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BOYS LACROSSE 2015
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Edgardo Carmona and the Westies defeated Cross, May 4, 2015. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
Pictured above is West Haven High lacrosse goalie Ryan Pickering (front r.), along with his father Patrick, signing his letter of intent to play lacrosse next year at Division II Tusculum College in Greenville, TN.
Ryan is a senior at Sound Regional Aquaculture School in New Haven. In addition to playing lacrosse for West Haven, Ryan has been an Open Water Rower for Sound School for all four of his high school years.
Also accompanying Ryan in the picture is West Haven boys lacrosse head coach, Pat Reed and volunteer coach William Wezenter.
Photo courtesy WHHS.
Season Over
WH falls to Amity in Class L Qualifying Round
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(May 30, 2015) - The season has come to a close for the West Haven boys lacrosse team. Forced to play a qualifying round contest of the Class L state tournament against Amity, No. 19 West Haven fell to No. 14 Amity, 13-2, in Woodbridge Saturday afternoon.
Devin Hines (l.) and Jake Conlan (r.) celebrate a goal against Amity, May 30, 2015. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
Devin Hines and Jake Conlan scored for the Westies (8-9), but those goals were not nearly enough. The Spartans led 4-1 after one quarter, 8-1 at the half, and never recovered.
Amity's Brad Uscilla and Jake Milner each scored three goals and added two assists, as the Spartans had 36 shots.
Justin Tuschhoff added an assist and Ryan Pickering had 14 saves in the loss for the Westies.
Westies fall to North Haven
Team now looks forward to postseason
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(May 21, 2015) - The West Haven boys lacrosse team knew it was in for a tough contest when it hosted North Haven Thursday evening. It turned out the Westies were correct, falling to the Indians on Senior Night at Ken Strong Stadium, 16-3.
Devin Hines (19) and the Westies fell to North Haven, May 21, 2015. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
North Haven took control of the game early, leading 7-0 after the first period and 15-1 at the half. The Westies had a hard time containing Chris Broadbent as he scored four goals and added four assists.
Colin Uyeki added two goals and four assists, while Jake Kastenhuber, Connor Suraci and Pat McKenna each scored twice for the Indians.
Justin Tuschhoff and Devin Hines continued their solid offensive campaigns for West Haven as Tuschhoff scored twice to increase his season total to 27, and Hines scored his 25th goal of the season. Nico Salvatore picked up an assist for the Westies.
James McCarthy made nine saves and Tylor Edwards made four saves in the loss for the Westies.
Amity too much for Westies
Spartans use strong second half in 17-8 win
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(May 19, 2015) - Riding a four-game winning streak, the West Haven boys lacrosse team was looking to extend its winning ways against Amity Tuesday evening. On Senior Night for the Spartans, Amity used a second half in which it scored 10 goals to post a 17-8 victory over the Westies in Woodbridge. With the loss, West Haven fell to 8-7 on the year.
Justin Tuschhoff, Devin Hines and Jake Conlan continued their strong offense as they combined for 13 points. Tuschhoff led the way with five goals, Hines had three goals and two assists and Conlan added three assist in the loss.
"This game reminded me a lot of the Rocky Hill game," West Haven coach Patrick Reed said. "We had moments where we played very well, but long stretches where we didn't and where we made little mistakes which add up.
"It was another fantastic game for Jake Conlan. He did not score, but he had three assists and just tremendous hustle. He drew at least five penalties going to the net. "He probably would have had three or four goals, but they had to resort to just about tackling him to keep him from scoring."
Edgardo Carmona (4)) and the Westies, seen here against Cross, fell to Amity, May 19, 2015. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
West Haven took a 2-0 lead after one quarter when Conlan set up Hines with 11 minutes, 26 seconds to go and Hunter Cole set up Hines' second of the game with 4:14 left in the opening quarter.
Amity, which got six goals and two assists from Jake Milner, took control of the game in the second quarter, scoring the next seven goals. Milner scored three times, the latter giving Amity a 6-2 lead with 3;21 left in the opening half.
Conlan set up Hines for his third goal of the game with 12 seconds remaining in the half, but West Haven still trailed 7-3.
The Westies got closer in the third quarter as Tuschhoff scored twice in 25 seconds to bring West Haven within 7-5 with 10:36 left in the quarter. Amity scored the final four goals and took an 11-5 lead to the fourth.
After Hines set up Tuschhoff to get West Haven within 11-6 early in the fourth, Amity scored the next six goals.
Ryan Pickering finished with 11 saves for West Haven.
