So much has changed since the West Haven boys hockey team last left the ice in Danbury a year ago. Following a win over Immaculate in the regular season finale, the Westies were prepared to travel south down I-95 to face Greenwich in the opening round of the CIAC state tournament.
Before that could happen, the world as we know it forever changed. The start of a global pandemic hit, cancelling the rest of the postseason and the spring sports season as well.
After an abbreviated fall season, the winter sports teams will follow suit, playing 12 games and a conference tournament afterwards.
For West Haven, plenty has changed. Nine seniors graduated, leaving plenty of holes to fill, especially in goal with the departure of Jared Pliszka, on defense with the graduations of Robbie Forleo, Sean Dupre and Colin Hines, and on offense with Kaden Morgillo, Richie Greene, Kevin Moriarty and Nick Carfora also gone by way of graduation.
Much may have been lost, but the Westies return several top players from an 11-8-1 squad of a season ago. Seniors (captain) Nick Boanno, Michael Kelly, and Conner Fowler, juniors Ryan Bernardi, Nico Bruneau, and Mike Alfano, and brothers Ben (sophomore) and D.J. (junior) Carfora return to lead what could be a top offensive unit.
West Haven Coach Steve Harris will also have a strong group of seven freshmen to build around with defensemen Yousaf Ullah, Jason Alling and Haygen Axelrod, and forwards Marcus Burrows, Jayden Spreyer, and Michael Madera. Javed Ullah will serve as the team’s backup in goal.
“I have liked the flow of practice so far,” Harris said. “We have a unique team chemistry. The incoming freshmen have not missed a beat, and they have shown the intensity and drive that they want to be here. We have not missed a beat from last year in executing with the incoming freshmen.
While nothing is set in stone as far as offensive lines early in camp, look for the Carfora brothers, Boanno and Bruneau to anchor the top two lines with Alfano, Kelly and Bernardi. Fowler will be in the mix and Harris will have a freshmen group to plug in as well with Burrows, Spreyer and Madera.
Defensively, the Westies return a solid trio at the blue line in senior assistant captain Ryan Smith and juniors Joe D’Aurio and Anthony Peschell. Sophomore Zach Forbes will also be in the mix for a bulk of playing time on the defensive side.
Harris again will also have to turn to youth on the defensive side as the freshmen trio of Yousaf Ullah, Alling and Axelrod will be looked to for quality minutes.
The key for the Westies may be in goal where senior Charlie Miller takes over the helm between the pipes for his senior campaign. Miller has looked impressive early and will need to be on his game throughout if the Westies are going to have a solid season. Freshman Javed Ullah will also be learning under Miller.
“I like what I see,” Harris said. “I knew he (Miller) would step up. He has been looking forward to this being his net.
A 12-game season will be something new for all teams. Each team will make the Southern Connecticut Conference tournament for a chance to win the title.
The league has also announced an early exit in the tournament will also allow for extra games to give the players at least 14 or 15 games on the year.
“Our goal is to win the SCC tournament,” Harris said. “We always strive for the states and to win that. Without a state tournament, we want to be one of the top teams in the SCC finals.”
West Haven opens the regular season Monday, February 8 when it plays host to Hamden at 6 p.m. at the Edward L. Bennett Rink. Details regarding fan attendance will be announced soon.
Girls Hockey
Less than a minute. That was all the time left, 33 seconds to be exact, for the West Haven-Sacred Heart Academy girls hockey team to force overtime in the opening round of the state tournament last season at East Catholic.
A late goal by East Catholic foiled the season for the Westie Sharks right before the global pandemic hit. With winter sports back on the schedule, sixth-year coach Erin Blake and her squad are ready to get going once again.
“I am excited for the girls to get back on the ice,” Blake said. “They know how lucky they are to get the chance to play. Everyone is working harder than ever and skating each day like it is their last. We lost four seniors who were a huge part of our team, but we have high hopes for another successful season.”
Despite the loss to graduation of all-everything players Taylor Nowak (over 100 career goals), Brooke McNabola and Megan Froehlich (over 100 career points), the Westie Sharks have plenty to like about the upcoming season.
