Opening Thriller
Westie Sharks open with overtime victory
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(December 8, 2021) - The West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy girls hockey team opened the season in dramatic fashion Wednesday evening. Behind freshman Julianna Picard’s overtime tally, the Westie Sharks topped Hand/Coginchaug/Valley/Old Lyme 3-2 at the Northford Ice Pavilion.
Picard’s tally with 7 minutes, 6 seconds remaining in the extra session came off an assist from Maya Boyhen and capped a comeback which saw Caitlin Welch score the equalizer with 4:32 remaining in regulation off assists from Anne Plunkett and Rachel Harrison.
After a scoreless first period, the Westie Sharks took a 1-0 lead with 7:42 remaining in the middle period when Julianna Montano scored off an assist from Ashley Welch.
Hand/Coginchaug/Valley/Old Lyme scored twice in a span of 1:12 early in the third, before the Westie Sharks rallied.
West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy’s rally combined with the goaltending of senior Grace Nowak, who made 17 saves, helped the Westie Sharks open the season with a win.
Guilford nips WH/SHA
Westie Sharks fall 3-2 against Grizzlies
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(December 14, 2021) - The West Haven / Sacred Heart Academy girls hockey team fell to 1-1 with a 3-2 loss against Guilford in the team’s home opener Tuesday evening at the Edward L. Bennett Rink in West Haven.
Senior Grace Nowak was stellar in goal with 33 saves, but it was not enough as the Grizzlies scored twice early in the third period to rally for the victory. Nowak played well, making 12 saves in the opening period, 10 in the second, and 11 in the third.
Trailing 1-0 in the first period, the Westie Sharks evened the contest when Maya Boyhen scored off assists from Anne Plunkett and Julianna Picard with 1 minute, 43 seconds remaining in the opening period.
West Haven / Sacred Heart Academy took a 2-1 lead in the second period when Picard picked up a rebound of a Boyhen shot and slid the puck into an empty net for a 2-1 lead 4:30 into the middle period.
That was it for the Westie Sharks as Guilford scored twice in the first 2:29 of the third period to take a 3-2 lead it never relinquished.
The Westie Sharks had 26 shots on goal, but Guilford goaltender Julia McDonald was at her best, making 10 saves in the second period alone.
Back on Track
Westie Sharks top Masuk
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(December 18, 2021) - The West Haven / Sacred Heart Academy girls hockey team rebounded from its first loss of the season with a 4-1 victory over Masuk/Barlow/Newtown Saturday evening in Shelton.
Grace Nowak was stellar in goal with 17 saves as the Westie Sharks improved to 2-1 on the season. Maya Boyhen led the offense with three goals and an assist, while Meghan Dupre had a goal and an assist in the win.
The Westie Sharks took a 1-0 lead 4:20 into the contest when Boyhen scored an unassisted goal. The lead increased to 2-0 in the second when Meghan Dupre scored off an assist from Anne Plunkett at the 2:55 mark.
When Boyhen scored her second of the game 51 seconds into the third period, the Westie Sharks led 3-0.
Leading 3-1, Boyhen clinched the contest with 6:23 to go when she recorded the hat trick off assists from Dupre and Taylor Alfano.
Blanked
Westie Sharks fall to Stamford/Westhill/Staples
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(December 27, 2021) - The West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy girls hockey team fell to 2-2 with a 3-0 loss against Stamford/Westhill/Staples Monday afternoon at the Edward L. Bennett Rink.
While the Westie Sharks struggled offensively, Hannah Davey was harp in net, turning aside 29 shots.
SWS took a 1-0 lead in the first period, before Davey kept the deficit at one goal with nine saves in the period. Davey turned aside 10 shots in each of the final two periods, but SWS scored twice in the second for a 3-0 advantage.
With the Westie Sharks missing seven players from the lineup, the deficit was too large to overcome in the second loss of the season.
Davey blanks Hand
Westie Sharks post 2-0 victory
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(December 29, 2021) - The West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy girls hockey team improved to 3-2 with a 2-0 victory over Hand/Coginchaug/Valley/Old Lyme Wednesday evening at the Edward L. Bennett Rink.
Hannah Davey posted the shutout with 13 saves, Ashley Welch had two assists and the Westie Sharks used a solid defense to pick up their third win of the year.
After a scoreless first period, the Westie Sharks scored the only goal they would need when Mae Iversen picked up a rebound of a Welch shot and slid the puck into an open net with 8:01 remaining in the middle period.
The goal opened the contest up and Julianna Picard looked as if she would increase the lead, but the freshman was denied on a breakaway just over a minute later.