"Ryan Pickering made eleven saves and was the heart of the defense," Reed said. "Our offense had a difficult time holding on to the ball and we played a lot of defense. After a while, our defense started to get tired and it showed in the final tally."
Westies top Green Dragons
Tuschhoff, Hines Conlan lead the way
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(May 16, 2015) - Justin Tuschhoff, Devin Hines and Jake Conlan continued to ignite the offense as the West Haven boys lacrosse team defeated Hamden 10-6 Saturday evening at Ken Strong Stadium.
With the win, West Haven improved to 8-6 on the year and defeated the Green Dragons for the first time since 2004.
"In 2004, the West Haven boys lacrosse team won the SCC Division 2 title with a 10-6 win over Hamden," West Haven coach Patrick Reed said. "Since that time, we have gone a combined 0-15 against Hamden. We were due. I don't think we have seen the best game that our guys can play yet, but they played a heck of a game."
The trio of Conlan, Hines and Tuschhoff combined for seven goals and five assists. Conlan had three goals and two assists, Hines added two goals and two assists and Tuschhoff had two goals and an assist.
West Haven took a 1-0 lead with 10 minutes, 49 seconds left in the first quarter when Tuschhoff set up Hines. After Hamden scored the next three goals, Conlan scored unassisted with 7:28 left in the quarter and Brian Kelly evened the contest at three just 3:26 later.
"Hamden came out very physical and after a few hits, the officials tried to reign things in," Reed said. "Hamden ended up with twelve minutes of penalties to our two minutes. I give our kids tremendous credit for being disciplined and keeping their cool. We have had a couple of times this year where we have drawn a penalty and then retaliated which negated any advantage. Our guys keeping their cool gave us a huge advantage."
Nico Salvatore gave the Westies a 4-3 lead with an unassisted goal with 7:34 left in the half, but Hamden used a goal by Dan Berrera with 43 seconds remaining in the quarter to send the game to the half tied at four.
Conlan set up Tuschhoff early in the third, but once again Hamden evened the game on a goal by Cam Kranich with 8:24 left in the third quarter. When Hines set up Conlan with 2:34 left in the quarter, West Haven held a 6-5 advantage.
"Defensively, we were outstanding again," Reed said.
Hamden evened the game at six, on a goal by James Miller with 9:55 left, but Tuschoff put the Westies right back in front off an assist from Kevin McDaniel with 7:54 to go. Freshman James McCarthy came up big with his first goal of the year off an assist from Hines with 7:08 to go for an 8-6 lead.
"We had eight different kids in the scoring column," Reed said. "The big three-Conlan, Hines and Tuschhoff, were huge, but I couldn't overstate how important the goals from Nico Salvatore, Brian Kelly and James McCarty were."
In a span of 1:01, Conlan put the game away. He scored an unassisted goal with 5:50 remaining, then set up Hines with 4:49 to go for the 10-6 advantage.
Postseason Bound
WH qualifies for state tournament for first time since 1996
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(May 13, 2015) - For the first time in nearly two decades, the West Haven boys lacrosse team will be playing in the postseason. West Haven's 13-4 win over Wilbur Cross at Ken Strong Stadium on Wednesday improved to Westies to 7-6 and allowed the team to qualify for the sttae tournament for the first time since 1996.
West Haven celebrates its postseason-clinching win over Cross, May 13, 2015 by dumping ice water on coach Patrick Reed. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
Devin Hines continued his torrid scoring by tallying five times in the win. Hines has scored 14 goals in the last five games and has 12 goals and two assists in West Haven's last two games.
"Devin Hines continued his scoring streak," West Haven coach Patrick Reed said. "He had five goals, including four in the third quarter. He is doing a great job getting himself open and can catch and shoot in tight spaces.
"This win was huge for us as a program, but as a team, it revealed a lot of things we need to work on. We continue to start slow in games and make costly turnovers. I am very proud of our kids, They are a great bunch who go after every challenge that I give them. With this win, we qualify for the CIAC tournament for the first time since 1996."
Devin Hines scored five goals against Cross, May 13, 2015. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
The West Haven defense played well in the game, holding Cross scoreless in both the first and third quarters. The Westies allowed only 22 shots and Ryan Pickering made six saves and Tylor Edwards finished with three.
"Defensively, our guys did a great job again," Reed said. "We are averaging about eight goals against per game. It was about 13 just four years ago and keeps getting better."
Justin Tuschhoff, Hunter Cole and Jake Conlan each finished with a goal and two assists, while Chad Peckham added to the balanced attack with a pair of goals.
