The West Haven Squirt A travel hockey team split a pair of games this weekend and now stands at 16-11-2 overall on the season. The Blue Devils lost 5-2 to Pawling A and shut out Wallingford A, 5-0.
On Saturday morning at the Edward L. Bennett Rink, the Westies hosted Pawling in a battle of two evenly matched teams. Pawling jumped on top midway through the opening period, but West Haven tied the game two minutes later when Sean Studley redirected Ryan Pniewski’s shot through the five hole and it was 1-1 after one.
In a back-and-forth second period, the Westies outshot Pawling but the visitors got a goal with a minute to go for a 2-1 lead.
Pawling scored twice more for a 4-1 lead in the third, before Cameren Lipford tipped another Pniewski shot over the goalie and in. West Haven pulled its goalie and had a few opportunities, but Pawling converted an empty net goal for the final margin of victory. The Westies outshot Pawling, 19-15, for the game with Maddex LaFountain making 10 saves for West Haven.
On Sunday morning at Remsen Arena on Choate’s campus in Wallingford, the Westies bounced back in a big way with a 5-0 win over the Wallingford Hawks. LaFountain posted a shutout and made 20 saves to lead the way.
Zach Melchiore got West Haven on top 2:32 into the game when Gavin Coady dumped the puck in and Melchiore took possession behind the net. Melchiore turned and jammed the puck in to make it 1-0.
The score remained 1-0 with both teams unable to capitalize until a West Haven penalty in the final minute of the second period. Studley corralled the puck in his own end, burst through a pair of defenders, and drilled home a short-handed, breakaway wrist shot with only :13 on the clock.
The Westies rode the momentum through the third period and pulled away. They executed perfectly on the power play when Ethan Kelly won the draw to Lipford, who quickly passed to Matthew Kelly at the blue line. Studley screened the goalie and Kelly’s laser went five-hole. Melchiore’s second goal of the game made it 4-0 when he one-timed Ethan Kelly’s feed to convert a two-on-one rush. Matthew Kelly capped the scoring with a long-range, empty net tally from his own defensive zone.
The West Haven Peewee A travel hockey team split a pair of games this weekend, falling to Greater New Haven A, before rebounding to top Central A.
The Westies opened the weekend by falling to Greater New Haven, 9-1, at the Northford Ice Pavilion Saturday morning. In what was a close game, Greater New Haven broke the contest open with five goals in a span of 2:50 in the second period.
West Haven’s lone goal came in the third period when Michael Madera set up Ray Heenie for a power play goal.
The Westies rebounded to defeat Central, 4-1, at the Bennett Rink in West Haven Sunday morning.
Mickey Dowd led the way with two goals, Madera added a pair of assists, and Zach Goetze had a goal and an assist.
West Haven jumped out to a 2-0 lead after one period and never looked back. Mike Page gave the Westies a 1-0 lead just 2:56 into the game off an assist from Brady Price, and Goetze scored with 3:52 to go in the period for a 2-0 lead.
Leading 2-1, the Westies increased the advantage to a pair of goals once again when Madera found Dowd in front with 4:18 remaining in the second.
West Haven capped the scoring in the third when the passing of Madera to Goetze to Dowd in front gave the team a 4-1 lead with 6:37 left in the game.
Jacob Silva and Brian Hong were stellar in goal as Silva made several big saves early and Hong kept Central at bay with some solid stops. Heenie. Bruno Martone, Jason Alling, and Haygen Axelrod all played well defensively.
The West Haven Bantam A travel hockey team suffered two heartbreaking losses over the past weekend.
On Saturday, the Westies welcomed the Greater New Haven Warriors to the Bennett and fell, 5-4. After going down 4-0 to start, the Blue Devils came back to even the score 4-4.
Justin Pniewski scored the first goal for the Westies with just 11 seconds left in the second period, with Matt Morgan getting the assist. After GNH took a five-minute major penalty for boarding, West Haven capitalized on the power play.
Matt Wezenski scored at the beginning of the third period for the first goal on the power play as Carl Murgo was credited with the helper. Morgan scored the second goal on the Warriors major penalty, with Pniewski getting the assist.
Pniewski then got his second goal of the day to even the score after being down four goals, Cade Simone made the pass to Pniewski who buried the tying goal. The Warriors scored the game-winning goal with five minutes left in the game, with the Westies unable to answer.
Kevin Gardner, Joey Honcz, Jayden Spreyer and Wezenski had valiant efforts in the loss.
On Sunday, the Westies traveled up I-91 to take on the West Hartford Wolves, where they left with a 3-1 loss. Pniewski scored the only goal for the Blue Devils on the day.
The entire game was a back and forth battle, but the Westies were unable to capitalize on the chances they had. David Brown, Nolan Cole, Colin Deane and Dante Hardt all played well in the loss.
Brendan Smith played well in goal the entire weekend for the Westies.