The West Haven boys hockey team has run into some tough luck this season. That hard luck continued into the postseason.
After battling back to tie the game with just under four minutes remaining, No. 10 West Haven watched as No. 7 Hand scored twice in the final 19 seconds of the third period to top the Westies 5-3 in the opening round of the Division II state tournament.
West Haven finished the season 7-12-2.
Trailing 3-2 late in the third, Justin Bruno scored off an assist from Brody DiNuzzo with 3:42 remaining to even the game. With West Haven putting the pressure on late in the game, the puck game down the ice the other way, deflected in front, where Hand’s Matthew Gervais picked up the loose puck and scored the eventual winner with 19 seconds to go.
The Tigers added an insurance goal 11 seconds later to seal the 5-3 win over West Haven.
The loss overshadowed the early lead for the Westies as they withstood an early charge from Hand, then took a 2-0 first period lead. Both West Haven goals came off Hand turnovers.
Theo Diakomis gave West Haven a 1-0 lead 4:20 into the contest when he picked up the loose puck and quickly slid the puck in the net. Just 1:28 later, Josh Rodrigue followed suit, and West Haven had all the momentum.
Anthony Albino then helped turn the game around for Hand as he scored the first of his two goals 1:07 after the Rodrigue tally to get the Tigers in striking distance.
The Tigers had the better opportunities in the second period and took a 3-2 lead on goals by Ryan Wood and Albino 1:07 apart.
West Haven had its chances in the third period, but Hand goaltender William Diana denied DiNuzzo from the slot 6:07 in, and turned aside a point-blank shot by Bruno with a pad save with 4:31 to go.
The season has come to an end for the West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy girls hockey team. Traveling to play second-seeded New Canaan, the Westie Sharks were half of a period away from advancing to the semifinals of the state tournament.
New Canaan showed why it is among the top teams in the state.
Scoring twice in the last 7:48 of the game, New Canaan rallied to defeat No. 7 West Haven / Sacred Heart Academy, 3-2 in Darien. With the loss, the Westie Sharks end the season with a record of 16-8.
Trailing 1-0, West Haven / Sacred Heart Academy went to work and took a 2-1 lead after one period of play.
Just 49 seconds after New Canaan got on the board, West Haven / Sacred Heart Academy evened the game when Alessandra Picard scored off an assist from Taryn Lattanzi. Lattanzi then scored an unassisted goal 3:46 later for a 2-1 West Haven / Sacred Heart Academy lead.
That advantage held until the middle of the third period at West Haven / Sacred Heart Academy goaltender Evelyn Twarowski made 48 saves in the game, including 16 in the middle period and 14 more in the third.
The season came to a crushing end for the West Haven boys basketball team. Looking to advance to the state semifinals, the 11th-seeded Westies were ousted on the road by No. 3 New London, 46-44.
The Westies battled back throughout the entire contest, but they could not pull ahead for good.
Trailing by five points in the second quarter, a 3-pointer by Aaron Johnson got West Haven within 18-16 with 2:42 remaining. Johnson hit another 3-pointer 41 seconds later to get his team within one point, but New London drained a 3-pointer with two seconds remaining in the first half to take a 25-19 lead over the Westies.
West Haven had its chances in the third quarter as well. With a chance to even the game, the Westies had a shot blocked, before Ja’Kha Little finally tied the game at 25 with 5:32 left in the third quarter.
West Haven again had a chance to take the lead, but another turnover gave possession back to New London.
Trailing 32-29 after three quarters, West Haven battled back. Little got his team within 32-31, and after New London took a 39-32 lead, a 6-0 run by West Haven was capped by another basket by Little.
New London extended its lead to 44-39 with 2:19 left in regulation, but Little hit a 3-pointer with 30 seconds remaining to get West Haven within one point at 44-43.
West Haven never got closer, and a last ditch shot as time expired missed the mark as West Haven saw its season come to an end.
The season continued for West Haven as the team traveled to play sixth-seeded Glastonbury. The Westies pulled away for a 63-49 second round victory.
West Haven was led by Kannan Morris with 19 points. Johnson added 16 points, Loshon Roman scored 13 points, and Little scored nine.
The Westies and Guardians were even at 23 at the half, before West Haven pulled away in the second half. West Haven held Glastonbury to eight points in the third quarter to take a six-point lead, and the Westies outscored Glastonbury by eight points in the final quarter.
Johnson scored six of his team’s 14 third quarter points to get the Westies going in the second half. The Westies then sealed the game at the free throw line in the fourth quarter, draining 13 free throws.
Roman scored 11 of the team’s 26 points in the fourth quarter, including a pair of 3-pointers and five free throws. Morris connected on three free throws in the fourth and had six points in the final eight minutes.
The season has come to a close for the West Haven girls basketball team. After posting an upset in the first round of the Class LL state tournament against Fairfield Ludlowe, the Westies again traveled to Fairfield to play No. 6 Fairfield Warde in the second round of the tournament.
Despite a valiant effort, No. 22 West Haven fell to Warde 44-41. The Westies conclude their season with a 12-11 overall record.
Ella Morgan led the way for the Westies in the second round defeat with 11 points and 12 rebounds. Noelle Lawrence scored 15 points, and D’Lyana Dixon added 11 in defeat.