"Since we moved Jake Conlan to attack, we have done a much better job scoring and the offense has started to spread things around," Reed said. "He is so dynamic on offense that it really creates opportunities for his teammates when he has the ball."
West Haven took a 2-0 lead in the first quarter as Conlan set up Cole with 9 minutes, 51 seconds remaining and Peckham scored 3:18 later.
West Haven increased its lead to 5-0 in the second quarter as Hines scored his first goal at the 9:56 mark, Cole set up Tuschhoff 2:55 later and Conlan assisted on Tuschhoff's second of the quarter with 1:41 remaining.
After Cross scored with 50 seconds left in the half, West Haven put the game away with seven goals in the third quarter. Hines scored the first two just 1:05 apart, Tuschhoff set up Conlan with 9:32 remaining and Adam Stradowski scored off an assist from Edgardo Carmona with 5:17 left in the third.
Hines scored twice in 37 seconds and Peckham scored with 3:44 left in the third quarter for a 12-1 lead.
The West Haven boys lacrosse team celebrates after qualifying for the postseason for the first time since 1996, May 13, 2015. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
Kevin McDaniel scored in the final seconds of the game to round out the scoring.
Westies defeat Law
Win helps WH improve to 6-6
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(May 11, 2015) - The West Haven boys lacrosse team improved to 6-6 with a 7-4 victory over Jonathan Law in Milford Monday evening.
West Haven, seen here celebrating a recent goal, defeated Jonathan Law, 7-4, May 11, 2015. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
Devin Hines continued his solid season as he scored three times to increase his total to 14 on the season. Justin Tuschhoff and Jake Conlan each scored twice and added an assist, while Hunter Cole added two assists and Carlos Orozco one helper in the victory.
"Last week, I said we needed to play four quarters and today really showed how true that statement was," West Haven coach Patrick Reed said. "With 1:15 left in the second quarter, we were tied 2-2. In the last 1:15, we scored three goals. They scored two goals in the third and we scored two in the third. The difference in this game came down to 1:15. Jake Conlan was kept quiet the rest of the game, but, in that time, he had two goals and an assist. That minute had two great face-off wins from Tyler Sullivan, and a huge ground ball and fast break from Dom Moscato.
"I challenged the other guys to step up and they really answered. Hunter Cole, who never loses a ground ball, had two great assists."
West Haven took a 5-2 lead at the half and increased the margin to five goals in the third quarter.
Hines started the scoring in the first quarter off an assist from Tuschhoff with 2 minutes, 31 seconds left for the lone goal of the opening quarter. West Haven then went on a 4-2 run in the second quarter to take a three-goal lead.
Cole set up Tuschhoff for a 2-0 advantage with 10:43 left in the half, but Law scored twice in 2:06 to even the contest at two. West Haven then took control with three goals in the final 1:15 of the opening half.
Conlan started the run with an unassisted tally for a 3-2 lead, then set up Hines 27 seconds later. Conlan finished his brilliant sequence with his second unassisted goal with two seconds left in the half for a 5-2 lead.
"Defensively, this was the second game in a row that we held our opponents to four goals," Reed said. "It's been great to get Dom Moscato back, but our four guys that are rotating in at close defense, Kevin McDaniel, Chhinnarin Tuy, Jake Lynch and Steven McMillian are working together better than I could have expected."
West Haven continued the run of five straight goals as Orozco set up Hines with 11:44 left in the third quarter and Cole set up Tuschhoff 5:24 later for a 7-2 lead.
Ryan Pickering stopped eight of 12 shots to propel the Westies to the .500 mark.
Westies thump Lyman Hall
Conlan, Hines, Tuschhoff lead WH to 10-4 win
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(May 8, 2015) - The West Haven boys lacrosse team improved to 5-6 with a 10-4 victory over Lyman Hall Friday evening. Senior Devin Hines had a big game for the Westies, scoring four times and assisting on two others.
Jake Conlan and Justin Tuschhoff also played well as Conlan increased his team lead to 23 goals with two goals and two assists. Tuschhoff scored twice and added three assists.
Devin Hines (l.) and Justin Tuschhoff (r.) celebrate a goal against Lyman Hall, May 8, 2015. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
"This was a very important win for us," West Haven coach Patrick Reed said. "Offensively, we saw a lot more guys getting involved which is important at this point of the season. Devin Hines had a huge game. Last time we played Lyman Hall, he scored the game-winner in overtime. Today, he had four goals and two were by working to get open when other guys had the ball."
The Westies took an early lead in the contest and never looked back, scoring four times in the opening quarter.
