After falling in a pair of heart breakers in the first three games of the season, the West Haven football team was looking to pick up its first victory of the season. That victory finally came Saturday afternoon in West Haven.
Never giving up, the Westies rallied to defeat North Haven, 27-23, at Ken Strong Stadium in West Haven. With the victory, West Haven improved to 1-3 on the year.
In a game which saw four lead changes in the second half, West Haven had the last and most important lead.
Trailing 23-20, West Haven quarterback Andre Rentas connected with Dontea Noel for a 19-yard scoring strike midway through the fourth quarter for a 27-23 lead.
Jaden Grant gave West Haven a 7-0 lead with a 10-yard rushing touchdown. Rentas, who threw three touchdown passes in the game, hit Jordan Berrios for a 26-yard touchdown reception and a 13-6 lead.
Trailing 16-13, West Haven took a 20-16 advantage when Rentas hit Justin Medina with his second scoring pass of the contest.
In a season full of highs and lows, the West Haven volleyball team, sure knows how to play some thrillers. In yet another close match, West Haven rallied to defeat Mercy 3-2 in Middletown Monday evening.
The 15-13 victory allowed West Haven to avenge an earlier season five-game loss to the Tigers. With the victory, West Haven improved to 6-5 on the year.
Savannah Lopez and Giliana Santaniello ran the offense with 19 and 18 assists, respectively, Bria Stanley had 21 digs, Neve Krajcir added 10 kills, and Noelle Noble had eight kills in the win.
Noble and Krajcir also stood out defensively with 11 and 10 digs, respectively.
Santaniello finished with six kills and five aces, Lopez had three aces, three kills, and three digs, while Thiana Baez and Stanley each had four digs.
After a slow start in the first half of the season, the West Haven volleyball team knew it had to take everything one step at a time. Those steps are on the verge of leading to a postseason berth.
Behind a balanced effort which saw senior Bria Stanley lead the way with 18 digs, and Santaniello and Lopez combine for 32 assists to run the offense, West Haven rallied to defeat Sacred Heart Academy, 3-2 in a Southern Connecticut Conference interdivision contest Thursday evening at West Haven High.
The victory helped West Haven avenge an earlier season loss to the Sharks and also improved the team’s record to 7-5.
A pair of kills by Stanley put West Haven up by three points, before Noelle Noble increased the margin to 6-3. Lopez extended the margin to 8-4 with an ace, before the Sharks got within 9-6 on an ace by Julianna Corniello.
An ace by Noble had West Haven up 11-6, and Krajcir and Chekeenah Jeudi followed with kills to get the Westies within a point of closing out the match.
West Haven qualified for the postseason Saturday afternoon with a 3-0 victory over Hillhouse at West Haven High. The 25-19, 25-16, 25-13 victory allowed the Westies to improve to 8-5 on the year.
The Westies controlled play from the start, winning the first game by six points, the second by nine points, and the third by 12.
Stanley led the offense with 11 kills, Santaniello ran the offense with 15 assists, and added seven aces, and four kills. Lopez played well with 11 digs, eight assists, and two kills, while Noble had eight digs, four kills, and four aces. Krajcir chipped in five kills, four digs, and three aces, while Baez added five digs, and Stanley had four digs.
The West Haven girls’ soccer team remained undefeated in its last six games with a 7-1 victory over Career/Hillhouse Monday afternoon at Ken Strong Stadium in West Haven. With the victory, West Haven improved to 4-3-3 on the season.
Julia Tsakonas led the Westies with three goals and one assist. Jessica Robinson had two goals and an assist, while Cori Severino and Grace Nowak each scored once for the Westies.
Selena Izzo finished with three assists, while Mackenzie Gardner and Kassidy Carrano each recorded one save for West Haven.
West Haven wasted no time getting going, taking a 3-0 lead just 6 minutes, 47 seconds into the contest. Tsakonas scored all three goals off assists from Izzo on each. Emma Walker also had a helper on the first tally 1:42 in.
Severino made it a 4-0 contest at the 15:50 mark off an assist from Madison Lentine, before Robinson scored off an assist from Caitlin Walker 1:02 later. Robinson then set up a goal by Grace Nowak at the 36:58 mark for a 6-0 lead.
Robinson closed the scoring at the 60:52 mark off an assist from Tsakonas.
West Haven held a 10-1 shot advantage in the contest.