Davey made Iversen’s goal stand up with two big saves in front in the final six minutes of the middle period.
Welch was turned aside in front just over a minute into the third, and Caitlin Welch was denied in front five minutes in.
With Davey turning aside six saves in the third period, West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy got an insurance goal when Ashley Welch fed Meghan Dupre, who backhanded a rebound into an empty net for a 2-0 lead with 6:05 to go in the game.
All that was left was Davey’s shutout which she preserved when she denied a Hand breakaway with 4:36 remaining.
Overtime Thriller
Westie Sharks top Hamden 3-2
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(January 4, 2022) - The West Haven / Sacred Heart Academy girls hockey team won its second straight contest and third in four games with a dramatic 3-2 overtime victory over Hamden Tuesday evening at the Edward L. Bennett Rink in West Haven.
Sophomore Geena Montano scored the winner off assists from Juliana Gonzalez and Caitlin Welch to move the Westie Sharks to 4-2 on the year.
Trailing 2-1 in the third period, the Westie Sharks got the equalizer on a goal by Meghan Dupre at the 4:09 mark.
West Haven / Sacred Heart Academy took a 1-0 lead when freshman Rachel Harrison scored an unassisted goal at the 1:10 mark of the opening period.
Grace Nowak finished with 24 saves in the win.
WH/SHA falls to Simsbury
Westie Sharks drop 4-2 decision
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(January 8, 2022) - The West Haven / Sacred Heart Academy girls hockey team saw its two-game winning streak come to a halt with a 4-2 loss at Simsbury Saturday afternoon. With the loss, the Westie Sharks fell to 4-3 on the year.
After a scoreless first period, West Haven / Sacred Heart Academy took a 2-0 lead in the second period.
Ashley Welch gave the Westie Sharks a 1-0 advantage off an assist from Melissa Tsakonas 1:20 into the middle period, and Caitlin Welch scored an unassisted goal 3:19 later for a 2-0 lead.
Simsbury evened the contest with two goals in a span of 4:57 in the final 9:10 of the second period, before taking the lead for good with 1:23 left in the third.
WH/SHA tops Amity/NH/Cheshire
Westie Sharks roll to 7-2 victory
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(January 10, 2022) - The West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy girls hockey team got back on the winning track with a 7-2 victory over Amity/North Haven/Cheshire Monday evening at the Edward L. Bennett Rink in West Haven.
Maya Boyhen led the offense with three goals and three assists, Taylor Alfano had three assists, and Melissa Tsakonas and Julianna Picard each had a goal and an assist as nine players were in the scoring column.
The Westie Sharks scored the first five goals of the game and led 3-0 after one period and 4-0 after two. The two teams combined for five goals in the third period of West Haven’s fifth victory of the season.
The Westie Sharks wasted no time setting the tone of the game as Tsakonas scored just 1:36 into the contest off assists from Rachel Harrison and Geena Montano. Maya Boyhen increased the margin to 2-0 with the first of her three goals off assists from Juliana Gonzalez and Julianna Picard, before Picard closed the first period scoring off assists from Boyhen and Alfano with 1:28 remaining in the period.
Anne Plunkett scored the only goal of the middle period off assists from Boyhen and Alfano for a 4-0 advantage, before Ashley Welch increased the margin to five 2:48 into the third off assists from Tsakonas and Boyhen.
Leading 5-2, West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy put the game away when Boyhen scored twice in a span of 2:50, the first coming off an assist from Alfano and the second with 2:08 remaining in the contest.
Grace Nowak made 11 saves in the first two periods, before being replaced by Hannah Davey, who finished with 12 saves.
Two in a Row
Westie Sharks nip Masuk 2-1
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(January 11, 2022) - The West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy girls hockey team won its second straight contest and improved to 6-3 with a 2-1 victory over Masuk Tuesday evening at the Edward L. Bennett Rink in West Haven.
The Westie Sharks rode the strong play in goal by Grace Nowak to the victory. Nowak finished with 19 saves, including eight in the final period.
West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy took a 1-0 lead in the first period when Ashley Welch scored off an assist from Geena Montano. Freshman Julianna Picard increased the lead to 2-0 in the second period off assists from Maya Boyhen and Taylor Alfano, before the defense and Nowak did the rest.
Masuk was held to just 11 combined shots in the first two periods.
Blanked
Westie Sharks fall to East Catholic 1-0
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(January 14, 2022) - The West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy girls hockey team was looking to stretch its winning streak to three games. Traveling to Newington, the Westie Sharks ran into a tough East Catholic team.
