The West Haven volleyball team opened the 2020 season with a contest against Hamden. While the game would usually be a big one because of the rivalry, this contest signified the start of high school play once again after the pause due to COVID-19 restrictions.
With play starting, the Westies did not get off to the start they would have liked in a 14-25, 25-19, 22-25, 12-25 loss to the Green Dragons.
Savannah Lopez led West Haven with 10 assists and seven digs, while Neve Krajcir had 12 digs and five kills. Lexi Prion added nine digs, and sophomore Tanasia Fidalgo had three kills and three blocks.
The Westies fell to 0-2 with a 3-2 loss against East Haven Saturday afternoon. In the first regular season contest at the new West Haven gym, the Westies fell 23-25, 27-25, 25-23, 22-25, and 4-15.
Lopez led West Haven with 11 assists, eight digs, six aces, and four kills. Dulcemaria Castillo had nine digs, Krajcir had seven digs, four kills, and three aces, while Prion had four aces and four digs. Asia Ford had six kills and Anaelecea Turcio had six digs.
West Haven is in the win column. After falling just short in the first two matches of the season, the Westies rebounded to pick up their first victory with a 23-25, 25-8, 25-17, 25-13 victory over Whitney Tech Monday evening at West Haven High.
Lopez ran the West Haven offense with 27 assists, while adding six aces, five kills, and three digs. Krajcir also had a strong contest with 12 digs and seven kills. Ford added eight kills, Fidalgo had seven kills, Prion had seven digs, Mckayla Fowler chipped in five kills, and Turcio added four aces and two digs in a complete team effort.
West Haven fell to 1-3 on the season with a 25-12, 25-8, 25-16 loss at Guilford Thursday afternoon.
Lopez led the Westies with 10 digs and eight assists. Prion played well defensively with six digs, Castillo had three aces and three digs, while Krajcir had four digs and two kills, and Ford added four kills.
The signature game for a West Haven girls soccer team always starts with defense. It is no surprise defense and goalkeeping were the keys in West Haven’s opening victory against Lauralton Hall Friday evening at Ken Strong Stadium in West Haven.
Behind a solid defensive effort and four saves from senior Mackenzie Gardner, the Westies topped Lauralton Hall 1-0 in the season opener for both teams. The opener came later in the season as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The chance Trenchard was referring to came just 8 minutes, 5 seconds into the contest as junior Cori Severino provided a perfect feed to sophomore Julia Tsakonas, who buried the first goal of the year for the Westies.
While, West Haven had just three shots in the game, the goal by Tsakonas proved to be the game-winner. West Haven’s defense did the rest, holding Lauralton Hall to just four shots in the contest.
The Westies improved to 2-0 with a 6-0 victory over Platt Tech Tuesday afternoon at Ken Strong Stadium in West Haven.
Coach Trenchard’s squad clicked on all cylinders from the start, scoring 45 seconds into the contest and never looking back. The Westies had five different players find the back of the goal, four players picked up assists, and the strong defensive effort allowed just one shot on goal in front of sophomore goalkeeper Kassidy Carrano.
Severino led the West Haven offense with two goals, sophomore Maya Bermudez had a goal and an assist, and Carrano made one save in the shutout.
The Westies struck quickly off the opening tap as Severino scored off an assist from Riley Collins 45 seconds into the contest.
West Haven scored three more goals to take a 4-0 lead just 10 minutes into the game. Bermudez scored an unassisted tally, Julia Tsakonas scored off an assist from junior Madison Lentine, and senior Selena Izzo found the back of the net off an assist from Bermudez.
Just 17 minutes, 7 seconds into the contest, the lead grew to 5-0 as Gardner, the team’s usual starting goalkeeper, scored off an assist from sophomore Melissa Tsakonas.
West Haven put the game away eight seconds into the second half when Severino scored an unassisted goal.
Defense has remained the key for the West Haven girls soccer team. The Westies have not allowed a goal through three games and have outscored their opponents 11-0.
Friday evening’s contest in North Haven was no different as West Haven held North Haven scoreless by riding the overall team play in a 4-0 victory at North Haven.
The Westies allowed just four shots in the contest and Gardner (3 saves) and Carrano (1 save) preserved the shutout.
West Haven scored the only goal it would need just 6:50 into the contest when Amanda Tsakonas scored off an assist from Selena Izzo. The goal by Tsakonas would be the lone tally until the second half when the Westies pulled away.
Julia Tsakonas scored off an assist from Bermudez at the 48:44 mark, then added her second consecutive goal off an assist from Lentine 7:01 later.
Selena Izzo capped the scoring at 69:53 off an assist from Ariana Izzo.
The West Haven boys soccer team has had plenty of time to get ready for a different season and a new normal. If there were any questions regarding any team being ready to play, those questions were answered in a hurry.
Thrown right into a rivalry contest to start the season, West Haven traveled to Veterans Field Friday afternoon to open the season against rival Notre Dame. The wait was worth it for both teams as a highly competitive contest ended in a 2-2 tie.
For the Westies, the outcome may not have been as desired as the Westies jumped out to a 2-0 lead. Goals by senior Derick Meza and junior Brian Rivadera had West Haven on top, but the Green Knights came back.
Joe Lakaj cut the Notre Dame deficit in half, and with approximately four minutes remaining, Connor Naumann scored on a penalty kick to even the game at two.
West Haven needed to wait a week between games to get on the field, but that wait was well worth it.
Led by a pair of seniors on the offensive side, West Haven posted a 4-1 victory over North Haven Friday evening at Ken Strong Stadium to improve to 1-0-1 on the year.
Aldo Barragan led West Haven with three goals, while fellow senior Meza scored once in the win.
The West Haven boys and girls cross-country teams opened the 2020 season in Milford Friday afternoon against Law, East Haven, and Platt Tech.
The boys posted three victories, topping Law, 25-30, East Haven ,15-47, and Platt Tech ,17-45. For the Westies, the top runners were senior Allen Aldrich, who was second overall in 19 minutes, 9 seconds, and senior James Weber, who finished in 20:12. Junior Alex Potter was right behind in 20:22.
The girls dropped all three, losing 15-50 to Law, East Haven, and Platt Tech. Senior Kenedi Merola finished in 11th place with a personal best of 25:09, while sophomore Amanda Gullo was next on the Westies in 29:04. Sophomore Maryangel Cruz rounded out the top three for West Haven in 29:24.
West Haven ran at Guilford Wednesday afternoon and each were defeated, 15-50, by Guilford.
The top runners for the boys were Aldrich in 19 minutes, 19 seconds, Weber in 19:29 and junior Justin Rodriguez with a personal best of 19:47.
For the girls, Merola finished in 23:20, sophomore Gullo finished in 25:28, and Cruz ran in 27:05. Each time was a personal best for all three girls.
The West Haven girls swim team opened the 202 season with a 107-79 loss against Sheehan Wednesday afternoon. The Westies had just three first place finishes in the loss.
West Haven was victorious in the 200 medley relay in a time of 2 minutes, 4.89 seconds with a team of Madison Hobart, Molly Wilson, Kaelyn Falanga, and Victoria Acuna. The team of Lauren Blake, Khando Dorjee, Falanga, and Hobart won the 400 free relay in a time of 4:27.73, and Falanga was victorious in the 500 freestyle in 6:00.52.
For all your West Haven sporting news throughout the year, including game articles by Mike Madera, highlights, photos and more, visit www.westieblue.com.