The West Haven Squirt A travel hockey team beat the Connecticut RiverHawks, 8-3, at The Rinks at Shelton on Sunday to notch its eighth win of the season.
Forward Cameren Lipford scored five goals and tallied an assist and goaltender Alex Werle saved 15 shots to lead the way for the Blue Devils.
Just 33 seconds into the game, Lipford put the Westies up 1-0 with forward Aedan Guarino assisting on the goal. The RiverHawaks tied it at 7:23 of the first before Lipford made it 2-1 at 2:47 of the period.
Bolstered by strong efforts offensively and defensively, the Blue Devils never looked back. Center Grady Schulte made it 3-1 at 10:10 of the second with Lipford assisting on the play. Lipford and Aedan Guarino then scored three minutes apart to give the Westies a four-goal lead. The RiverHawks cut it to 5-2 at 1:18 of the period.
Lipford opened the third with a goal assisted by forward Ryan Walsh, followed by a goal set up by Aedan Guarino. The RiverHawks cut it to 7-3 before Schulte netted his second goal of the contest at 1:23 of the period to seal the victory for the Blue Devils.
On Saturday, West Haven fell, 7-4, to Yale A in a tough game at Bennett Rink.
The Blue Devils struck first, with Lipford scoring 41 seconds into the game on a pass from center Tyler Silva. Lipford made it to 2-0 on a wrist shot from downtown at 9:16 of the first. Aedan Guarino assisted on the goal.
Werle, who stopped 38 shots during the game, made a pair of showstopping glove saves at 7:59 and 2:39 of the first to keep the Westies in the contest. Yale cut it to 2-1 at 1:55 of the period.
In the second, Yale tied the game on a power-play goal before scoring at 7:37 of the period to go up 3-2. Yale then scored twice in two minutes to make it 5-2. Lipford cut it to 5-3 on a rebound from Aedan Guarino at 2:00 of the second. Silva also assisted on the play.
At 5:40 of the third, Schulte made it a one-shot game, firing a wrister from inside the right faceoff circle that sailed off the Yale goaltender’s glove. The Blue Devils could not keep up the momentum, however, as Yale sunk two straight goals to close out the contest.
The West Haven Peewee AA travel hockey team has won 16 consecutive contests. The Westies opened the weekend in CHC action playing third-ranked Southeastern in the first of two games on Saturday.
Riding a 13-game win streak. The Westies increased the run to 14 games with an 8-0 victory. Nick Eberhart made sure the streak would not end at 13 as he beat the goalie with a wrister, assisted from Nicky Stevens and Thomas Porto with 3:42 left in the first period.
The Devils piled on seven more tallies. The goals were scored by Eberhart (2), Nick Salzano (2), Billy Mascari, John Donohue, Tim Donohue, and Brody DiNuzzo. Assists went to DiNuzzo (3), Thomas Porto (2), Zach Goetze, Gabe Locklear, Stevens, Tim Donohue and Jack Aloi. Nate Kempton started and finished in net as he turned aside everything Southeastern threw at him while earning another shutout.
West Haven then topped Hamden 10-1. To open the second contest of the day, DiNuzzo found a loose puck in the neutral zone and went the rest of the way, before beating the Hamden goaltender on his backhand with 8:07 remaining in the first.
The Westies tacked on seven more goals, before Hamden found the back of the net. West Haven added two more goals late as the team defeated Hamden, 10-1, behind another strong performance in net from Tyler Donroe.
Goals were scored by DiNuzzo (2), Locklear (2), Stevens, Eberhart, Connor Benz, Tim Donohue, and Porto. Collecting assists were DiNuzzo (2), John Donohue, Aloi, Eberhart, Drew Kauffman, Stevens and Mascari. Goetze and Beckett Stenz played well.
West Haven capped the weekend with a 2-0 victory over Whalers Black. Stevens scored the opening goal and DiNuzzo added an empty net goal. Kempton played well in a complete game shutout.
The West Haven Peewee A travel hockey team split a pair of games this weekend and now stand at 9-12-1 overall and 8-8-0 in CHC league play. The Blue Devils defeated Watertown A, 10-4, and fell to highly-ranked Avon A, 8-3.
On Saturday night at The Rinks at Shelton against Watertown, the Westies shook off a slow start when Ronnie Mastroni got them on the scoreboard 6:21 into the first period. Brady Price’s slap shot bounced off the boards and Mastroni knocked in the loose puck. Dylan Bosworth made it 2-0 with a wrist shot before the Red Wings cut the lead in half before the break.
West Haven came out flying in the second period. Connor Moriarty won a face off and Mastroni took the puck to the net to make it 3-1. Alex Bowery then jammed home a wraparound. Price roofed a back hand making it 5-1. Zach Melchiore then fed Mastroni for a breakaway goal. After a Red Wings score, Chris Consorte found Sean Studley in the slot for a wrist shot. Price then redirected Bosworth’s point shot just before the second period ended.
In the third period, Studley converted another Consorte pass before Watertown scored a pair of goals. Mike Page wrapped things up with a goal from Bosworth and Bowery giving West Haven the 10-4 victory. Greg Galasso made six saves in net.
On Sunday morning at Edward L. Bennett Rink, the Westies and Avon were locked in a battle for the first half of the game. Avon scored in the opening minute, but the teams skated evenly into the second period.
Avon scored on a power play for a 2-0 lead, before the Westies got on the board. Bowery gathered a loose puck and found Studley cutting in front for a one-timer to make it 2-1. Avon responded immediately though and scored three goals in the next three minutes to take control.
West Haven opened the third with a short-handed goal when Price took it to the net and Bowery fired in the loose puck. Avon responded again, before Page completed the scoring with an unassisted goal. Jacob Silva was strong in goal at times for West Haven and finished with 32 saves.