The West Haven Squirt A travel hockey team won all four Connecticut Hockey Conference games this weekend, including three on the road.
On Saturday, the Blue Devils won by forfeit against Wonderland at Bennett Rink — the team never showed for the CHC-scheduled contest — and 6-3 over the Wizards at Bridgeport’s Wonderland of Ice.
On Sunday, the Westies won 10-2 against Pawling at Trinity-Pawling School’s Tirrell Rink in Pawling, New York, and 8-1 over Wonderland at Wonderland.
In the games played, forward Cameren Lipford led the Blue Devils in scoring (11 goals, 3 assists) while goaltender Alex Werle made 56 saves en route to the team’s 14th, 15th, 16th and 17th victories of the 2019-20 campaign.
The Westies also received noteworthy contributions from centers Grady Schulte (5 goals, 1 assist) and Tyler Silva (2 goals, 5 assists) and forwards Aedan Guarino (3 goals), Ryan Walsh (2 goals), Michael D’Aiuto (2 assists) and David D’Aiuto (1 assist).
Gavin Coady (1 goal), Andrew Grillo and Kyle Guarino supported their goalie with a robust defensive showing in all contests to ensure the team victories.
On Saturday night, the Blue Devils defeated the Wizards behind Schulte’s hat trick, Lipford’s two goals and two assists, and Werle’s 21 saves.
On Sunday, West Haven continued its offensive and defensive dominance. In the morning, the Blue Devils crushed the Badgers of Pawling behind Lipford’s six goals and Werle’s 20 saves. In the afternoon, the Westies routed Wonderland behind Lipford’s hat trick, Silva’s one goal and three assists, and Werle’s 15 saves.
The West Haven Peewee AA hockey team traveled to Stamford Twin Rinks to face fourth-ranked Darien AA on Saturday and came away with a 5-1 victory. West Haven got on the board first when Gabe Locklear picked up a loose puck, went to the slot, released a wrister that would rebound and deflect in off a Darien defender.
Less than 2 minutes into second period, John Donohue sent a pass to Locklear down low and Locklear released a hard, low shot on net which Tim Donohue was there to tap in the rebound for a 2-0 advantage. The lead increased to three goals with 7:55 remaining in the second as Nick Eberhart scored on a wrister assisted by Thomas Porto and John Donohue.
Darien got within 3-1, before Becket Stenz released a wrister from the point and Nick Salzano tucked in his rebound. The score remained the same until 36 seconds left in the game when Brody DiNuzzo scored the final goal.
West Haven hosted ninth-ranked Northwestern A at Bennett Rink on Sunday. The Westies proved to be too much as they tallied 12 goals in a 12-3 victory.
Zach Goetze returned to action with two goals and put West Haven on the board first. Brody DiNuzzo scored three goals and added an assist, Salzano picked up two goals and two assists, Connor Benz and Nicky Stevens each had a goal and an assist, while Jack Aloi and Billy Mascari each had an assist.
Stenz had a pair of assists, Porto and Eberhart each had a goal. And John Donohue finished with a goal and two assists.
Tyler Donroe and Nate Kempton split time over the weekend and both played well throughout as the duo continues to lead the team during a 10-game win streak.
The West Haven Pee Wee A travel hockey team showed off its offense and swept both games this weekend. The Westies dominated Greater New Haven A1, 10-3, and then won a spirited game against Stamford A, 8-7. The Westies have won five of their last six games and now stand at 18-15-0 in CHC league play.
On Saturday afternoon at the Northford Ice Pavilion, the Blue Devils jumped all over the Greater New Haven Warriors right from the initial puck drop. On a power play, Alex Bowery fed Jonathan Charbonneau for a point shot that Brady Price deflected through the five-hole. The Westies scored another power play goal when Ronnie Mastroni fed Connor Moriarty from behind the net for a one-timer. Mike Page jammed in a loose puck and it was 3-0 less than seven minutes into the game. Price buried a rebound of Ethan Kelly’s initial shot later in the frame and it was 4-2 after one period.
Early in the second, Kelly fed Price for a breakaway and Price neatly deked and scored to record a hat trick. Chris Consorte fed Sean Studley for a wrister in the slot and Page popped in the rebound. Later in the period on a power play Ryan Pniewski found Mastroni for a shot and Price again banged in a rebound for a 7-3 lead at the second intermission.
