The West Haven boys hockey team snapped its three-game losing streak and qualified for the state tournament with a 2-1 victory over New Milford on Senior Night. With the win, West Haven improved to 7-11-2.
Matt Rasile was solid in goal with 28 saves, including 11 saves in each of the first two periods. Senior Brody DiNuzzo had a pair of assists, and seniors Brady Price and Justin Bruno scored the West Haven goals.
After a scoreless first period, Price gave the Westies a 1-0 lead when he scored from the slot off assists from Kyle Guarino and DiNuzzo 1:11 into the second period.
With the game even at one, Bruno took a pass from DiNuzzo and scored on the power play with 5:02 left in the second.
Rasile made the lead hold up, making six saves in the final period, including helping the Westies kill off a major penalty with six minutes left in the game.
Earlier, the bid for the postseason had to wait. Playing catch-up from the start, West Haven fell to Branford, 4-2, at the Northford Ice Pavilion.
With the loss, West Haven saw its three-game winning streak come to an end. West Haven needs one win in its final three games to secure a postseason spot.
West Haven was still searching for its clinching bid to the postseason. Allowing three second period goals, West Haven fell at Glastonbury, 5-3.
Trailing 1-0, West Haven evened the game at one on a goal by Sean Bush with 8:03 left in the opening period. Glastonbury then scored the next three goals in a span of 4:41 of the second period, including twice in less than 10 seconds to take a 4-1 lead.
West Haven lost its third straight contest and fell to 6-11-2 with a 3-1 defeat against Amity. The Westies were outshot 30-6 in the first two periods, trailed 3-1, and never came back.
Rasile made 38 saves in the loss for the Westies.
Just two days after taking home the Southern Connecticut Conference title, the West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy girls hockey team had to focus on the state tournament.
Alessandra Picard and Hailey Azzarone made sure the mission was accomplished. Behind two goals from Picard and two assists from Azzarone, No. 7 WHSHA held on to defeat No. 10 Mercy, 5-3, in the opening round.
Picard scored the lone goal of the opening period off an assist from Heather Fonda, before goals by Picard and Olivia Twarowski gave the Westie Sharks a 3-0 lead after two periods. Azzarone assisted on Picard’s tally.
When Sarah Davey scored off an assist from Kelly Manfield just 2:12 into the third, it appeared the Westie Sharks would cruise to the quarterfinals. Mercy scored the next three goals, and WHSHA needed a goal from Cara Milrad off an assist from Azzarone with 1:29 remaining to seal the win.
Evelyn Twarowski made 22 saves in the win.
Picard has been a focal point of the team’s offense all season long. She would continue that offense into the postseason.
Scoring twice, including the eventual game-winner with 3 minutes, 9 seconds left in the second period, Picard led the top-seeded Westie Sharks to a 2-1 victory over second-seeded Amity/Cheshire/North Haven in the Southern Connecticut Conference championship at the Edward L. Bennett Rink in West Haven Saturday evening.
The title game appearance was the fifth consecutive for the Westie Sharks, and their first championship since defeating Hamden in a shootout in 2023.
Picard gave the Westie Sharks the lead for good in the second period as the Westie Sharks outshot their opponents 17-3 in the period. Picard took control of the puck in the slot and roofed a shot to the top corner with 3:09 left in the middle period.
ACNH goaltender Ivy Massicotte came up big in the middle period with 16 saves, including a shot in front by Picard six minutes in, and another on Olivia Twarowski in front with a glove save with 4:13 remaining.
The Westie Sharks controlled play in the third period and did not let the Blades get any momentum. ACNH managed only five shots in the third period, with WHSHA goaltender Evelyn Twarowski denying a tipped shot by Sophia Jimenez in front with 3:38 remaining to preserve the lead.
From there, the Westie Sharks did not allow the Blades to get any quality shots on goal the rest of the way.
WHSHA goalie Evelyn Twarowski, who finished with 17 saves in the game.
The team honored its seniors in style with a 6-3 victory over Fairfield Ludlowe on Senior Night at the Edward L. Bennett Rink. With the victory, the Westie Sharks improved to 12-6 on the year.
Picard led the way with three goals, Fonda scored twice, Milrad had a goal and an assist, and Olivia Twarowski finished with a pair of assists.
Behind two goals and an assist from Picard, the Westie Sharks defeated Stamford, 3-2, on the road.