Brian Kelly gave West Haven a 1-0 lead with 7 minutes, 11 seconds left in the quarter before the Trojans evened the contest 1:54 later.
West Haven took over, scoring three goals in the final 1:59 of the quarter. Conlan set up Tuschhoff, before Hines Hines and Conlan scored twice in 27 seconds in the quarter's last 47 seconds for a 4-1 advantage.
The Westies increased the lead to 7-2 aft the half. Logan Cole set up Nico Salvatore for a 5-1 lead with 7:12 left in the opening half, before Lyman Hall answered 2:02 later. Tuschhoff then set up Hines for a pair of goals 1:32 apart in the final 3:45 of the half for a five-goal lead.
"Defensively, we got Dom Moscato back from an injury and he did a great job disrupting their offense, while Ryan Pickering made several huge saves to prevent them from creating momentum."
Leading 7-3, the Westies put the game away with three more goals in the fourth quarter. Hines set up Tuschhoff and Conlan for a 9-3 lead, before Dylan Salvatore fed Hines with 5:43 remaining.
Ryan Pickering made 14 saves in the win for West Haven.
Westies fall to Rocky Hill
Big days by Conlan and Tuschhoff not enough in 17-7 loss
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(May 6, 2015) - Jake Conlan and Justin Tuschhoff combined to score all seven of West Haven's goals, but they were not enough as the Westies fell to Rocky Hill, 17-7, Monday evening at Ken Strong Stadium. With the loss, West Haven failed to get to the. 500 mark and fell to 4-6.
Jake Conlan and the Westies fell to Rocky Hill, May 6, 2015. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
"I told the kids we needed to play four strong quarters and we only played two," West Haven coach Patrick Reed said. "I was really disappointed with how slow we started, but I was happy we fought back and, at one point in the third had closed it to 9-6. Unfortunately, they play a great run and gun offense. After the third quarter, we couldn't pick up a ground ball. They were able to make us pay with a couple of quick goals."
Conlan extended his team lead to 21 as he scored four times, while Tuschhoff added three tallies in the loss. Each also added an assist.
"Justin Tuschhoff and Jake Conlan both had tremendous days, but we can't hope to win with only those two on the score sheet.Tyler Sullivan did a great job at the faceoff X and those possessions helped us. The next three games are all must-win games if we hope to qualify for the state tournament."
Logan Cole and the Westies fell to Rocky Hill, May 6, 2015. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
The Westies could not contain the duo of Jared Anderson and Sam Cimini as Anderson finished with eight goals and Cimini scored four times.
Rocky Hill took control of the game by scoring the first six goals of the game. After Patrick Sullivan scored an unassisted goal, Anderson scored twice in 1 minute, 24 seconds, and assisted Cimini's goal 28 seconds later. Anderson and Cimini then scored in the final six minutes of the opening quarter before Conlan scored an unassisted goal with 20 second left in the quarter.
Conlan got the Westies within 6-2 with an unassisted goal, but Anderson needed just 23 seconds to increase the margin to 7-2. Trailing 8-2 Tuschhoff scored twice in a span of 1:02, the first off an assist from Conlan to get the Westies within 8-4.
Tuschhoff opened the scoring in the third to cut the deficit to 8-5, then set up Conlan to make it a two-goal deficit, but Cimini hit Anderson who then connected to extend Rocky Hill's lead to 9-6. Conlan's unassisted goal with 3:49 left in the third had West Haven within 9-7, but Rocky Hill scored the final eight goals, including a pair in the final 3:06 of the third period.
Ryan Pickering finished with 12 saves for West Haven.
"Ryan Pickering did a great job and when we started to make a run, it was behind some great saves from our goalie."
Westies top Governors
Hines, Kelly, Conlan and Tuschhoff lead 11-4 win
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(May 4, 2015) - Jake Conlan, Devin Hines and Brian Kelly each scored twice, and Justin Tuschhoff scored and added two assists as the West Haven boys lacrosse team improved to 4-5 with an 11-4 victory over Wilbur Cross Monday afternoon in New Haven.
Justin Tuschhoff, seen here against Notre Dame, and the Westies defeated Cross, May 4, 2015. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
"We had an opportunity to play a lot of guys that weren't getting a lot of time in close games," West Haven coach Patrick Reed said. "The kids from Cross were great. They hustled on every play and were just good kids. I was a little disappointed that our kids didn't execute as well as I would have liked. We have two big games this week and really need to get all of the kinks out."
The Westies jumped out to a quick lead and never allowed Cross to get back into the contest, holding advantages of 4-0 after one quarter and 6-2 at the half. The Westies led 8-3 after three quarters, before sealing the contest in the fourth quarter.