With starting goaltender and now junior Grace Nowak out with a knee injury last year, Blake and her staff were able to develop junior Hannah Davey and senior Hailey Alfano in goal. Both played well and now Blake can use any of the three between the pipes this year in what is now a loaded position.
The Westie Sharks will be led this year by senior captains Mackenzie Gardner and Jenna Hunt, and senior alternate captains Jianna Cohrs, Mia Celentano, and Hailey Alfano.
Gardner, a two-year starter, will anchor the team at the blue line. The senior had 20 blocked shots and put up 17 points a season ago. Junior Meghan Dupre will also be a key player on defense for the Westie Sharks as she recorded 17 blocked shots a season ago.
Dupre looks to play alongside freshman Julianna Montano, while Gardner will play alongside another strong freshman in Taylor Alfano. Sophomores Emilee DeGrand and Anne Plunkett will also see time on the defensive side.
Hunt. Cohrs and Celentano will be the go-to players on offense for Blake, forming one of the best scoring trios in the area. Hunt had 44 points last season, Cohrs had 33, and Celentano contributed 23 as a junior. Cohrs was a 2019 All-SCC Second Team selection.
With plenty of depth, Blake and her staff have the ability to move players around. Blake will also have the ability to have players play junior varsity and varsity. Looking to create balance on the offensive side, Blake may be moving girls to find the right fit.
Celentano and Cohrs will likely team up with junior Maya Boyhen to form a solid trio, while Hunt will have a nice compliment of players, including Plunkett and freshman Geena Montano. Junior Caitlin Welch, DeGrand and freshman Ashley Welch will also form another solid offensive line.
The Westie Sharks open the year Tuesday, Feb. 9, at the Edward L. Bennett Rink against Masuk-Barlow at 5:15 p.m. Details regarding fan attendance will be announced soon.
Track
The West Haven boys and girls indoor track season will have a different template in 2021. With the pandemic, West Haven coach Modestine Vaughn will be looking at a different type of season as she embarks on her 15th campaign at the helm of the Westies.
“Due to this season being run under pandemic conditions, with lack of competition, I am looking to just work my athletes hard to develop a strong team,” Vaughn said. “I have many returnees on my boys team, but my girls team consists of a lot of new participants. My season’s expectations are just to condition, strengthen, and develop my athletes so they can be successful in their events when competition becomes available to take part in.”
Vaughn will turn to some key participants to lead the way in this very different season. Senior captains James Weber, Neil Chen, and Tomalyn Williams will lead the way.
A four-year player and second-year team captain, Weber runs in the 600 meters and is a member of the Southern Connecticut Conference 4 x 800 championship team.
A three-year player on the team, Williams runs the 55 meters and is a part of the 4 x 200 team. She is a two-time state athlete for Vaughn.
Senior Anthony Vendrella will also be a key piece to the team. Also a member of the SCC 4 x 800 championship team, Vendrella takes part in the 55 meter hurdles.
Boys swimming
The West Haven boys swimming team will be looking to make strides as the 2021 season unfolds. With a young team, head coach Robin Viani will be looking for continual improvement in what will be a shortened season due to the pandemic.
The season will also present another challenge as the meets will be virtual. Viani and the squad are up to the challenge.
“We have a very young team this year,” Viani said. “Our goal this year will be to continue to practice hard, work toward their personal best and stay healthy. Having all virtual meets will be a challenge, but the boys are happy to have a season.”
Leading the way in 2021 will be junior captains Brian Carew and Mustansir Jamalee. Jamalee will lead the way in the freestyle and butterfly events, while sophomore Anthony Castillo will swim in the freestyle events.
West Haven opens the season Thursday, Feb. 1, against Sheehan at West Haven High at 2 p.m. Details regarding fan attendance will be announced soon.
Girls Basketball
After returning to the postseason last year for the first time since 2017, the West Haven girls basketball team was eliminated in the first round of the CIAC Class LL state tournament by Trumbull. The world was then affected by the current pandemic.