Trailing 1-0 late in the second, Picard scored an unassisted goal to even the game, and scored another unassisted goal 2:16 into the third for a 2-1 advantage.
The Westie Sharks were forced to rally late as Stamford evened the game at two, but Lattanzi scored off assists from Picard and Milrad with 3.9 seconds remaining in regulation to give the Westie Sharks the victory.
Megan Losito picked up the win in goal as she finished with 13 saves.
The West Haven boys basketball team opened the state tournament with hopes of once again battling for a state title. Those hopes were put to the test in the opening round.
Playing a tough Wilton team, No. 11 West Haven hung on with a 56-51 victory in the opening round of the Division II state tournament in West Haven. The Westies will play No. 6 Glastonbury in the second round of the tournament.
Kannan Morris led the Westies with 16 points, Aaron Johnson scored 13, and Bryan Tillman scored 10 in the win. Loshon Roman added eight points for West Haven.
The Westies trailed by two after one quarter, before taking a 25-24 lead at the half. The Westies entered the fourth quarter with a six-point lead at 43-37.
Morris drained a pair of 3-pointers in the opening quarter, and Roman scored seven points in the second quarter. Morris hit two more 3-pointers and scored eight points in the third quarter, before Tillman helped seal the win by hitting five of six free throws in the final quarter.
West Haven opened the postseason in impressive fashion. Jumping out of the gates quickly in the Southern Connecticut Conference tournament opener, No. 3 West Haven never looked back in a thorough 86-63 victory over No. 14 East Haven.
The win was the100th in the head coaching career of Ty Sullivan.
Johnson led the Westies with 25 points, and Roman added 20 in the opening round victory as West Haven improved to 16-5..
The Westies took an early lead and never looked back as they got off to a 21-11 start and increased the lead to 38-25 at the half. A 26-17 run in the third quarter extended the West Haven lead to 64-42.
Johnson got West Haven going with three 3-pointers in the opening quarter, before Brandon Bellamy drained a pair of 3-pointers in the second quarter and Matt Morgan added another. Roman led the way with eight points in the third quarter, and Morris scored six in the frame.
West Haven advanced to the Southern Connecticut Conference semifinals with a 59-42 quarterfinal victory over Fairfield Prep at West Haven High.
The Westies used a stifling defense to take an early lead, before running away with the victory. West Haven held the Jesuits to five points in the opening quarter and 14 total in the first half to take a 25-14 lead.
West Haven built the lead to 42-27 after three quarters, and the Westies closed the game out in the final eight minutes. With the victory, West Haven improved to 17-5 on the year.
Roman led the Westies with 23 points, Bellamy scored 12 points, and Johnson scored six points. Tillman, John Pickett, and Ja’Kha Little each scored four points in the win.
Roman scored 11 of his 23 points in the first quarter for the Westies, and he added five of West Haven’s 12 points in the second quarter. Pickett scored four points in the second quarter to help West Haven to an 11-point lead.
Bellamy drained a pair of 3-pointers in the third quarter, Roman scored six more points, and Little added three as West Haven took a 42-27 lead.
Third-seeded West Haven saw its pursuit of a Southern Connecticut Conference title end with a 70-48 defeat against second-seeded Hillhouse in the semifinals at Branford High.
The Westies got off to a slow start, trailing 8-0, and ended the opening quarter down 19-10. West Haven responded in the second quarter with a 20-11 run to even the game at 30, but the second half was a different story.
West Haven’s offense went cold in the third quarter, managing only four points, as Hillhouse used an 18-4 run to take a 48-34 lead. Hillhouse took leads of 36-30 and 40-32, and the 14-point run would prove to be too much for the Westies to overcome.
West Haven continued to chase in the fourth quarter, and a 22-14 run by the Academics ended any hopes of a West Haven comeback.
The West Haven girls basketball team opened the Class LL state tournament in impressive fashion. Traveling to Fairfield, No. 22 West Haven traveled and upset No. 11 Fairfield Ludlowe, 61-55.
Noelle Lawrence led the Westies with 29 points, D’Lyana Dixon scored 14 points, and Ella Morgan scored 11. The Westies advanced to play sixth-seeded Fairfield Warde in the second round.
West Haven opened postseason play as the No. 12 seed in the Southern Connecticut Conference tournament. Traveling to play fifth-seeded North Haven, West Haven trailed early and saw its rally fall short in a 54-42 road loss.
Lawrence led the Westies with 19 points and 10 rebounds, while Morgan added 10 points and 11 rebounds.
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