Behind Mary McKiernan’s first period goal, East Catholic topped the Westie Sharks 1-0 Friday evening. With the loss, West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy fell to 6-4 on the year.
Grace Nowak kept the Westie Sharks in the game with 37 saves as West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy was outshot 38-15. Nowak made 14 saves in the opening period when the Westie Sharks were outshot 15-7 and was most impressive in the third period when East Catholic held a 17-3 shot advantage.
Blanked Again
Westie Sharks fall to Darien 6-0
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(January 18, 2022) - Heading into Tuesday evening’s contest against West Haven / Sacred Heart Academy, the Darien girls hockey team was outscoring its opponents by a five to one margin, winning five of its first six state games.
When all was said and done Tuesday, the ratio and the end result continued.
Behind four goals from junior Chelsea Donovan, Darien cruised to a 6-0 victory over the Westie Sharks at the Edward L. Bennett Rink in West Haven.
“Overall, I am happy with the effort,” Darien coach Jamie Tropsa said after his team improved to 6-1 in state and 7-1 overall. “That is a good team over there. They compete and they made us work for everything.”
After a scoreless first period in which each team had eight shots and the Westie Sharks had a pair of golden opportunities they did not convert, Darien got on the scoreboard early in the second and never looked back.
With West Haven/ Sacred Heart Academy goaltender Grace Nowak keeping her team in the game with 10 second period saves, several in impressive fashion, the Blue Wave finally solved Nowak when Carolyn Clark’s shot from the point found the back of the net just 2 minutes, 50 seconds into the middle period.
“I thought the first period was a little sloppy by both teams,” Tropsa said. “I was disappointed with our play. I thought we calmed down and played better in the second period.”
Darien continued the pressure in the middle period, holding a 12-2 shot advantage. Donovan then gave her team a 2-0 lead when she scored on a rocket in front with 4:16 remaining for a 2-0 lead.
The two goals would be more than enough for Darien goaltender Claire Haupt, who finished with 18 saves in the shutout.
West Haven / Sacred Heart Academy’s best chances to score came in the opening period when Julianna Picard set up Anne Plunkett in front, only to be denied by Haupt 1:09 in. The Westie Sharks then had a two-on-one in which Taylor Alfano fed Picard, but Haupt turned aside the freshman with a pad save.
“We struggle to put the puck in the net,” West Haven / Sacred Heart Academy coach Erin Blake said after her team fell to 6-5 with its second straight shutout loss. “Grace (Nowak) was amazing in goal. She held us in the game as long as she could. We have to be able to finish and put the puck in the net.”
With the Westie Sharks struggling to score, Darien pressed early in the final period and was rewarded when Donovan circled in front of the net and roofed a shot past Nowak 1:04 into the third for a 3-0 lead.
“I thought we started to have better puck movement,” Donovan said. “We came out slow after the long bus ride, but once we started moving the puck better in the second period, we were able to connect.”
Donovan had a hand in Darien’s fourth goal as well as she picked up an assist along with Kate Brown on Natalie Beach’s goal for a 4-0 lead 3:09 in.
With the game in hand, the only remaining questions were whether Haupt would get the shutout and if Donovan would get her hat trick.
Donovan answered her part, scoring 11 seconds after Beach for a 5-0 lead, and adding a fourth tally with five minutes remaining. Haupt made eight third period saves to complete the shutout and send the Blue Wave to another victory.
“We were really connecting with each other, each line and the defense,” Donovan said. “We moved the puck well and took advantage of the opportunities we had.
“We have the potential to be very good. We are working really hard and it is starting to pay off in games. We have a couple of big games coming up. We need to keep working hard.”Clark finished with one goal and two assists, Kate Brown had two assists, and Beach finished with a goal and an assist for Darien.
Four Down
Westie Sharks fall to Conard/Hall 6-1
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(January 25, 2022) - The West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy girls hockey team lost its fourth straight contest with a 6-1 defeat at the hands of Conard/Hall Tuesday evening at the Edward L. Bennett Rink in West Haven.
The lone goal snapped a streak of three consecutive games without a goal as the Westie Sharks have been outscored 17-1 in the four-game skid.
Grace Nowak made 20 saves in the loss which dropped the Westie Sharks to 6-7 on the year.
The lone goal for West Haven / Sacred Heart Academy came in the second period.
Trailing 3-0, Melissa Tsakonas scored off an assist from Mae Iversen to get the Westie Sharks within two goals with 2:42 left in the period.
