The West Haven Mite A hockey team was back in action this weekend, fresh off winning the championship at the Haunted Shootout the weekend of Oct. 23.
The Westies hosted the Southern Connecticut Stars Saturday morning. The Mite A’s found themselves down 3-0 in the first period, despite the attacking prowess of Jameson Eid, Caden Minio, and Henry Seslar. The Westies started to claw their way back after a fabulous glove save by Jameson Schempp. The save spurred his teammates on, and Logan Minio got a goal back before the end of the first period.
The Blue Devils came out strong in the second period, with Cooper Owens and Ben Trenchard anchoring the defense. Jax Guarino scored to bring the score to 3-3, but then the Westies again found themselves down 4-3.
Brady Salkins finally had a puck bounce his way and he put it in the back of the net to level the score once again.
As the game wound down, the Westies scored again and were able to hold on for the 5-4 win in the tough match-up.
The West Haven Mite C team took on the CT Chiefs Saturday. Two goals were scored by JP Beebe and Jackson Ford played well in goal for the Westies. Shots on goal from the Blue Devils included Landon Alling, Sarah Mastroni, Caleb Ford, Emmett Hemming and Kiera Harrison.
Playing defense alongside Caleb Ford for the Blue Devils was Abby Hemming, who helped block several shots. Jackson Ford made many great saves during the matchup.
The West Haven Youth Hockey Squirt AA team returned to state play with two wins last weekend.
On Saturday, the Westies traveled to Newington and left with a 4-1 win over the Central Squirt AA.
Andrew Lacasse started the scoring and Cody Young’s wrist shot found the back of net from the point to make it 2-0. Sophie Digioia and Jaxon Troyer closed out the scoring. Quinn Smith finished with nine saves on the day for the win.
On Sunday, the Westies returned home and rallied in the third period to down Mid-Fairfield, 2-1. After a scoreless first, Mid-Fairfield buried a loose puck to take the lead.
The equalizer came a few minutes into the third off the stick of Peyton Berlepsch as he buried one from the high slot. Andrew Lacasse notched the game winner as he broke free and buried a back hand.
Quinn Smith was again stellar in net, turning away 13 shots. Smith was helped by the strong defensive play in front of him by Stella Porto, AJ Farrell, Gunning and Owen Santos.
The Westies won two of three games this weekend. On Saturday, the Westies travelled to Ridgefield and came away with a 7-1 win over the Ridgefield Squirt AA.
Berlepsch and Digioia made it 2-0. Santos and Jeremiah McGrath also hammered home goals for the Westies. Rocco Kelly set up with a goal with a cross-ice pass to Cushing for the final goal. Dylan Spreyer played well defensively, and Smith finished with 12 saves on the day for the win.
On Sunday, the short-handed Westies returned home and rallied in the third period to down Yale 2011 team, 2-1.
Trailing 1-0, Jeremiah McGrath hustled to knock home a loose puck to knot the score. With four minutes left, Digioia notched the game-winner as she broke free and buried a back-hand.
Smith was again stellar in net, turning away 11 shots. Smith was helped by the strong defensive play in front of him by Spreyer and Cody Young.
The Westies dropped the final game of the weekend by losing to top-ranked CT Whalers, 6-3. Smith kept the game close by notching 26 saves including a few spectacular ones. Kelly scored twice for the Westies and Digioia added the other.
Halloween weekend saw the WH Peewee A take on Yale A, looking to avenge a 10-1 drubbing from early in the season. The Westies battled but fell, 3-2.
Kai Lupa played well in goal and was tested early with a breakaway save. The Westie defense showed its toughness throughout, with Kyle Guarino’s deft ability from the back and Gavin Coady’s shot blocking thwarting the Yale pressure.
Yale got on the board just over six minutes in with a power play goal. Yale’s defense finally broke when Cameron Lipford took a pass from Kyle Guarino and dangled his way to a backhand goal, tying the score.
The Westies came close to the tying goal, but Dhruva Guarani’s drive from the slot was blocked and Locklear rang one off the post.
An unfortunate series of bounces put Yale up 3-1 in the third. A Lipford laser lit the lamp with 3:41 left, assisted by Michael D’Aiuto, and despite a furious final rally, West Haven came up short in the end, losing 3-2. Lupa finished his night in net with 27 saves.
Sunday’s game with Central A saw an incredible comeback by the Blue Devils in a 4-4 tie. Mason LaCroix started between the pipes. West Haven trailed 2-0 before dominating play in the second.
Central took a 4-0 lead, before Ty Silva played got West Haven on the board with assists from Locklear and Walsh.
