The West Haven Mite A travel hockey team was back in action after the winter break. The Westies continued their fine run of form, going 2-0 on the weekend despite being on the road for both games.
On Saturday, the Blue Devils played the Yale Mite A team, with the Westies coming out on top 5-4 over the Bulldogs. Logan Minio and Brady Salkins netted two apiece, with Salkins getting the game winner. Henry Seslar picked up the other goal, with Jameson Eid getting the assist.
Ben Trenchard and Cooper Owens were both strong on defense for the Westies, breaking up plays and blocking shots.
The Mite As were right back in action on Sunday, this time taking on the Yale A1 squad, winning 8-2. Jameson Schempp was fantastic in goal, making several saves in the winning effort, once again supported by Owens and Trenchard on defense.
Jax Guarino picked up a goal and an assist to back up his strong play, and Eid added two goals. Caden Minio scored with a nice assist from Logan Minio to put away the game.
On Saturday, the Mite Cs hosted the Milford Mudhounds at Bennet Rink. In net for the Blue Devils was Jackson Ford, who made many great saves during the matchup.
Multiple goals from West Haven were scored by JP Beebe, Emmet Hemming, Carter Liston, and Sarah Mastroni. In addition, Landon Alling, Caleb Ford, Kiera Harrison and Abby Hemming each contributed a goal for the Blue Devils.
On Sunday, the Mite Cs traveled to Wonderland of Ice to take on the Wonderland Wizards. Abby Hemming was goalie for the Blue Devils, making many great saves.
Alling scored multiple goals for the Mite C’s, while Beebe and Harrison also each scored a goal. Shots on net were also contributed by Emmet Hemming and Mastroni.
The West Haven Youth Hockey Squirt AA travel hockey team got a late invite to the CanAm Youth Challenge Cup in Shelton and proceeded to notch four wins for the tournament title.
In the final, the Westies downed the Westchester Express AA, 4-1, to capture the title. Rocco Kelly opened the scoring with an unassisted goal. Charlie Gunning took a pass from Dylan Spreyer and went top shelf to make it 2-0. Spreyer added his own goal on a nice pass from Jaxon Troyer. After Westchester got on the board, Colby Cushing was set up by Andrew Lacasse and Gunning to finish the scoring. Quinn Smith did the rest between the pipes with 12 saves on the day.
In the round robin play, Lacasse buried two goals and Spreyer, Cushing, and Kelly added goals to lead the Westies to a 5-1 win over the Westchester Express AA. Sophie Digioia (2), Owen Santos and AJ Farrell accounted for assists in the game. Smith got the win in net and finished with 9 saves.
In the opening round, the Westies were all over the Connecticut Junior Rangers AA in a 11-1 win. Lacasse scored four goals and Jeremiah McGrath added two goals for the Westies. Digioia, Gunning, Cushing and Farrell all found the back of the net. Cody Young, Kelly, Santos and Farrell all had assists.
Cushing, Gunning and McGrath scored to pace the Westies to a 3-1 win over PAL Silver Knights in the final game of pool play. Peyton Berlepsch and Santos accounted for the assists. Smith finished with 12 saves.
The Westies squeezed in a CHC game over the weekend as well and took home a 4-2 win over Darien AA.
McGrath tipped in a shot from Kelly and then added another to open a 2-0 lead. After Darien cut the lead to one, Gunning responded with two goals to finish the game.
Young and Stella Porto had assists in the contest. Smith was stellar in net, turning away 21 shots, including three breakaways.
The West Haven Bantam A hockey team won its first two games of 2022 last weekend. On Saturday at Edward L. Bennett Rink, the Blue Devils beat the Long Island (NY) Gulls Gold 08, 4-3. On Sunday at Avon Old Farms the Westies downed Avon A, 4-1. The Blue Devils are now 22-7-4 overall and 18-4-4 in CHC league play on the season.
The Westies hosted the LI Gulls on Saturday morning and the visitors took a 1-0 lead after one period. West Haven tied the game 4:04 into the second when Joey DiGioia flipped the puck on goal and Gio Ferrucci banged home the rebound.