Conard/Hall made sure West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy never got closer by scoring with 29 seconds remaining in the middle period and adding two more in the third.
Streak Over
Westie Sharks top Amity/NH/Cheshire
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(February 1, 2022) - The West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy girls hockey team snapped a four-game losing streak and climbed back to the .500 mark with a 4-2 victory over Amity/North Haven/Cheshire Monday afternoon in Hamden.
Nine different players were in the scoring column and Grace Nowak made 12 saves to help the Westie Sharks improve to 7-7 on the year. Chase Ireland led the way with a goal and an assist, while Maya Boyhen added two assists.
After a scoreless first period, West Haven / Sacred Heart Academy took the lead for good with four goals in the second period.
Freshman Julianna Picard gave the Westie Sharks a 1-0 lead off assists from Boyhen and Ireland, before Geena Montano increased the lead to a pair of goals off assists from Ashley Welch and Meghan Dupre with 7:34 left in the second.
Just 3:01 later, the lead was 3-0 as Ireland scored off an assist from Taylor Alfano. Emilee DeGrand capped the scoring for the Westie Sharks with 58 seconds remaining in the middle period off assists from Anne Plunkett and Boyhen.
Amity/ North Haven/Cheshire spoiled the shutout for Nowak with two goals in the final period.
Shut Down
Westie Sharks fall to Hamden 3-1
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(February 5, 2022) - The West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy girls hockey team lost for the fifth time in six games Saturday afternoon with a 3-1 loss at Hamden.
The Westie Sharks trailed by two goals after one period of play and never got back on track. Meghan Dupre scored an unassisted goal 3:02 into the second period, but Hamden scored 3:21 later to gain back its two-goal lead.
West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy managed just five shots in the third period of the loss.
WH/SHA tops Ridgefield
Dupre, Davey, Boyhen lead way in 5-2 victory
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(February 8, 2022) - Looking to get back to the .500 mark, the West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy girls hockey team put forth an impressive effort. Scoring twice in each of the first two periods, the Westie Sharks defeated Ridgefield 5-2 at the Edward L. Bennett Rink Tuesday evening.
Meghan Dupre led the way with a goal and three assists, Maya Boyhen had two goals and an assist, and Hannah Davey stopped 24 shots as the Westie Sharks improved to 8-8 on the season.
West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy took a 1-0 lead with 2:52 to go in the opening period as Dupre scored off an assist from Julianna Montano. The lead increased to 2-0 just 30 seconds into the second period when Geena Montano scored off an assist from Dupre.
Ridgefield cut the deficit in half at the 3:06 mark, but Rachel Harrison scored just 33 seconds later for a 3-1 advantage. Maya Boyhen and Dupre picked up assists on the goal.
Boyhen then extended the margin to 4-1 at the 6:55 mark off assists from Dupre and Julianna Picard. Boyhen’s unassisted goal in the third gave the Westie Sharks a 5-1 lead which was too much for Ridgefield to overcome.
Davey played well throughout the game, making 11 saves in the second period and eight more in the third.
WH/SHA falls to Avon
Westie Sharks suffer 6-2 Senior Night loss
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(February 12, 2022) - The West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy girls hockey team fell to 8-9 with a 6-2 loss against Avon on Senior Night at the Edward L. Bennett Rink Saturday evening.
Meghan Dupre and Maya Boyhen each had a goal and an assist, and Grace Nowak made 32 saves, but it was not enough in the loss.
Dupre gave the Westie Sharks a 1-0 first period lead off an assist from Boyhen, but Avon scored the next five goals, including two in the first period for a 5-1 advantage.
Boyhen finally got Westie Sharks back on the board off an assist from Julianna Picard with 3:17 left, but Avon added another goal late in the third for the 6-2 final.
Westie Sharks fall to Greenwich
Loss drops WH/SHA to 8-10
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(February 15, 2022) - The West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy girls hockey team fell to Greenwich 4-2 Tuesday evening. The road loss dropped the Westies to 8-10 on the year.
Despite 37 saves from Grace Nowak, including 17 in the first period and 14 more in the third, the Westie Sharks could not mount enough offense in the loss. Ashley Welch had a goal and an assist and Anne Plunkett added a pair of assists in the loss.
After a scoreless first period, WH/SHA took a 1-0 lead 3:49 into the second period when Taylor Alfano scored off assists from Welch and Plunkett. Greenwich took a 2-1 lead with a pair of goals in less than a minute with 3:58 to go in the second.
