The West Haven Mite A hockey defeated two tough opponents in the Northwestern Icehawks (South Kent, CT) and the Wonderland Wizards (Bridgeport, CT).
In the first of the two games, the Westies welcomed the Icehawks to Bennett Rink. Cooper Owens was in between the pipes and had many great saves while only allowing two goals.
Keegan Jackson and Emmett Hemming also played great defensively, making it very difficult for the Icehawks to score. Blue Devil goals were scored by Henry Seslar, Brody Miller, Brayden Jacob, and Santino Martin. Coming up with some great passing and assisting on a few of the goals were Landon Silverman, Alexa Jacob, and Caden Minio.
In their second game, the Westies traveled to the Wonderland of Ice to take on the Wizards. Each matchup this season has proved to be a hard-fought battle.
The Blue Devils found themselves down early and trailing by two at the half. The Devils came out hot in the second half with goals scored by Seslar, Owens, Minio, and Alexa Jacob to put the Westies ahead for good.
Solid goaltending by Silverman and a great defensive effort by Hemming and Jackson helped shut down the Wizards and give the Mite A’s another undefeated weekend.
The West Haven Mite A hockey team completed a fantastic season this past weekend with two very solid performances.
In their last home game of the season, the Westies welcomed a tough New Cannon Winter Club team. Goaltender Landon Silverman had one of his best games of the season facing a battery of shots and stopping all but one. Goals were scored by Emmett Hemming, Minio, Seslar, Owens, and Santino Martin.
The Blue Devil defense was led by Jackson and Brayden Jacob. Brody Miller and Alexa Jacob each helped assist on many of the Westie goals and contributed to the team’s success.
In the season finale, the Blue Devils competed in the CT Mite A Jamboree at the Champions Skating Center in Cromwell. The Westies faced off against the Southern Stars (Milford), the Stamford Sharks, the Central Capitals (Newington), Yale Bulldogs (New Haven), the South Windsor Knights, and the Wonderland Wizards (Bridgeport).
West Haven finished with a 5-1 record, scoring 17 goals and only allowing five goals in six games. The games were each 15 minutes in length.
Silverman again led the team with his amazing play in net. Multiple goals were scored by Miller, Seslar, Hemming, Martin, Minio, and Alexa Jacob.
The team had one of their best passing performances of the year, Brayden Jacob led the team in assists on the day. The defense was stellar in every game behind Owens and Jackson.
The West Haven Mite C hockey team traveled to Hamden to take on Hamden Mite Bon Saturday. In net for the Blue Devils was Quinn Uscilla, who made excellent saves during the matchup.
Multiple goals were scored by Brayden Gagliardi, while Ava Healy and Ryan Shannon each scored one goal. Gagliardi also recorded an assist, and shots on net were made by Maddy Bruder, Caleb Ford, Jackson Ford and Wesley Morrazini.
The Blue Devils traveled to Milford on Sunday to face Southern CT White. In net during the matchup was Morrazini, making amazing saves during the game.
Multiple goals were scored by Gagliardi and Bruder, with one goal each also coming from Jackson Ford and Uscilla. Bruder, Jackson Ford, Shannon, Healy and Uscilla each recorded an assist during the matchup and Caleb Ford also contributed several shots on net during the game.
West Haven traveled to Newington to take on the CT Chiefs Mini-Mites on Saturday.
In net for the first period was Uscilla, followed by Healy in the second period. Both goalies made excellent saves during the matchup.
Multiple goals were scored by Gagliardi, Bruder and Uscilla. Healy and Bruder had multiple assists, while Jackson Ford also recorded an assist. Shannon and Caleb Ford had several shots on net during the game.
The West Haven Mite C hockey team traveled to East Haven to take on East Haven Mite B. In net for the first half was Uscilla, and Bruder played in goal for the second half. Both made great saves during the matchup.
Multiple goals were scored by Jackson Ford, Gagliardi and Healy, while Bruder also scored a goal. Gagliardi also recorded an assist during the matchup. Shots on net were made by Uscilla, Shannon and Caleb Ford.
The West Haven Squirt AA hockey team hosted two out of state teams this weekend and notched victories in both contests.
On Saturday, the Westies upended the Westchester, NY Vipers AA, 10-2. Charlie Gunning had four goals, Wade Roach had three goals and Dylan Spreyer added two goals. AJ Farrell notched the other goal as he went the length of the ice.
Colby Cushing and Cody Young each posted multiple assists, while Daniel Moll and Henry Strada also added assists. Michael Paone and Gabe Calabrese were solid in net with a combined 18 saves.
The Westies jumped out to a five-goal lead in posting a 7-2 win over the New Jersey Avalanche AAA. Roach pumped in four goals and Jeremiah McGrath, Cushing and Gunning also scored.
Assists on the day came from Alex Jenei, Peyton Berelepsch and Nick Ciccosanti. Paone and Calabrese saved a combined 22 shots in the win.
The West Haven Squirt AA hockey team tuned up for the upcoming state tournament with two wins. The Westies enter tournament play at the top seed in the eight team Tier 2 tournament located in Danbury.
Berlepsch went for a hat trick as the Westies upended Simsbury A 9-2. Wade Roach put in four goals and Charlie Gunning and Ciccosanti added the other goals. Gunning posted two assists and Roach, Henry Strada, Jenei and Jeremiah McGrath added assists. Paone and Calabrese stopped a combined 15 shots in net for the win.
Paone and Calabrese pitched a shutout in net as the Westies downed the Connecticut Junior Rangers AAA 9-0. A.J Farrell, Spreyer, Colby Cushing and Roach accounted for the goals. Assists on the date came from Daniel Moll, Young, Dane Walsh, Gunning, and Cushing.