The streak came to an end in North Haven Saturday afternoon with a 2-0 loss against North Haven. Gardner made five saves in the loss.
The West Haven boys’ soccer team won its third straight contest in impressive fashion. Rallying twice, the Westies defeated Notre Dame-West Haven, 6-5, at Veterans Stadium in West Haven Monday afternoon.
Aldo Barragan and Kevin Morales each scored twice as West Haven improved to 6-3-1 on the year. Goals by Justin Pollio (9:42) and Tom Ellis (21:38) gave the Green Knights a 2-0 lead, before West Haven cut the deficit in half when Barragan scored 10:11 later.
Ellis scored his second goal of the contest at the 42:04 mark to extend Notre Dame’s lead to 3-1, before West Haven scored three unanswered goals for a 4-3 advantage.
Morales got West Haven within a goal at 48:06 off an assist from Derick Meza, before Meza scored 4:46 later to even the contest at three off an assist from Bernard Ocansey. When Barragan scored at the 54:30 mark, West Haven had its first lead of the day.
That lead was short-lived. Notre Dame’s Connor Naumann evened the contest 52 seconds later at 55:22, and Ellis recorded his hat trick at 73:16 for a 5-4 Notre Dame lead.
With time ticking away, not only did the Westies even the game, but they pulled out the victory in the final 10 minutes.
Just 1:22 after Ellis gave Notre Dame the lead, Morales knotted the game for the Westies off an assist from Brian Rivadera.
A short time later, Sebastian Novoa put in the game-winner as West Haven won a thriller from its cross-town rival.
West Haven held a 17-10 shot advantage in the contest. John McLaughlin and Brian Carew each recorded one save in the contest. Zack Benson made eight saves for Notre Dame.
The West Haven girls swim team got into the win column this week. West Haven fell to 0-6 with a 93-85 loss at Lyman Hall Monday evening. The Westies did not have any first place finishes, but had several second place positions.
The 200 medley relay team of Madison Hobart, Molly Wilson, Victoria Acuna, and Kaelyn Falanga was second in 2 minutes, 6.36 seconds, as was the 200 free relay team of Acuna, Wilson, Kaylee Taulty, and Alana Orecchio in 2:02.24. The 400 free relay team of McKenna Driver, Kaelyn Falanga, Taulty, and Hobart was also second in 4:32.02.
The following events also had second place finishes as well. Orecchio finished the 200 IM in 2:42.86, Kaelyn Falanga was second in the 50 free in 27.58 seconds, Taulty placed second in the 1 meter diving with 165.55 points and Wilson was second in the 100 free in 1:05.99.
The 500 free saw Kaelyn Falanga place second in 6:04.17, the 100 backstroke had Hobart second in 1:10.24, and the 100 breaststroke saw Wilson finish second in 1:21.13.
The Westies picked up their first victory of the season with a 94-92 decision over Sacred Heart Academy Thursday afternoon. West Haven had six first place finishes and nine second place finishes in the win.
Kaelyn Falanga won the 50 free in 27.96, the 1 meter diving was won by Taulty with 140.10 points, and the 100 butterfly was won by Orecchio in 1:17.51. Kaelyn Falanga won the 500 freestyle in 5:57.78, Wilson took home the 100 breaststroke in 1:18.00, and the 400 free relay team of Kaelyn Falanga, Morgan Falanga, Sofia Shubin, and Hobart won in 4:18.89.
Second place finishes were taken home in the 200 medley relay with a team of Hobart, Wilson, Acuna, and Kaelyn Falanga in 2:05.95 and the 200 freestyle by Morgan Falanga in 2:26.17.
Orecchio was second in the 200 IM in 2:42.96, Acuna was second in the 100 butterfly in 1:19.46, and Hobart was second in the 100 freestyle in 1:03.42. The 200 free relay team of Acuna, Orecchio, Taulty, and Morgan Falanga was second in 1:59.48.
Hobart placed second in the 100 backstroke in 1:13.89, Acuna was second in the 200 breaststroke in 1:28.31, and the 400 free relay team of Taulty, Orecchio, Eileen Barrington, and McKenna Driver was second in 4:22.65.
The West Haven boys cross-country team fell to Fairfield Prep 27-30 Friday afternoon in Fairfield. West Haven fell to 7-6 with the loss.
Sebastian Villanueva was first overall in 18 minutes, 8 seconds. Allen Aldrich finished in 19:27, Ryan Martinez was third on the Westies in 19:31.