The Devils scored a power play goal from David D’Aiuto, assisted by brother Michael D’Aiuto and Lipford. Kyle Guarino then brought the Devils within one. A barrage of shots from the D’Aiuto duo, Lipford, Jaworski and Grillo followed with Michael D’Aiuto finishing with the tying goal from Aeden Guarino.
The Westies split a pair of games this weekend. On Saturday, the West Haven Peewee A team came up short losing, 8-3, to a speedy Avon A squad. Lupa stood on his head, denying 46 shots, some in spectacular fashion.
The Blue Devils were down 3-0 at the end of two.
Both teams combined for seven more goals in the third.
Avon countered with two quick goals, putting the Westies in a 5-0 hole, but Michael D’Aiuto won the ensuing faceoff and sent David D’Aiuto on a solo rush to make it 5-1. Lipford kept the Westies hopes alive with a breakaway goal just 40 seconds later, but two more Avon goals in just over a minute squashed the Westie’s comeback. Lipford potted his second of the game off a rebound with just 38 seconds left.
The Westies played on the road Sunday against the Wallingford Hawks A team and posted a 5-4 victory.
Mason LaCroix played well in goal, leading the Westies in the first two periods of play as the Blue Devils rolled to a 4-0 lead.
Michael D’Aiuto started the scoring with an unassisted goal in the first. A slick finish by Locklear, from Picard and Ty Silva, started the second, and Lipford put the Westies up 4-0 with two goals.
The Hawks battled back in the third. Ahead 4-1, West Haven’s Ryan Walsh used his resilient play to record the eventual game-winner from Locklear and Troyer.
The Hawks did not go away and quickly responded with two goals in 19 seconds, then added another power play marker with just 1:06 to go. Facing pressure and an extra attacker, the Westies held on for the 5-4 win. LaCroix finished with 26 saves for the win.
The West Haven Bantam A hockey team defeated ECHO A, 6-3, on Saturday afternoon at Edward L. Bennett Rink in its only game of last weekend. The Blue Devils are now 13-3-2 overall and 10-1-2 in CHC league play.
The ECHO Stars went up 1-0 with a power play goal early in the first period before the Westies tied the contest. Skating 4-on-4, Tanner Walsh won a faceoff back to Joey DiGioia. DiGioia whipped a pass to Brody Elam, who hit the back of the net.
The Stars went up, 2-1, in the second period, before the Westies took control of the game. Cam Levy fed Alex Bowery for a shot and the rebound came into the slot where Sean Studley drilled it home.
Just over two minutes later, Walsh spun and fired the puck on net where Gio Ferrucci deflected it in. Studley then hustled to the puck and tapped it ahead to Bowery for a breakaway that he converted.
With 39 seconds left in the period, DiGioia kept the puck in and slid it in front where Studley tipped it through the goalie’s five hole.
Early in the third period, Brady Price fed Elam for another blast from just inside the blue line. The Stars scored a late goal to make the final score 6-3. Johnny Kennedy was solid in between the pipes for the Westies, making 13 saves.
On Saturday at the Edward L. Bennett Rink, the Westies hosted the Junior Bulldogs and won, 6-1. Despite yielding a goal after just 19 seconds, John Kennedy was strong in net in the back-and-forth first period.
Dylan Bosworth tied the game just over a minute later with a laser from the blue line with Tanner Walsh and Matt Molnar assisting. Price then gave West Haven a 2-1 lead midway through the period with assists to Alex Bowery and Cam Levy. Price then picked off a pass and deposited the breakaway for a 3-1 lead after one period.
Kennedy remained strong into the second period and Trevor Cathey picked up where he left off in goal once he entered the game halfway through the period. Price earned a hat trick and made the score 4-1 with a goal from Mike Page. Ferrucci and Bowery capped the scoring.
On Sunday evening at Choate, the Westies topped Wallingford. The home team opened the scoring 1:09 into the second, before the West Haven offense responded 23 seconds later when Price took the puck off the boards and snapped in a wrister from the slot.
Price then fed ahead to Page who pushed the puck through a defender’s legs, then grabbed it and poked it home. Page then scored again when he came off the boards and roofed a shot into the upper corner to make it 3-1 after two periods.
The Westies continued to dominate into the third period. Price passed to Studley, who one-timed a pass to Bowery for a 4-1 lead. Page then earned a hat trick when he sniped a shot with Ferrucci assisting for the 5-1 final. Kennedy and Cathey again combined for the win in between the pipes.
For all your West Haven sporting news throughout the year, including game articles by Mike Madera, highlights, photos and more, visit www.westieblue.com.