The West Haven football team traveled across town to face rival Notre Dame on Friday night in DellaCamera Stadium in the annual Soderman Bowl. The Blue Devils managed to put the only points on the board in the first half when Justin Medina scored on a 4-yard touchdown run. The extra point sailed left of the upright and the Westies had a 6-0 lead with 2:16 left in the first quarter.
The Green Knights threatened as time wound down in the half and appeared to be heading in to the end zone when a Notre Dame receiver pulled down a pass on the 5-yard line on fourth down but, a converging Jordan Berrios with a perfectly timed strip of the ball prevented the touchdown.
The Westies took control in the second half and went up 14-0 on a one-yard plunge by Juan Gutierrez and then Jordan Berrios scrambled through a host of Green Knights before powering his way into the end zone for the two-point conversion with 1:08 left in the third quarter.
After Notre Dame cut the lead to 14-7 just 1:10 into the fourth quarter, the Blue Devils scored the final, two touchdowns to secure the 28-7 victory. Berrios busted a long run to get the Westies down to the Notre Dame 5-yard line and Justin Medina ran it in on the next play to make it a 21-7 game after Isaac Morales split the uprights with 7:07 remaining.
Medina, who finished with 103 yards on 14 carries, put the final nail in the coffin when he raced 41 yards for his third touchdown to put the game out of reach with 3:28 left in the game, helping the Blue Devils hoist their third, consecutive Soderman Bowl Trophy.
This week, the Westies travel to Bridgeport to take on the Bassick Lions at Kennedy Stadium on Friday at 7.
The girls soccer team dropped a couple of contests before bouncing back with a victory to end the week. On Tuesday afternoon, the Blue Devils took on the Lauralton Hall Crusaders in Milford. The Westies had a great chance in the 18th minute when Cori Severino fed Kelsey Gilmore, who drove the ball but it rang off the crossbar. The Crusaders were able to take advantage of a rebound after a Mackenzie Gardner save to make it 1-0 with 9:19 left in the first half.
Keegan Riccio got the Blue Devils even when she booted a 20-yard kick that sailed over the Crusaders’ keeper and into the net with 36:46 left to knot the game 1-1. But it was the Crusaders who had the last word in this contest when they converted another rebound to get the game winner with 27:27 left in the game. Mackenzie Gardner finished with seven saves in goal for West Haven.
On Thursday evening, the girls hosted the Hand Tigers in Ken Strong Stadium. The Tigers scored 9:47 into the game and iced the game with a goal with 6:20 left in the game to defeat the Westies 2-0. Mackenzie Gardner stopped seven Tiger shots between the pipes.
On Saturday morning, the Blue Devils shut down the Lyman Hall Trojans, 1-0, in Wallingford. The Westies got the only goal of the game from Cori Severino scored, assisted by Selena Izzo. The West Haven defense and goalkeeper Mackenzie Gardner did the rest, keeping the Trojans off the board. Gardner made three saves to pick up the shutout.
This week, the Westies hosted the East Haven Yellow Jackets on Tuesday and visit the Foran Lions in Milford on Thursday at 6.
The boys soccer team suffered a similar fate last week with two losses before bouncing back on Saturday night with a 1-0 victory against Career/Hillhouse. On Tuesday evening, the Fairfield Prep Jesuits jumped on the Blue Devils for three goals in the first ten minutes on their way to an 8-0 victory. The Westies didn’t have an answer for the powerful Jesuit offense in the loss.
On Thursday evening, the boys headed to Wallingford for a clash with the Sheehan Titans and came out on the short end of a 2-1 score but, on Saturday evening, the Blue Devils got back in the win column with a 1-0 win over Career/Hillhouse at Ken Strong Stadium.
This week, the boys traveled to Xavier on Tuesday and end the week hosting the Lyman Hall Trojans on Friday at 7.
The volleyball team had a tough week, dropping all, three of its matches. On Monday afternoon, the Westies were swept 3-0 by the Amity Spartans in the WHHS Gym. The girls lost, 25-16, 25-14 and 25-9 in a dominant performance by the Spartans. Irene Ronan had five kills and one block while Bria Stanley contributed with four kills in the loss.
On Thursday, the Blue Devils hosted the Hamden Green Dragons and held a 2-1 lead before allowing the Dragons to take the last, two games in a 3-2 loss. The girls lost, 25-17, 14-25, 25-14, 21-15 and 14-16. Jennifer Ortiz had 26 assists and three digs, Nancy Tapia had 13 kills and six digs, Noelle Noble had seven digs and four aces and Irene Ronan had 10 kills to lead West Haven.
On Friday afternoon, the Westies suffered a similar, heart-breaking result at the hands of the Wilbur Cross Governors, 3-2 (25-17, 19-25, 12-25, 25-17, 13-15). Jennifer Ortiz had 18 assists, four aces and three digs to lead the Blue Devils. Nancy Tapia and Irene Ronan each had 10 kills, Noelle Noble had ten digs and Celina Condon contributed with five digs.
This week, the girls played road matches at Lauralton Hall on Monday and Shelton on Wednesday before hosting Career on Friday at 5:15.
The girls swim team lost to the North Haven Indians on Monday afternoon 94-81. Anya Celmer took the 50 freestyle, Madison Hobart won the 100 backstroke and Sophia Lora was victorious in the 100 breaststroke in individual events. The 200 freestyle relay team of Kaelyn Falanga, Victoria Acuna, Sophia Lora and Morgan Falanga swam to victory while the 400 freestyle relay team of Celmer, Hobart, Kaelyn Falanga and Morgan Falanga also was victorious.
This week, the girls visited the Mercy Tigers on Monday night.