madera 1:14 into the second, before Matt Stevens scored off assists from Kyle Droney and Josh Gyolai 2:29 later. Chris Adkins scored off an assist from Simone, and Spreyer scored off an assist from Delvecchio with 2:54 left in the second.
West Haven capped the weekend with a 4-1 victory over Southeastern in Norwich Sunday afternoon. Spreyer gave West Haven a 1-0 lead 32 seconds in off assists from Dowd and Delvecchio, before Brown scored with 9:16 left in the opening period off a helper from Will Giaquinto.
The Westies increased the lead to 3-0 when Madera fed Simone in front with 3:58 to go in the middle period. Spreyer capped the scoring off an assist from Dowd.
Dante Hardt and Gabe Mongelli played well offensively, while Sean Bosworth, Haygen Axelrod, and Jason Alling played well defensively.
The West Haven Bantam B travel hockey team faced off against Echo B in a non-CHC game on Saturday and posted a 4-1 victory. The Westies were led by a hat trick from Zack Fonda and a goal from Danny Johnson. Ashley Welch assisted on all three of Fonda’s goals and Carson Lee and Taylor Alfano would also contribute assists.
On Sunday, the Westies played East Haven in a rematch from earlier in the season and played to a 4-4 tie. The Blue Devils fell behind early in the first, but tied the game when Fonda connected from Lee and Yousaf Ullah. The Westies also received goals from Lee, off an assist from Fonda, and Yousaf Ullah, which was unassisted.
West Haven fell behind, 4-3, with 5:32 left in the third period and goalie Austin Fruin was pulled with under 1:30 for an extra attacker. Ashley Welch drew the face off back to Taylor Alfano on the point who got off a high shot which found its way to the back of the net for the tying goal.
Fruin fended off an eight second attack by East Haven to seal the tie for the Blue Devils.