Eight different players got into the scoring column for the Westies as Logan Cole also scored and added an assist.
West Haven jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first quarter when Hines set up Conlan for a 1-0 lead, Conlan fed Tuschhoff for the second goal , Tuschhoff set up Hines for a 3-0 lead and Santo Barbagiovanni scored an unassisted goal for a 4-0 advantage.
Leading 4-1, West Haven saw Cole set up Hines' second of the game for a 5-1 lead and Tuschhoff picked up an assist on Cole's tally for a 6-2 halftime advantage.
Kelly scored twice in the third quarter, sandwiching a Cross tally for an 8-3 lead. Conlan set up Kelly's first score and Kelly followed with an unassisted goal.
Adam Stradowski and Conlan, off an assist from Chad Peckham, scored in the fourth for the Westies.
Hornets sting Westies
Westies drop third straight in 10-2 loss
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(April 30, 2015) - The West Haven boys lacrosse team is looking to get back on the winning track. Traveling to Branford Thursday evening, the Westies could not do so.
Behind three goals apiece from Noah Lohman and Noah Pantani, Branford easily defeated the Westies, 10-2, at Branford High. The loss dropped the Westies to 3-5 on the season.
Kevin McDaniel and the Westies fell to Branford, April 30, 2015. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
Branford took a 2-1 lead after one quarter and extended the margin to 6-1 at the half. The Hornets put the game with four more goals in the second half.
Hunter Cole and Justin Tuschhoff scored for West Haven with Jake Conlan picking up an assist. Ryan Pickering made six saves in the loss for the Westies.
Mike Potter had two goals and two assists for Branford.
ND thumps Westies
Green Knights post 19-1 win
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(April 27, 2015) - The West Haven boys lacrosse team was hoping to climb over the .500 mark Monday evening. Playing cross-town rival Notre Dame offered plenty of incentive to do so.
Unfortunately for the Westies, Notre Dame did not comply. Scoring early and often, the Green Knights cruised to a 19-1 win over the Westies at Ken Strong Stadium. With the loss, West Haven fell to 3-4 on the year.
Hunter Cole (13), seen here against Shelton, and the Westies fell against Notre Dame, April 27, 2015. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
Jake Conlan scored the lone goal for the Westies, increasing his team lead to 15 and adding to his team-leading 21 points. Ryan Pickering made 9 saves and James McCarthy had one.
West Haven goalie Ryan Pickering, see here against Shelton, and the Westies fell against Notre Dame, April 27, 2015. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
Gaels top Westies
Shelton slows down WH in 11-4 win
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(April 24, 2015) - The West Haven boys lacrosse team got off toa slow start and never recovered in an 11-4 loss to Shelton Friday evening.
The Westies allowed five goals in the second quarter, trailed by four at the half, then watched as Shelton scored six times in the fourth quarter to put the contest away, falling to 3-3 on the year.
Justin Tuschhoff, seen here earlier in the season, had an assist in a loss to Shelton, April 24, 2015. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
Freshman Jake Conlan led West Haven with a pair of goals, while Devin Hines added a goal and an assist. Santo Barbagiovanni also scored for the Westies and Justin Tuschhoff added an assist.
Jake Conlan, seen here earlier in the season, had two goals in a loss to Shelton, April 24, 2015. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
Kyle McGinnis led Shelton with three goals and one assist, while Paul Russell, Bob Buckmir and Shane Higgins each scored twice.
James McCarthy made seven saves and Ryan Pickering made four saves in the loss for the Westies.
Westies run past Thunderbirds
Conlan leads WH to 12-8 win over North Branford
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(April 21, 2015) - Trailing 3-2 at the half, a different West Haven boys lacrosse team showed up in the second half Tuesday evening. Scoring ten goals in the second half, the Westies rallied to defeat the Thunderbirds, 12-8, at Ken Strong Stadium.
Eight different West Haven players picked up points and freshman Jake Conlan led the way with three goals and four assists. Conlan set the tone of the second half, setting up four of West Haven's six goals in the third quarter.
Devin Hines and the Westies defeated North Branford, April 21, 2015. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
The third quarter proved to be a big one as the Westies went on a 6-2 run to turn a one-goal deficit into an 8-5 advantage.
"In the second half, I moved Justin Tuschhoff to midfield from attack where he has played most of the season," West Haven coach Patrick Reed said. "The first time he touched the ball, he went one on one with their best defender from the top of the box and scored. After that, North Branford changed their game plan and tried to lock off Justin and not let him get the ball.