The West Haven Peewee AA hockey team faced the Mamaroneck Tigers at Bennett Rink on Saturday and posted a 7-0 victory. Max Barbera and Quinn Smith shared time between the posts, earning another shutout.
Andrew Lacasse started things off for West Haven, along with an assist in the game. Colin Dempsey added the second goal, followed by two goals by Sophie Digioia.
David D’Aiuto scored for his team after a pass from Jaxon Troyer, as well as getting an assist later on. Tyler Persico assisted on two goals early on, Santino Desantis played solid defense and also scored a goal and added an assist for the day. Kyle Guarino had two assists in the game as well as one from Sophia Locklear.
On Sunday, the Peewee’s traveled to Bridgeport to take on the Wonderland Wizards AA team and posted a 1-0 victory. Barbera and Smith once again played well to get their second shutout of the weekend.
A faceoff win from Troyer sent the puck to TJ Russo, who wasted no time shooting the puck over the goalie’s shoulder to get the Westies on the board.
The West Haven Bantam AA Major hockey team knocked off Hamden AA, 6-4, in its only game of the weekend at Astorino Rink on Saturday.
Sean Studley had a hat trick to lead the offense in a back-and-forth game in which neither team led by more than one goal until the final seconds. West Haven is now 22-12-2 on the season.
The Westies opened the scoring halfway through the first period as Leo Mazuroski kept the puck in the zone and found Aaron Campbell. Campbell whipped a pass to the net where it knocked in off Studley’s hip for a 1-0 lead.
Hamden tied the game with a power play goal early in the second period, but five minutes later, Studley gave West Haven the lead when he took Ethan Kelly’s pass, juked two defensemen, and zipped in a backhand.
Fourteen seconds later Hamden tied the game, but the Blue Devils regained the lead less than a minute later on the power play as Campbell fed Ethan Kelly coming down the slot for a wrister.
Hamden took the momentum with two goals and had a 4-3 lead with six minutes to play. Studley took the momentum back with his third tally on a power play.
With 2:27 left in the game Matt Kelly passed to the front of the net where Charlie Clark knocked the puck up and over the Hamden goalie, giving the Westies a 5-4 lead. Ethan Kelly eventually slid home an empty-netter with six seconds remaining for the 6-4 win.
Bryce Upson made 24 saves for the Westies who outshot Hamden, 33-28, in the game.
West Haven traveled to Mount St. Charles in Woonsocket, RI to face the RI Saints on Saturday and fell 9-3.
Trailing 1-0 in the opening period, Matt Molnar poke checked the puck ahead while short-handed. He sped into the zone and went five-hole to tie the game.
The Saints scored 12 seconds into the second period, but West Haven tied the game on the power play two minutes later. Will Hamre passed to Campbell in the corner who centered it to Studley for a one-timer to tie the game at two.
The Saints regained the lead with a power play tally, but the Blue Devils responded yet again. Studley passed ahead to Sam Malangone, who centered to Nick Shefter for a 3-3 game.
The Saints scored in the final minute of the second and this time, the Westies had no answer. The Saints skated away to a 9-3 win, outshooting the Westies 41-20 for the game.
Upson (28) and Max Malangone (4) combined for 32 saves in net.
West Haven is now 22-13-2 on the season.
West Haven won its only game of the weekend. The Blue Devils defeated CT Game Changer, 6-4, at the Bolton Ice Palace on Saturday afternoon.
The Westies are 23-13-2 and will be playing for the CHC Tier 2 state championship next weekend.
Nick Shefter earned a hat trick to lead the West Haven offense. Sam Malangone redirected Jack MacNiven’s blue line shot for a nice goal. Ethan Kelly and Aaron Campbell also scored for the Blue Devils. Mazuroski, Campbell and Kelly also had assists.
Bryce Upson made 19 saves in net for the Westies.
The West Haven Bantam Minor team traveled to Pawling, New York to face the Putnam Panthers and fell 7-2 on Saturday. The Blue Devils were down 5-0 going into the third period, but Cameren Lipford passed to Michael D’Aiuto for a goal five minutes in.
With a few minutes left, Jackson Heyn took a shot from the blue line after a pass from Mark Vere for West Haven’s second tally. Benny Pikul and Kai Lupa shared time in net, making over 20 saves combined.
On Saturday afternoon, the Blue Devils returned to Bennett Rink to take on the Enfield Eagles and fell 8-6.
The Westies went into the second period down by four, with only one goal in the first period by Enzo Plano. Zach Melchiore added the second goal, as well as another goal later in the game. Michael D’Aiuto scored the third goa, his second goal of the day, while Aedan Guarino landed a shot from the blue line after a pass from Ayden Troyer.
Lipford got a breakaway and shot it right over the goalie’s shoulder to get West Haven within a goal. Dylan Dicioccio and Melchiore each had two assists, while Lipford and Eddie Thomas each had assists. On Sunday, Blue Devils headed to South Kent to play against Northwestern and fell 6-0. Pikul and Lupa again shared time between the posts, stopping over 17 shots combined.
West Haven finished off their regular season with a game against the GNH Warriors A1 team and posted a 6-2 victory. Pikul was in net and stopped over 20 shots.
The first West Haven goal came with just three minutes left in the first period after Aedan Guarino sent a shot from the blue line and Plano was able to tip it in.
Defenseman Benji Brown was the next to add a goal for the Westies, followed shortly by Melchiore. Melchiore would also score the fourth with an assist from Plano. With 34 seconds left in the period, Melchiore assisted on Plano’s second goal of the evening.
D’Aiuto scored the sixth goal of the night with help from Mark Vere.
For all your West Haven sporting news throughout the year, including game articles by Mike Madera, highlights, photos and more, visit www.westieblue.com.