Just over three minutes later, there was a scramble in front of the Gulls goal. Matt Molnar tipped it to Alex Bowery who slid in a backhand for a 2-1 lead.
The Gulls tied the game at 2-2 before the West Haven special teams went to work late in the period. Back to back LI penalties in the last 1:30 gave the Westies a two-man advantage.
DiGioia went the length of the ice to Brody Elam who went right back to DiGioia. The defenseman ripped a rising wrist shot, putting the Westies up, 3-2.
Still skating up a man, the Blue Devils went up 4-2 less than a minute later. Sean Studley won the puck behind the LI goal and fed Parker Guarnieri who slid the puck out front to Ferrucci, where he fired it home.
Three minutes into the third period, the Westies went down two skaters due to penalties. Elam, Studley and Leo Mazuroski killed off the 1:30 with Trevor Cathey making some clutch saves in goal. The Gulls did cut it to 4-3 later in the third but the West Haven defense was solid down the stretch. Cathey finished with 26 saves in the 4-3 win.
On Sunday morning in Avon, the Westies took a 1-0 lead in the opening period when Ferrucci picked off a pass and snapped home a wrist shot. Avon tied it 1:35 later and the score remained 1-1 into the third period despite the Westies owning most of the play.
Bowery finally gave the Blue Devils the lead when he took Tanner Walsh’s pass, came around the net and fired through the five-hole. Theo Diakomis made it 3-1 when he took Bowery’s lead pass at the blue line and zipped one under the goalie’s blocker. Studley capped the scoring with a breakaway goal from Ferrucci with just under five minutes to play.
Cathey was again stout in between the pipes. The defense of Elam, DiGioia, Mazuroski and Jack McNivens worked hard and were solid as well.
West Haven Bantam A went 1-2 this weekend and now stands at 23-9-4 on the season. The Blue Devils dropped a 4-1 result to Stamford A, beat CT Junior Rangers 2007 AAA 3-1, and lost, 6-2, to Junior Bulldogs 2007A.
On Saturday morning at the Edward L. Bennett Rink, the Blue Devils scored their only goal on a power play in the second period. Diakomis won the puck on the boards and found Bowery. Bowery whipped a pass to Tanner Walsh on the far post and the winger knocked it home giving the Westies a 1-0 lead. Stamford scored a pair of goals late in the second and two more late in the third for the 4-1 win.
Later on Saturday, the team headed to Stamford’s Twin Rinks to face CT Junior Rangers 2007 AAA. After a scoreless opening period, the Westies eventually got on the scoreboard.
Ferrrucci kept the puck in the zone and flipped a nice no-look, backhand pass to Diakomis who roofed a backhand of his own. Just 33 seconds later it was 2-0 as Studley fired a shot that was saved, and Walsh banged in the rebound.
The Westies made it a 3-0 game later in the second when Studley jumped on a loose puck in the slot and swept it into the net with his backhand. The Rangers scored a power play goal late in the second.
Down the stretch in the third, West Haven’s penalty-kill unit killed off back-to-back penalties and Cathey was solid in net to preserve the 3-1 victory.
On Sunday at Northford Ice Pavilion, the Westies faced Yale 2007 A. Cathey was stellar in goal as he made several highlight-reel saves throughout the game. He made multiple saves in the opening period as both teams created chances. Yale scored in the final minute to go up 1-0.
The Westies tied it with a power play goal early in the second. Bowery fed MacNiven at the point for a wrister.
Yale then went up 3-1, but Studley got the Blue Devils back in the game in the last minute of the second. He skated over the blue line, through two defensemen, and knocked a pass to Bowery. Bowery passed back to Studley who tapped it in the five-hole.
Yale pulled away later in the third period, despite Cathey’s efforts, and won 6-2.
For all your West Haven sporting news throughout the year, including game articles by Mike Madera, highlights, photos and more, visit www.westieblue.com.