The Westies thoroughly controlled the action in the final period and cruised to the 10-3 win. Mastroni ripped home a wrist shot with an assist to Price. Studley knocked in a one-timer with Bowery and Kelly assisting. Mastroni closed out the scoring barrage when Ethan Kelly, who had lost his stick, kicked him the puck and he found the net. Greg Galasso was solid in net with 14 saves. The Westies outshot GNH, 33-17.
On Sunday morning at Edward L. Bennett Rink, the Blue Devils faced the Stamford Sharks in a back-and-forth game of two evenly matched teams. Stamford led 2-0 halfway through the first period when the Westies’ offense came alive.
From behind the net, and on his back side, Bowery shoved the puck to Price who cashed in a wraparound to get West Haven on the board. Two minutes later Studley corralled the puck at his own blue line and sped over the Stamford blue line. His wrister banged off the post and in to tie the game at two. In the waning seconds of the period, with the Blue Devils on a power play, Price flicked the puck out front and Bowery slammed it home with :00 on the clock for a 3-2 lead at the break.
Both defenses were strong in the second period with Leo Mazuroski’s tough play leading the Westies. The Sharks then scored two goals in just over 30 seconds to take a 4-3 lead. Price quickly tied it when he carried into the zone, made a move, and then roofed a backhander for a goal.
West Haven goalie Jacob Silva made three consecutive saves with two minutes to go in the second period to keep the contest tied. West Haven then regained the lead as Price pushed the puck toward the net where Ethan Kelly jabbed at it. Bowery then swooped in and fired home the loose puck for a 5-4 lead heading into the third period.
With the game even at five, Studley made a play two minutes later to put the Westies back on top. He carried the puck down the right wing and fired it onto Bowery’s tape for a laser of a shot that found the net. Then, on a penalty kill, Kelly passed ahead to Price to give the Westies their first two-goal lead at 7-5.
With the game even at seven, Kelly won a faceoff and Price took the puck into the Stamford zone. His shot rang off the right post and the puck was knocked back to the point. Dylan Bosworth got off a slap shot and Kelly redirected it just inside the right post for the game-winner. Silva made 18 saves in the game and West Haven earned the thrilling 8-7 win.
The West Haven Bantam A travel hockey team had a win and a tie in a pair of contests this weekend, defeating Yale on Saturday, and tying Southeastern on the road on Sunday.
The Westies opened the week with a 7-3 victory over Yale 05A at the Edward L. Bennett Rink Saturday morning. Jayden Spreyer led the offense with two goals and two assists, Michael Madera had one goal and three assists, and Cam Delvecchio finished with a goal and an assist.
Haygen Axelrod, Matt Wezenski and Matt Stevens were solid on defense to support the stellar goaltending of Bryan Hong. Dante Hardt played well offensively.
West Haven jumped out to a 2-0 lead after one period as Madera scored 16 seconds into the contest off an assist from Mickey Dowd. Dowd gave West Haven a 2-0 lead off an assist from Stevens with 8:36 left in the opening period.
With the game even at two, Matt Wezenski made some nice moves in and out of traffic, before scoring with 10:36 left in the second for a 3-2 lead. Yale evened the game with under three minutes left in the second, before West Haven pulled away with four goals in the third.
Just 1:19 into the final period, Delvecchio put the Westies on top for good off assists from Spreyer and Madera, before Delvecchio set up Spreyer 1:20 later for a 5-3 lead.
West Haven increased the lead to 6-3 just 24 seconds later when Madera fed Spreyer on a 2-on-none break. Axelrod also picked up an assist on the goal.
The Westies capped the scoring with 1:20 left as Madera sent a pass to Spreyer, who fed Kyle Droney in front for the four-goal lead.
West Haven had to battle from a two-goal deficit twice on Sunday to play to a 4-4 tie with Southeastern. Spreyer led the offense with two goals, while Madera added a goal and an assist.
Trailing 2-0, Madera cut the deficit in half with 7:31 remaining in the opening period with an unassisted goal from a sharp angle. Southeastern closed the scoring in the period with another tally with 2:38 remaining for a 3-1 lead over the Westies.
Dowd scored with 4:26 remaining in the second to get West Haven within 3-2, and the score remained that way until the third period.
On the power play, Wezenski fed a perfect pass to Spreyer who found the back of the net with 10:04 to go to even the game at three.
In a period dominated by the Westies with a 13-3 shot advantage, Madera found Spreyer in front for a 4-3 lead with 2:38 remaining in the contest. Southeastern fought back and got the equalizer 1:15 later, ending the game in a 4-4 tie.
Jason Alling played well defensively for the Westies.