The West Haven Squirt A hockey team went 1-0-1 over the weekend with a 4-4 tie against Southeastern A and a 6-4 win over Watertown A. The Blue Devils are now 23-15-4 overall on the season.
On Saturday morning at Rose Garden Ice Arena in Norwich, the Westies battled the Southeastern Seahawks to a 4-4 tie. Ethan Kelly, Sean Studley and Cameren Lipford each had a goal and assist to lead the offense.
The Seahawks took an early 1-0 lead, before the Westies tied the game with a power play goal late in the first period. Leo Mazuroski made a nice cross-ice pass to Lipford for a wrist shot. Ethan Kelly pounced on the rebound and knocked it in.
The Blue Devils came out strong in the second period. Kelly hit ahead to Studley who cashed in the breakaway opportunity 1:03 into the period. Less than a minute later, Lucas Iversen found Rafi Treat for a wrist shot that went five hole and the Westies led 3-1. Southeastern scored a pair of goals, one on a 5-on-3, to pull even after two periods.
With five minutes remaining in the game, Studley carried the puck into the offensive zone and flipped a backhand pass to Lipford who went five-hole for a 4-3 lead, but Southeastern tied it again a minute later. The Westies had a few chances in the final minute of the game, but they could not find the net. Maddex LaFountain was solid in goal for the Westies and posted 22 saves in the game.
On Sunday morning, West Haven rode up to Taft School’s Mays Rink and knocked off the Watertown Red Wings, 6-4. Lipford registered a hat trick and Aedan Guarino scored twice to pace the Westies.
The Blue Devils took a 1-0 lead with only seven seconds left in the opening period. Studley made a slick pass ahead to Ethan Kelly to get out of their own zone and Kelly tapped it ahead to a streaking Lipford before the winger buried the breakaway.
Just 19 seconds into the second period, Guarino redirected Jonathan Charbonneau’s point shot for a 2-0 lead. A minute later, Studley led Lipford over the red line. Lipford skated between two Red Wings and buried his backhand shot for a 3-0 advantage.
After Watertown got on the board, Guarino scored with a spin move in the slot and a shot off the post and in as Gavin Coady and Kelly assisted. Watertown scored again, but Kelly shed a few defenders and found Lipford in the high slot for a rising wrister and a 5-2 lead after two periods.
The Red Wings closed to 5-4 in the third before Ethan Kelly iced the game with a great effort. He weaved through a few Red Wings and converted a wrist shot while falling down to close the scoring. LaFountain was terrific at times in goal for the Westies and finished with 19 saves in the win.
The West Haven Peewee A travel hockey team split a pair of games this weekend, losing to New Canaan, before topping Darien.
West Haven opened the weekend with a 6-5 loss to New Canaan at the Edward L. Bennett Rink. Zach Goetze led the offense with a pair of goals, while Michael Madera had three assists and Mickey Dowd and Haygen Axelrod each had a goal and an assist.
Brady Price gave West Haven a 1-0 lead 1:25 into the game with an unassisted tally, before New Canaan evened the game with 3:54 left in the opening period. West Haven got the goal right back off the ensuing faceoff as Madera won the draw to Dowd who scored six seconds later.
With the game even at two, Goetze gave the Westies a 3-2 lead with a goal off assists from Madera and Dowd. Goetze increased the lead to two goals 50 seconds later off assists from Madera and Axelrod.
New Canaan stormed back to score the next four goals in the third period, before West Haven got closer on a goal by Axelrod with 1:17 to go.
The Westies rebounded with a 5-3 victory over Darien Sunday in West Haven. Dowd led the offense with two goals and an assist, while Madera added a goal and an assist.
Danny Johnson gave West Haven a 1-0 lead off an assist from Ray Heenie 2:54 in, before Darien evened the contest after one period. Trailing 2-1 in the second period, West Haven took a 3-2 lead when Madera scored off an assist from Dowd, and Goetze scored off an assist from Dylan Bosworth.
Darien evened the game 3:51 into the third, but Axelrod set up Dowd for the go-ahead goal with 1:10 to go. Madera and Dowd broke in on an odd man rush with Madera feeding Dowd for an empty-net tally with 25 seconds remaining.
Mike Page, Connor Moriarty, Cody Rocchio, and Chris Consorte played well offensively, while Jason Alling and Bruno Martone played well defensively. Bryan Hong and Jacob Silva each played well in goal.
The West Haven Bantam A travel hockey team won its only contest of the weekend, beating the Southern Stars, 6-1, at the Bennett Rink.
The Westies scored in the first five minutes and went on a five-goal scoring streak in the first period. Sean Bosworth scored the first goal of the game off a slap shot from the point, with Carl Murgo getting the assist. Justin Pniewski scored less than a minute later off a feed from Nolan Cole. Matt Morgan then scored with seven minutes remaining in the first for an unassisted tally.
Colin Deane scored just 14 seconds later, with Murgo getting his second assist of the game. Bosworth scored the final goal of the period, his second of the contest as Pniewski was credited with the helper.
After the Stars were able to score at the beginning of the second, Jayden Spreyer then answered for the Blue Devils for the final goal of the game, with Joey Honcz getting the assist.
Brendan Smith made some outstanding stops to keep the Stars to one goal. Dante Hardt, Cade Simone, Matt Wezenski, Dave Brown and Kevin Gardner all played well in the win.