That change really opened up the field for us and let our midfielders attack the net. I really have to give credit to Jake Conlan, who had assist s on four of our six goals in the third. He was dodging and when the defense tried to collapse and stop him, he was able to find the open attack man for the goal."
The Westies scored four more times in the fourth quarter to pull out the victory. The win helped the Westies improve to 3-2 on the season.
Conlan led the Westies with three goals to increase his team lead to 12 on the year. The freshman also added four assists.
Brian Kelly, Walter Smith and Justin Tuschhoff each scored twice, while Dom Moscato, Hunter Cole and Logan Cole each scored once. Tuschhoff, Moscato and Ryan Pickering added assists in the win.
Brian McKee gave North Branford a 1-0 lead with 10 minutes, 34 seconds left in the first quarter, but with a man up, Tuschhoff fed Logan Cole with 50 seconds remaining in the quarter for the equalizer. The tie did not last long as Kevin Odell scored 50 seconds later for the Thunderbirds.
Trailing 3-1, Conlan took a long outlet pass from Pickering and scored with 3:21 left in the first half to cut West Haven's deficit to 3-2.
"It was a very tough, low-scoring first half," Reed said. "We had a lot of opportunities that we couldn't capitalize on. Thankfully, our defense and goalie kept us in it in the first half."
Conlan then took over the third quarter. The freshman set up Tuschhoff with the equalizer with 10:29 left in the third, before Walter Smith and Hunter Cole scored 1:01 apart for a 5-3 West Haven advantage.
Conlan setup Smith for a 6-3 lead with 4:11 to go in the third, then with West Haven on top 6-4, set up Kelly with 1:13 left in the quarter and fed Tuschhoff 41 seconds later.
With an 8-5 lead, Conlan increased the margin to 9-5 with 11:06 left in the game, before Moscato and Kelly scored 2:01 apart for an 11-6 lead. Conlan gave West Haven a 12-8 lead with 4:56 remaining, before North Branford scored two late goals.
"I am glad we scored more goals in the second half than we have in any complete game this year," Reed said. "Hopefully, our guys see they can put the ball in the net a lot and will keep playing aggressively."
Nico Sommo, Odell and Adam Burkle each scored twice in the loss for North Branford.
Ryan Pickering and the Westies defeated North Branford, April 21, 2015. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
Pickering finished the game with 13 saves for the Westies.
Westies fall to Sheehan
Strong second half propels Titans
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(April 16, 2015) - Looking to expand on a solid start to the 2015 season, the West Haven boys lacrosse team knew it was in for a tough contest with Sheehan. The Westies were right.
Propelled by six goals in the second half, Sheehan defeated the Westies 10-5 in Wallingford Thursday evening. The loss dropped the Westies to 2-2 on the season. The Titans led 2-1 after one quarter and 4-2 at the half, before taking over in the second half when the Titans outscored the Westies 6-3.
Jake Lynch (34) and the Westies, seen here against Bristol Central, fell to Sheehan, April 16, 2015. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
Freshman Jake Conlan continued his solid start to the season with three more goals, increasing his team-leading tally to nine on the year.
Carlos Orozco scored his second of the season and Justin Tuschhoff added his fifth in the loss.
Nate Carney and Kyle Lorenzana each scored three times for the Titans, with Carney also adding an assist.
Ryan Pickering made 10 saves in the loss for the Westies, while Matt Naser finished with 18 saves for the Titans.
Back on Track
WH posts 7-2 win over Bristol Central
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(April 13, 2015) - West Haven boys lacrosse coach Patrick Reed raved about freshman Jake Conlan in the preseason. Talking about Conlan's high lacrosse IQ, Reed could not wait to see Conlan in the regular season.
Through three games, it would be safe to say the West Haven coach has to be pleased with his team and his freshman sniper.
Conlan and the Westies continued their winning ways as Conlan scored four times and added an assist Monday evening in West Haven's 9-2 win over Bristol Central at Ken Strong Stadium.
The win allowed the team to improve to 2-1 on the young season, while Conlan improved his offense with his sixth goal of the season to go along with two assists for eight points in three games.
Jake Conlan and the West Haven boys lacrosse team improved to 2-1 with a 9-2 victory over Bristol Central, April 13, 2015. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
"This was a huge breakout game for Jake Conlan as he scored four goals and added one assist," Reed said. "His motor never quits. Every goal he gets is through hard work.
"This was a good win for us, but there were a lot of areas that I feel we need to improve on. I was very happy again with Tyler Sullivan. He had his best challenge so far at the X and after some initial struggles, he was consistently winning face-offs."