With time to prepare for the future, West Haven head coach Jessica Moriarty knows she has a handful of key players returning from the eight-win team of a year ago. Add in a key freshman piece and the Westies will have a strong team entering the 2021 campaign, the eighth with Moriarty at the helm.
“The numbers are down for everybody, but this group has been coming in and working hard,” Moriarty said. “They worked in the preseason. This is a good group of kids which is eager to play. I am proud of them and where they are right now.”
Moriarty enters the season with senior guard and captain Sarah Evangelista leading the way. According to Moriarty, Evangelista, a four-year starter who averaged six points and five assists as a junior, already looks like a totally different player from a year ago and may be the team’s best shooter.
Moriarty can then add sophomores Amani Abuhatab and Kassidy Carrano to form a powerful scoring trio. Abuhatab came on the scene as a freshman and averaged 14 points and 10 rebounds per game, and was an All-Southern Connecticut Conference and All-Area selection.
Carrano was equally impressive as a freshman, averaging eight points and 4.5 rebounds a game. Also returning from last year’s squad are juniors Tenique Gates and Davina Mendez who will be relied upon for quality minutes and points as well.
As was the case last season when Abuhatab and Carrano came on the scene to spark the team as freshmen, the Westies look to be gaining another gem from the freshman ranks in guard Isabella Fiorillo. Fiorillo will look to run the offense from the point in her initial campaign.
“We have the confidence with everyone on the floor to score,” Moriarty said. “She (Fiorillo) can take care of the ball. That will be important because it will open Sarah (Evangelista) up on the wing. We will mix things up and give other teams a different look on defense.”
The season will also see a Southern Connecticut Conference tournament, but no state tournament. Add in the new rules with the wearing of masks, and everyone is in for a season of adjustments.
West Haven opens the season Wednesday, Feb. 10 against Lauralton Hall at home at 6 p.m. Details regarding fan attendance will be announced soon.
Boys Basketball
Following a tough loss in the quarterfinals of the Southern Connecticut Conference tournament against Hamden, the West Haven boys basketball team was ready to make a deep run in the state tournament last season.
That run never happened when the winter sports season was shut down due to the global pandemic. With the winter sports season ready to go once again, West Haven’s third-year coach Tyrese Sullivan and his squad are ready to make some noise.
With a solid group of returning players and an influx of transfers, West Haven starts the season as one of the teams to beat in the SCC.
“We were definitely disappointed with last year,” Sullivan said. “We definitely thought we had a great shot to go deep in the state tournament last year. We had high hopes and were looking forward to it. It was gone just like that. We have talked about it. This year’s team may be even better. We are really excited to be playing for something.”
Leading the way for West Haven in the 2021 season will be tri-captains senior Malcolm Duncanson, and juniors Javaun Calhoun and Manny Belcher.
Duncanson, an All-League and All-State selection in 2020, is a 6-foot senior guard who averaged 17 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists per game a season ago. Calhoun is a 6’-6” forward who averaged 6 points, 7 rebounds and 4 blocks per game, while Belcher is a 6’-3” guard who averaged 10 points and 4 rebounds per game.
Along with the dynamic trio of Duncanson, Calhoun and Belcher, Sullivan will have 6’-0” junior guard Kyle Kearson and 5’-8” senior guard Eli Blackwell to complicate matters for opposing teams. Blackwell is a transfer from Amistad and adds an immediate scoring threat for Sullivan.
West Haven will also get another solid senior player in Notre Dame transfer Cairon Hooks. Hooks is a senior guard who will be counted on to put points on the board.
While the Westies lost three key players to graduation from last year’s team, they have plenty of talent to make a deep run in the league tournament. The key for the Westies will be staying healthy.
West Haven opens the season Tuesday, Feb. 9. at Fairfield Prep at 6 p.m. The Westies open the home season Friday, Feb. 12, against Hillhouse at 7 p.m. Details regarding fan attendance will be announced soon.
For all your West Haven sporting news throughout the year, including game articles by Mike Madera, highlights, photos and more, visit www.westieblue.com.