The season came to a crushing end for the West Haven boys hockey team with a 4-3 loss to Fairfield Prep in the opening round of the state tournament. Despite rallying from a 3-0 deficit, No. 12 West Haven suffered the crushing loss when fifth-ranked Fairfield Prep scored with 26.6 seconds left in regulation.
When the Jesuits scored 58 seconds into the second period, West Haven was in a 3-0 hole and looked to surely be in for an early exit from the postseason.
With 1:38 remaining in the middle period, that certainty was no longer as Ryan Bernardi’s shot off an assist from Anthony Peschell trickled in. Just 46 seconds later, Bernardi was at it again when he scored with 52.4 seconds to go in the period.
After goaltender Javed Ullah kept the Westies within a goal, Mike Alfano scored from in front with 8:14 to go to even the game at three.
West Haven constantly pressured but could not take the lead as D.J. Carfora’s shot from in close sailed over the net. The Jesuits rang the crossbar with 2:54 remaining, setting up the last-second win for the Jesuits.
West Haven picked up its seventh win of the season with a 5-3 victory over Hand-Madison Monday evening on Senior Night. The Westies scored four times in the final 15 minutes to pull out the victory.
Nico Bruneau finished with one goal and two assists, while Javed Ullah had 20 saves as the Westies improved to 7-12 on the year.
West Haven took a two-goal lead in the third period when Bruneau set up Jayden Spreyer for a breakaway goal 1:53 into the third, before Marcus Burrows stole the puck and scored 2:46 in for a 3-1 lead.
Hand evened the game with a goal 1:15 later and another with 9:52 to go to even the game at three. The Westies did not quit.
Picking up a loose puck along the boards, Peschell blasted a shot home for a 4-3 lead. Bruneau scored a power play goal of an assist from Bernardi with 1:11 remaining for the 5-3 final.
The first two periods saw a combined 13 shots for West Haven and a 1-1 game. Hand struck first on a goal by James Barber with 4:17 gone by in the middle period, but the Westies needed just 35 seconds to respond.
Bruneau fed a lead pass to Spreyer on the left wing. Spreyer circled the net and fed Mike Alfano in front for a shot to the top right corner and a 1-1 tie with 10:08 left in the period.
West Haven had a chance to take the lead with seven minutes to go in the period when Mike Madera set up Jack Aloi, but Aloi’s blast was turned aside by a brilliant pad save by Alex Schiano.
The Westies saw their three game winning streak come to an end with a 5-2 loss to Notre Dame – West Haven in the regular season finale. With the loss, West Haven closed the regular season at 7-13.
The Westies struggled to get anything in the opening period, pinned in their own zone for the majority of the opening 15 minutes.
The Green Knights wasted little time setting the tone of the game as Grant Curtis took advantage of a West Haven turnover and beat West Haven goaltender Javed Ullah just 57 seconds in.
Notre Dame appeared to take a 2-0 lead, but Colby Faughnan’s tally was wiped away by an icing call 3:28 into the game.
The Westies had a golden opportunity to even the game when Carfora stole the puck while short-handed, broke into the Notre Dame zone, but shot over the net. Just 49 seconds later, Notre Dame had a 2-0 lead when a shot from the point by Curtis when off Ullah and into the net with 6:32 to go in the opening period.
West Haven finally put pressure on in the final five minutes of the opening period, but shots by Spreyer from the slot, and Peschell from the point were denied by Notre Dame goaltender Peter Alfano.
West Haven’s best opportunity came with less than two minutes to go when Bruneau’s shot was denied and Mike Alfano could not convert into an empty net.
The Green Knights controlled play in the middle period with a 13-3 shot advantage and a 2-1 advantage in goals. Logan Hurd increased the lead to 3-0 with 9:21 remaining and a hat trick by Curtis with 7:55 to go had Notre Dame on top 4-0.
West Haven finally got on the board with a power play goal by Bernardi with 55.8 seconds left in the period off an assist from Carfora.