Senior Devin Hines also continued his solid start, scoring two more goals to increase his point total to six on the season, with four goals and two assists.
Conlan got things going for West Haven in the first quarter when he set up senior Carlos Orozco with 9 minutes, 53 seconds to go in the quarter for a 1-0 lead. After Bristol Central evened the contest 1:32 later, the Westies took the lead for good with two more goals in the quarter.
Senior Justin Tuschhoff set up Conlan for a 2-1 advantage with 6:47 remaining and junior Hunter Cole picked up an assist on Conlan's second tally for a 3-1 West Haven lead with 2:32 left in the opening quarter.
"Our defense did a great job of clamping down after giving up an initial fast break goal," Reed said. "After that goal, they (Bristol Central) didn't score again until we subbed for our defense and starting goalie. I am so pleased with how (Kevin) McDaniel, (Chhinnarin) Tuy, (Jake) Lynch, (Dominic) Moscato and (Ryan) Pickering have come together."
Tuschhoff picked up his fourth goal of the season with 11:14 remaining in the first half off an assist from Ron Pritchard for a 4-1 lead, before Hines scored his first of the game off an assist from Orozco for a 5-1 lead 56 seconds later.
With the Westies holding a four-goal advantage, Conlan iced the contest with two goals in the third quarter. The freshman's first goal was unassisted with 4:20 remaining and his second of the quarter and fourth of the game came 25 seconds later off an assist from freshman Logan Cole.
The Westies extended the margin to 9-1 in the fourth quarter as Edgardo Carmona scored an unassisted goal with 3:45 remaining. Bristol Central added a goal 18 seconds later, but it was not nearly enough in West Haven's thorough victory.
West Haven's Ryan Pickering finished with nine saves, while freshman James McCarthy also made a pair of saves. West Haven held a 29-19 shot advantage in the contest.
Lions slip past Westies
WH falls to 1-1 with 5-4 loss
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(April 10, 2015) - The West Haven boys lacrosse team was looking to get to a place where it has not been recently. That place is a perfect record after two games.
While the Westies came close, they could not remain perfect, falling to Foran Friday evening at Ken Strong Stadium, 5-4. With the loss, the Westies dropped to 1-1 on the season.
Justin Tuschhoff (15) and Hunter Cole (13) celebrate a West Haven goal in a 5-4 loss to Foran, April 10, 2015. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
"If you told me my defense would only give up nine goals in two games, I wouldn't have thought we would be 1-1," West Haven coach Patrick Reed said. "This was a very close defensive game. The Foran goalie (Josh Teller) came up with some huge saves."
The Lions scored the first three goals of the game and led 3-1 at the half. Sal Rosa put Foran up 1-0 with 7 minutes, 10 seconds remaining in the first quarter, before Jake Lambert scored unassisted with 10:59 to go in the second quarter and assisted on Joe Cliff's goal 6:57 later for a 3-0 lead.
West Haven got on the board before the half as Devin Hines set up Justin Tuschhoff with 26 seconds remaining.
An unassisted goal by Jake Conlan with 6:26 to go in the third got the Westies within 3-2, but Foran scored twice in the final 3:09 of the quarter for a 5-2 lead.
Goals by Lambert and Ryan Manning had West Haven in a three-goal deficit, but the Westies rallied in the fourth quarter.
Tuschhoff scored unassisted with 11:39 to go, then assisted on Walter Smith's goal with 657 remaining. West Haven could not get another goal past Foran goalie Josh Teller as the Westies fell to 1-1.
Westies nip Trojans in OT
West Haven posts 5-4 victory in season opener
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(April 8, 2015) - The West Haven boys lacrosse team felt it could make some noise this season, One game into the campaign, the Westies have gotten off on the right foot.
The Westies started the season in dramatic fashion, using overtime to post a 5-4 victory over Lyman Hall in Wallingford Wednesday afternoon in the season opener for both teams.
Senior Devin Hines scored twice, including the winner in overtime, and added an assist, while Justin Tuschhoff and Jake Conlan each had a goal and an assist.
"We ended our (last) season with a 4-3 overtime win over Lyman Hall and start with a 5-4 overtime win," West Haven coach Patrick Reed said. "It was an amazing game. Tyler Sullivan was amazing at the face-off X. They really had no answers for him. He was 11 of 13, and one of the face-offs he lost was due to a violation.
"Lyman Hall plays a very good zone defense. I was happy that our guys ran our zone offense well and were getting good looks, but our shooting had a lot to be desired today. It is definitely something we are going to work on a lot in practice tomorrow. They were hurt by penalties. Four of our goals, including the overtime winner, were on man up."