The Westie Sharks needed just 1:16 of the third period to get the equalizer when Welch scored off an assist from Plunkett, but Greenwich scored the go-ahead goal with 8:16 remaining and added an insurance goal 5:03 later.
On to the Finals
WH/SHA tops Hamden in SCC semifinals
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(February 23, 2022) - After taking home the league title last season, the West Haven / Sacred Heart Academy girls hockey team was not going to be denied a return trip to the finals, especially since the state tournament was not an option as the team did not qualify.
Playing with an extra sense of urgency, second-seeded West Haven / Sacred Heart Academy controlled play from the start and never let up in a 2-0 victory over third-seeded Hamden in the Southern Connecticut Conference semifinals at the Edward L. Bennett Rink in West Haven.
With the victory, West Haven / Sacred Heart Academy (9-12) advances to play the winner of Amity/North Haven/Cheshire and Guilford Friday evening at 7 p.m. at the Edward L. Bennett Rink.
“From start to finish, the girls showed they really wanted this game,” West Haven / Sacred Heart Academy coach Erin Blake said. “It was a full team effort. Every player gave 110 percent. Grace (Nowak) was phenomenal in net. Hamden was a typical Hamden team. Jess (Morgillo) runs a tight ship. They gave us everything they had.”
he Westie Sharks controlled play from the start, outshooting Hamden 20-10 in the first two periods and taking a 2-0 lead.
West Haven / Sacred Heart Academy needed just 1 minute, 54 seconds to take the lead when senior Maya Boyhen picked up a loose puck in front and beat Hamden goaltender Marcia Colten.
The Westie Sharks increased the lead to a pair of goals 3:20 later when Emilee DeGrand scored from in front off assists from Ashley Welch and Meghan Dupre.
“I thought they gave us lots of confidence,” Boyhen said of the two early goals. “We pressured early and were able to put the puck in the net. We came out with the intensity needed to win the game. We had the right mindset.”
The two-goal lead was more than enough as the defense of Julianna Montano, Dupre, Rachel Harrison and Taylor Alfano sealed any attempt Hamden would have.
The defense allowed just five shots in each of the first two periods, with goaltender Grace Nowak forced to make just a pair of high quality saves on shots by Isabella Jackowicz in the slot and Julia Crisci from the left face off circle one minute apart with 9:55 left in the middle period.
“We did a great job defensively,” Blake said. “Between Meghan Dupre and Taylor Alfano, they blew away our record in blocked shots this year. They block everything and that helps slow the game down.”
The Westie Sharks poured on the offense with ten shots in each of the first two periods. Colten made 18 saves in the first 30 minutes and was aided by the help of the crossbar off a shot by Caitlin Welch with 30 seconds remaining in the middle period.
“We got down early and had to play catch up,” Hamden coach Jessica Morgillo said after her team finished 7-15 on the year. “They made all the plays and came at us hard. They wanted it. They beat us to the puck and won the battles.”
Colten came up big for Hamden throughout the middle period when she denied shots from Julianna Picard from in front with 8:51 remaining, Boyhen in the slot with 5:02 to go, and Alfano’s point shot and rebound by DeGrand with 3:04 remaining.
Hamden put the pressure on in the third period in a desperate attempt to save its season, but Nowak turned aside four shots in the first six minutes. Nowak came up big when she robbed Trinity Sweeney from the right slot with 5:20 left in the game.
“Our defense again was awesome,” Nowak said. “They block shots every single game. They are amazing. We knew this could be our last game. We wanted to give our all and we were able to come away with the win.”
Nowak finished with 16 saves in the shutout, while Colten made 22 saves in the loss for Hamden.
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GIRLS HOCKEY 2021-2022
All-State Players - Gabi Prisco '15; Gabi Prisco '16; Gabi Prisco '17; Veronica Lynn '17; Veronica Lynn '18; Taylor Nowak '18; Veronica Lynn '19; Taylor Nowak '19; Mackenzie Gardner '21; Grace Nowak '21
West Haven / Sacred Heart Academy's Maya Boyhen (8) and Julianna Picard (16) celebrates a goal against Guilford, December 14, 2021. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
Hannah Davey with a save against Stamford/Westhill December 27, 2021. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
Juliana Gonzalez against Stamford/Westhill December 27, 2021. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
Meghan Dupre (19) against Hand/Coginchaug/Valley/Old Lyme, December 29, 2021. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
WH/SHA celebrates a goal against Hand/Coginchaug/Valley/Old Lyme, December 29, 2021. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
Anne Plunkett (43) against Hamden, January 2, 2022. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
Julianna Montano (44) against Hamden, January 2, 2022. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
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