West Haven Youth Soccer hosted its annual invitational tournament this past weekend, the WHIT, seeing 62 teams from all over the state descend on the city to compete while raising money for Breast Cancer Awareness and Research. The West Haven U10 girls travel team won against two different Coginchaug teams and beat Cheshire, winning three out of their four games this weekend. West Haven lost to Guilford, 5-2. The Westies played hard all weekend and showed great sportsmanship towards each other and the other teams.
The West Haven U14 girls had a successful WHIT tournament weekend, coming in second place for their division. The girls kicked off the weekend with a 1-0 win against New Haven with a goal by Annabelle Fiorillo. The girls also defeated Bristol Strikers, 3-1. Stella Porto made some excellent runs up and down the field, scoring for the Westies along with Emma Routh and Luciana Cappetta. On Sunday, the girls faced off against Ansonia with a 5-0 win. Phoebe DiNuzzo and Allie Powers controlled the defense with Alessia Coletta making impressive plays in midfield. The second game of the day brought a fierce battle against the Bristol Bombers that resulted in a 1-1 tie. Olivia Petrie had several excellent saves in goal for West Haven. In the championship game, the girls faced off against the Bristol Bombers again, but came up short, losing 1-0, with Bristol scoring during the last minutes of the game.
The West Haven U12 girls competed against some very competitive teams this past weekend at the WHIT. The girls played hard and showed good character and sportsmanship throughout the tournament, coming up just short of making the championship game.
The U12 boys team had a great weekend, going 5-0 and winning the tournament. The team started off strong Saturday morning with a 5-1 win over New Haven. Roland Green had the first half hat trick, and Matteo D’Elia and Mason DaSilva controlled the midfield. Colin Gibbons and Seth Empric played strong defensively, limiting New Haven to only the single goal. Game two on Saturday saw the Westies taking on Branford, and winning, 4-2.
Again, Green was on fire, getting help from Adam Lamkhantar and Ethan Fonseca. Ben Trenchard and Joey Ruiz both put in solid shifts in the back, and Jacob Rader anchored the backline and cleared up a lot of potential opportunities for Branford.
Sunday morning the Westies defeated Wallingford, 6-0, and guaranteed their spot in the final. The Westies saw goals from Ryan Abekah, Green, and Luca DeCrescenzo. Jax Guarino was aggressive in the attack, and helped defensively. Jaxon Cruz was once again solid in goal, getting the shut out, the first of three on the day.
The second game of the day the Westies played Naugatuck. Once again, the boys came out ready to play, with Green and Abekah getting goals. Taha Ozhen played well on the wing, and center midfielders DaSilva, D’Elia, and Fonseca sprayed passes for counter attacks as West Haven won, 5-0.
The final Sunday afternoon would see the Westies taking on Bristol, who also went 4-0 in the group phase. The Westies scored ten seconds into the game, as Lamkhantar played a perfect ball down the wing for Abekah, who crossed for Green to tap home. Green would double the lead a minute later, again getting the pass from Abekah. Lamkhantar would make it 3-0 inside five minutes after he tucked a shot under the crossbar from 25 yards out.
The second half saw Abekah and Fonseca add to the lead. Cruz was once again solid in the net, and Rader, Trenchard, Gibbons, Ruiz, and Empric led the defense and cut off any potential attacks before they started. Guarino and DeCrescenzo worked the flanks and outran the Bristol midfielders, and D’Elia and DaSilva once again controlled the center of the field as the Westies cruised to the 6-0 win and the championship.
In the previous week’s action, Cappetta’s Italian Imports Strikers played another great contest against Frankie’s of West Haven. Zaria Morris was impressive with a strong break away leading to the Strikers’ first goal. She inspired others, including Helena Talamelli, whose defense was stellar as she consistently made great plays and was a menace to the opposition. In another game, the Cappetta’s Italian Imports Strikers took on Connex Credit Union. With the team engaged in a defensive battle, some of the new additions to the roster showed up to play. Annelise Martinez Rios and Maxine Smalls chained together some great defensive plays and were able to help keep the opposition at bay as the Strikers worked up and down the field. Porto Funeral Home tied Keenan Funeral Home, 2-2, and Seacrest Retirement Center lost to RQ Accounting and Tax Services, 3-2.
P&B Express took on Thorough Restoration Saturday morning. Amine Alijate showed strong commitment to the team and wanting to continue to play even after being injured during the game. Alexander Locke also had a strong game. For P&B Express. American Family Care lost a tough game to Elsie Encarnacion State Farm Insurance, 2-1. The sun was shining bright and so was the Gunning Law Firm when they took on Vio’s Sports Plus. Leandro Arena scored the first goal while Khan Radoncic and Antonio Negron scored additional goals. Regin Fitzpatrick and Jayden Contreras Del Razo had some great defensive stops. Milano & Wanat defeated Wizard Painting, 4-1, and Baybrook Remodelers tied Physicians Family Therapy, 3-3.
York Business Center won, 2-1, against West Haven Police Local #895. Liliana Murray and Tahrielle Boyd defended the net and Bianca Dinallo and Avalyn Wilder scored. Charlotte Murray played an aggressive game on offense while Liliyani Amaro and LilithBelle Warcholic were a tough defense. The last games of the play saw a series of 1-1 ties, with Eli’s Orange tying George Ellis Company, Taco Town drawing WH Professional Firefighters, and the WH Federation of Teachers tying Stars Ice Cream. The final two games saw a flurry of offense, starting with the University of New Haven defeating the Law Office of Paul V. Carty, 6-4, and Mad Mike’s Cheesesteaks beating Stowe’s Seafood, 5-3.
In travel team action, the Top Hat Dance Academy U10 girls travel team put up a fight but lost to the North Haven. Bianca Dinallo scoring for the Westies. Hamidat Tidjani and Aaliyah Castillo were determined defensive players. The West Haven U10 Girls played a second game last weekend, tying North Haven U9 Girls 3-3. Ayah Lamkhantar and Bianca Dinallo scored. Isabella Ramirez, Angela Guerrero, and Anna Howery played outstanding defense.
The Elite Soccer Camps U12 boys travel team lost a heartbreaker to rival Guilford on Saturday, 2-1. The Westies went down 2-0 despite the strong play of Jaxon Cruz in goal. Jacob Rader led the Westies defensively, with help from Ben Trenchard, Joe Ruiz, and Collin Gibbons. Ryan Abekah and Roland Green combined for the Westies goal, as they worked to get back into the game, but the comeback game up short. The Vio’s Sportplus U15 girls defeated Wallingford, 1-0, Saturday afternoon behind the lone goal from Stella Porto. Annie Fiorillo and Celeste Dinallo played well in the midfield, and Alessia Colletta put in a great effort in midfield.