After a scoreless first quarter, Conlan set up Tuschhoff for the first goal of the season with 7 minutes, 59 seconds remaining in the second fora 1-0 lead. Lyman Hall knotted the game when Sean McGee set up Connor Sullivan with 27 seconds to go in the half.
West Haven took a 3-1 lead in the third quarter , scoring twice in less than two minutes. Hunter Cole scored off an assist from Hines with 10:05 left in the quarter and Logan Cole set up Conlan 1:23 later for the 3-1 advantage.
That lead disappeared when Zach Taylor scored twice in 36 seconds for Lyman Hall, the latter with 3:18 to go in the third quarter.
After Mitch Riordan gave Lyman Hall a 4-3 lead with 6:44 remaining, Hines scored off an assist from Kevin McDaniel to force overtime.
"We ended the third quarter tied at three and I told the guys Lyman Hall was playing like it wanted it more. I asked who was going to step up. Devin Hines said 'I am not losing this game.' After Lyman Hall went up, Devin took a pass from Kevin McDaniel, a defenseman, and the captain buried it."
After a huge kick save by West Haven goalie Ryan Pickering in overtime, Jake Lynch stripped the ball and West Haven used a time out. Shortly after, Hines rolled off a pick near the net, Tuschhoff got him the ball and Hines shot off the side hip for the winner.
Hunter Cole led the team with eight ground balls.
"Hunter Cole did a great job fighting for every possession," Reed said.
Pickering made 11 saves in the win for West Haven.
Renewed Optimism
Reed looking for solid season
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(April 5, 2015) - With the snow finally melting and the turf field cleared, optimism is in the air for the West Haven boys lacrosse team. Despite having only five wins in 2014, the Westies come into the 2015 season with plenty of confidence.
The Westies have returning players at key spots, including in goal, attack and on defense.
Leading this group from his attack position is senior Justin Tuschhoff. Junior goalie Ryan Pickering is a key player, as are senior face-off specialist Tyler Sullivan and senior defensemen Kevin McDaniel and Dom Moscato.
Justin Tuschhoff will be a key player in 2015 for the West Haven lacrosse team. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
According to Reed, Tuschhoff is one of the key players on this year's squad.
"Justin Tuschhoff is our best player and the best player we have had in quite some time at West Haven." Reed said. "There is not much he can't do on the lacrosse field. He can beat players individually and he has tremendous vision to find the open player.
"Other than that, I am really excited about the development of two of our specialist players. Tyler Sullivan has played every position for us at one point or another, but he has come into his own as a face-off specialist. In a game where possession is key, he has won about 75% of the face-offs this preseason. If he can come close to that production this season, we will be in good shape. The other player is Ryan Pickering, our junior goalie. Ryan is capable of single-handedly controlling the outcome of games. We will go as far as Ryan takes us."
Reed will also have some youth to work with as freshmen Jake Conlan and Logan Cole have made an immediate impact. Both play midfield and both are expected to to contribute right away.
"Jake walked on the field and was a first-line midfielder from day one," Reed said of Conlan. "He has great speed and lacrosse IQ. Despite being a freshman, he consistently pushes his teammates to be better. Logan has been somewhat of a surprise. We expected him to play attack, but he has done a great job playing midfield and will probably run with our second midfield unit."
Reed is looking for a postseason berth in 2015 and is well aware of what needs to take place for this to happen.
"In terms of players, we need to develop our midfielders," Reed said. "They are a pretty green bunch and if we can get them up to speed, we can have a great year. We need to stay healthy. We are not a very deep team. Any injury will hurt a lot.
"This has been the most committed and unselfish team I have ever coached. I have been really impressed with their skill level and how well they move the ball."
Like every team, the Westies were hit with graduation losses. Replacing attackers Geordann Daguplo and John Christensen, and defensemen Matt Maio and Ray Mayberry will not be an easy task.
"We need to execute our six on six offense more consistently," Reed said. "Guys are going out on their own a little more than I would like. As we get new guys to understand our system, I am sure we will be fine."
The Westies will need to get off to a quick start as the schedule is tough from start to finish. The Westies open the season Wednesday at Lyman Hall at 3:45 p.m., before returning home to play Foran Friday at 7 p.m.
"The SCC is a very tough league," Reed said. "Even in the lower half of the division, there are very good teams. In the last few years, we added some new teams that have started great rivalries. Our games against Lyman Hall last year were amazing. Foran is quickly becoming one of the better teams in our division."
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