The Guilford Grizzlies topped West Haven / Sacred Heart Academy, 4-3, in the Southern Connecticut Conference championship game at the Edward L. Bennett Rink.
West Haven / Sacred Heart Academy was looking to win its second straight title over the Grizzlies.
The Grizzlies dominated overtime with an 11-5 shot advantage, but goaltender Grace Nowak kept the hopes of the Westie Sharks alive with 10 saves. Her best was just 30 seconds in when she denied Daniella Vickerman in front with a pad save.
The Westie Sharks only had five shots in the extra session, but they were of high quality. Julianna Picard was denied in front by Guilford goalie Julia McDonald two minutes in, and Anne Plunkett hit the post with 8:25 to go, before Guilford won the title with a power play goal by Cuozzo.
“We left it all on the ice,” WH/SHA coach Blake said after her team closed the season at 9-13. “This was our best game of the year. What a better time for it. The girls went out and played for the seniors. They left it all out there.”
The third period was a thrill from the start as Guilford took the lead early after trailing entering the period, before the Westie Sharks used a brilliant goal by Meghan Dupre with 1:43 left to send the game to overtime.
Trailing by a goal, the Grizzlies evened the contest at two when Maddie Epke was left alone in the slot and beat Nowak between the pads 3:59 into the third.
Just 27 seconds later, Guilford took the lead when Vickerman’s quick shot in front found the back of the net off assists from Olivia Gill and Cuozzo.
The game looked as if it would end with Guilford taking home the title, but the ice started to tilt in favor of the Westie Sharks in the final five minutes of regulation. Dupre was denied in front with 4:30 remaining, before Guilford took two penalties in 42 seconds in the final 3:42.
With two seconds remaining in the two-man advantage, Dupre went the length of the ice before ripping a shot to the top right corner with 1:43 remaining in the third to force overtime.
“I did not take her off the ice,” Blake said of Dupre. “With her offense and defense, she kept us in this along with Grace (Nowak). Grace was amazing. She was phenomenal. She has been phenomenal all year.”
The game was fast paced from the start with the Grizzlies controlling a majority of the opening 30 minutes, but trailing, 2-1.
With Nowak turning aside a variety of shots early, the Grizzlies were knocking on the door. Guilford finally found the back of the net when Evans took a pass from Epke and fired a shot through a screen from the point for a 1-0 lead with 8:31 left in the opening period.
The Westie Sharks wasted no time drawing even, needing just 3:06 to respond when Dupre fired a rocket from the slot past McDonald with 5:25 remaining in the opening period.
West Haven / Sacred Heart Academy continued the pressure, but McDonald denied Plunkett and Taylor Alfano in a span of one minute, before Emilee DeGrand found Plunkett alone in the slot for a 2-1 lead with 2:47 remaining in the opening period.
The goal by Plunkett held through the middle period despite Guilford holding a 15-6 shot advantage. Nowak was the story of the period as she turned aside 15 shots, including a laser by Epke in the slot with a glove save with 8:50 remaining.
West Haven / Sacred Heart Academy’s best opportunities came in the final five minutes as Chase Ireland’s backhander in front just trickled through the crease, and a blast from the point by Alfano was turned aside by McDonald’s pad save with 1:10 to go.
Nowak finished with 47 saves, while McDonald stopped 25 shots for Guilford.
The West Haven boys basketball team opened the Division I state tournament with a 65-45 victory over No. 20 Trumbull. Unfortunately for the Westies, the season came to an end two days later in a 66-40 loss to fourth-seeded Fairfield Prep.
No. 12 West Haven had 10 players in the scoring column against Trumbull and was led by Tavares Tuck with 16 points. Kyle Kearson had 12 points, while Javaun Calhoun had eight and Henry Smith seven in the win.
Tuck got the Westies on their way with seven points in the opening quarter for a 23-7 lead. West Haven led 33-17 at the half and increased the margin to 46-23 after three quarters of play with a balanced scoring attack.
For all your West Haven sporting news throughout the year, including game articles by Mike Madera, highlights, photos and more, visit www.westieblue.com.