The West Haven Bantam AA hockey team earned its first win of the 2022-23 season with a road win over Greater New Haven A at Northford Ice Pavilion.
Sean Studley put the Westies up 1-0 when he fired home a rebound of Ethan Kelly’s shot with just under a minute to play in the opening period. The Blue Devils went up 3-0 with a pair of second period goals by Dylan DiCioccio and Will Hamre. Goaltender Bryce Upson was solid in net to earn the win.
At the Edward L. Bennett Rink, the Blue Devils had a 3-0 lead with a minute to play in the second period, before dropping a 5-4 decision to Junior Bulldogs AA.
Kelly and Charlie Strada gave the team a 2-0 lead. One minute into the second, Studley to make it 3-0.
The Bulldogs scored four times in less than five minutes to take the lead early in the third, before Ethan Kelly split two defensemen and fed Madonick for a rising wrist shot to tie the game at 4-4 with 8:39 to go.
The Blue Devils opened their 2022-23 season last week and skated to a 3-3 tie against Western A at Bennett Rink. Down 2-0 in the opening period, Kelly scored on assists from Studley.
Down 3-1, Madonick stole a pass at the blue line and fired home a low wrister with only 2.8 seconds left in the first period. Matt Kelly banged home a loose puck on a power play in the third period, with assists from Studley and Sam Malangone, to even the game at 3-3. Upson was clutch in goal in the third as the Westies earned the tie.
The West Haven Squirt AA hockey team returned to the ice with a championship appearance and four wins in the ECC Labor Day tournament in Northford.
The Westies opened the tournament with a 7-1 win over the Elite HockeyAAA. Charlie Gunning had three goals and Jeremiah McGrath had two goals in the win.
Colby Cushing and Dylan Spreyer also found the back of the net,.Michael Paone and Gabe Calabrese split duties in the net.
The Westies fell behind the Connecticut Junior Rangers, before rallying to a 5-2 win in the second contest. A.J. Farrell took over from his defensive post as his first shot from the point was tipped by Gunning to even the score. One minute later, Farrell took matters into his own hands in burying his own shot from the point.
Gunning, McGrath and Spreyer all found the back of the net. Paone and Calabrese combined for the win in goal.
Young then helped power the Westies to a 7-3 win over the Vermont Flames with goal and solid defensive play. Gunning scored four goals and McGrath scored twice for the Westies, while Paone and Calabrese again split goaltending duties.
In the semifinals, Farrell again found the back of the net from the point to lead the Westies to a 3-1 win over the Connecticut Junior Rangers. Gunning had two goals.
The run ended for the Westies as they pushed MassConn United to overtime, before falling, 4-3, in overtime.
The Westies took a 3-1 lead behind two goals by McGrath and one by Cushing.
The Westies returned to action this weekend with a split of games against Mid-Fairfield.
In the opener, Gunning scored three times and Ciccosanti added two in a 7-2 win. McGrath and Spreyer rounded out the scoring, with assists coming from Farrell, Strada, Janei and Moll. Paone picked up the win between the pipes.
The Westies lost 3-2 to Mid-Fairfield 2013 as McGrath and Spreyer scored in the loss. Young, Berlepsch and Walsh had assists, while Calabrese was solid in net.
The team split a pair of games. The Westies dropped a 4-2 contest to Westchester Express AA.
Farrell started the scoring with a shot from the point. After falling behind 3-1, Young took a pass from Gunning and Cushing and buried a goal to cut lead to one. An empty net goal finalized the scoring. Calabese was solid in net for West Haven.
The Westies bounced back with a 6-1 win over Ridgefield AA. Moll started the scoring by going end to end. Gunning netted two goals and Jeremiah McGrath, Spreyer and Janei also scored. Assists for the Westies came from Henry Strada, Gunning, Cushing and Farrell. Paone got the victory in between the pipes.
The West Haven Squirt A travel hockey team opened with a 4-4 tie against the Greater New Haven Warriors. Looking to defend their state title, the young Westies fought back after being behind 4-2 late in the second period.
Evan Harrison had an acrobatic performance between the pipes, stopping numerous well-placed shots by the Warriors.
The Warriors scored late in the first period to get things started off, but their lead was short-lived as center Logan Stackpole scored an unassisted goal three minutes later to tie the game.
The Warriors scored again mid-way through the second period to take the lead once again. With 5:15 left in the second period, forward Colin Whelan stuffed the puck into the net off a rebound. Two minutes later, the Warriors once again took a 3-2 lead and then scored another quick goal to take a 4-2 lead with two minutes left in the period. The two-goal lead would only last about 30 seconds as Owens scored off an assist from center Colton Bruneau.
Down 3-2 in the third period with 8:44 left in the game, Logan Minio scored to event the game at 4.
The West Haven Squirt A1 faced off against Greater New Haven Warriors and the Connecticut Junior Whalers. The Blue Devils allowed four goals the entire weekend and topping the Warriors, 10-3 ,and the Junior Whalers, 8-1.
Tyler Gyllensten chalked up the season’s first goal against the Warriors. Gyllensten went on to cap off the weekend with the season’s first hat trick, as well scoring three more goals and adding two assists.
Julius Stokes scored four goals and added assists. Olivia Persico went on to score two goals, along with Noah Silverman and Alex Jones, who both scored twice and chalked up an assist each.
Aran Dahya, scored his first West Haven career goal Sunday against the Junior Whalers.
Matteo Kenworthy had no issues ironing out the crease, only allowing one goal against the Junior Whalers in his Squirt A1 debut between the pipes. Ethan McGrath took control of the Junior Whaler’s goal and shut down his own team’s advances after the Junior Whaler’s own goaltender was unable to continue due to a lower body injury.
The squad was able to skate away with its third win of the season in as many games. The young Devils were able to keep the Hamden Dragons down to only six shots on goal which goaltenders McGrath and Kenworthy were able to keep out of harm’s way while splitting the goaltender assignment.
Silverman started the day of with a quick breakaway which led to an unassisted goal at 30 seconds into the first and went on to get his first hat trick of the season. Stokes was short to follow Silverman’s lead with his own unassisted goal at 1:20 into the first which was followed by another unassisted goal and three assists in the second period.
Two of those assists where for Trevor Gyllensten, who racked up a five-point day by scoring four goals and one assist. Carter Liston assisted one of Trevor Gyllensten’s third period goals.
Trevor Gyllensten returned the favor two minutes later and set Liston up for his own goal which made two for the day with an unassisted goal earlier in the second.
Also continuing his scoring streak was Dahya, who was able to rack up two unassisted goals of his own.
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