THE HOME OF WEST HAVEN SPORTS
WestieBlue
BOYS HOCKEY 2022-2023
State Champions - 1949, 1961, 1964, 1976, 1984, 1988, 1990, 1994
All-State Players - Ray Luedee '75; Mark Carlo '76, '77; Marty Crouse '77, '78; Don MacMillan '77; Eddie Merola '79; Bob Serenson '84; Jay Andrew '84; Mark Anquillare '84; Mike Gilbert '87; Mike Woznyk '87; Paul Mulligan '88; Darrell Galasso '90; Rob Kryznel '93; Keith Dupee '94; Shaun Jackson '00; Aaron Beauvais '00; Tom Withington '00; Mark Heffernan '00, '01, '02; Brandon Fanelli '02; Jim Lafo '02; Chris Quagliani '02; Ron Baia '03; Nick Quagliani '03; Chris Shore '04; Joe Pereira '05; Ken Comfort '06; Joe Innamorato '07; John Ascenzia '10; Tim Baylis '10; J.P. Withington '11; Kyle Leyerzapf '12; Mike Troiano '12; Austin Hansen '13; Mike Savino '14; Alex Scranton '14; Mike Savino '15; Tyler Paine '16; Pete Richetelli '17; Brendan Serenson '17; Alex Lynch '17; Niko Kyle '18; Rob Forleo '20
Javed Ullah makes a save against New Canaan, December 12, 2022. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
Thomas Porto (94) against New Canaan, December 12, 2022. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
Blanked
Westies fall to New Canaan in season opener
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(December 12, 2022) - The West Haven co-op hockey team was looking forward to the start of the 2022-2023 season. After ending the preseason playing well, the Westies were optimistic entering the season opener against New Canaan.
A lack of offense tempered that enthusiasm.
Scoring three times in the second period, New Canaan, the state’s fourth-ranked team, cruised to a 7-0 victory over the Westies at the Edward L. Bennett Rink Monday evening.
West Haven never got on track offensively, being outshot 44-10 in the contest. The Rams pressured West Haven goalies Javed Ullah and Kiryl Astrovukh from the start, with each coming up with some solid saves throughout.
Ullah was sharp from the start, turning aside all 10 shots he faced in the first period and 12 more in the second.
Marcus Burrows had West Haven’s best scoring chance in the first period when his shot from the right faceoff circle was turned aside by New Canaan goaltender Mason Pickering.
After a scoreless first period, the Rams took control of the contest in the second period, scoring twice in the first 3:11.
Trailing 2-0, Lucas Narvaez was denied with a Pickering pad save with 3:20 left in the second. Doster Crowell, who finished with a hat trick, scored his second of the game with 2:07 left in the second for a 3-0 New Canaan lead.
The Rams added a short-handed and power play goal in the third for a 5-0 lead which the Westies could not come back from.Astravukh played well in goal for the Westies, turning aside eight shots in the final stages of the third period.
Guilford tops Westies
WH falls 8-3
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(December 17, 2022) - The West Haven co-op team was looking to rebound from its season-opening loss against New Canaan. Although they took an early lead, the Westies fell to Guilford 8-3 Saturday afternoon at the Edward L. Bennett Rink in West Haven.
Thomas Porto led the offense with two goals and an assist, while Yousaf Ullah added a goal and an assist. Kiryl Astravukh and Javed Ullah combined to make 33 saves, with Ullah stopping 22.
The Westies got off to a good start as Porto scored 2:57 in off assists from Jayden Spreyer and Yousaf Ullah. The Grizzlies evened the game 2:15 later, but after a one-timer by Spreyer was denied, Porto scored on the power play off an assist from Brady Price with 4:59 to go in the first.
The Grizzlies then scored the next five goals to take a 6-2 lead. In between, the Westies had opportunities but shots by Spreyer, Price, and Mike Madera were turned aside, and Marcus Burrows hit the post.
West Haven again got within three goals as Yousaf Ullah scored with 11:27 left in the game off assists from Burrows and Porto. The Westies had another opportunity to get closer, but Spreyer’s shot rang off the post less than two minutes later.
Westies blanked by Fairfield
WH drops 8-0 decision
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(December 19, 2022) - Looking to snap a two-game skid to start the season, the West Haven co-op hockey team played a solid first 11 minutes against a talented Fairfield squad in Bridgeport. The home team then took over.
Scoring four times in the final 4:33 of the opening period, Fairfield topped the Westies 8-0 Monday evening. With the loss, West Haven fell to 0-3.
The Westies had a pair of solid scoring chances prior to Fairfield’s outburst in the opening period, but a 3-on-1 break with Marcus Burrows, Mike Madera, and Brady Price failed to produce a goal. Jason Alling’s point shot was also denied with a glove save by Fairfield’s Connor Zavory.
Javed Ullah, who made 17 saves in the game, was then beaten twice by Owen Gibbons within 42 seconds, before Charlie Swanson scored 1:44 later for a 3-0 lead.
The Westies had another scoring chance in the final minute of the period, but Haygen Axelrod’s shot, which was deflected in from by Sam Marquez, was turned away.
West Haven continued to get its opportunities in the opening minute of the second, but Jayden Spreyer was turned aside from the slot. Trailing 5-0, Thomas Porto also had a shot knocked aside from the slot.
West Haven then had two breakaways late in the second period, but attempts by Spreyer and Marquez were denied.
Kiryl Astrovukh played well with 12 saves, allowing just two goals, including the final in the last eight seconds of the game.
Xavier tops Westies
Close contest ends in 5-0 loss
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(December 21, 2022) - While the search for its first victory is still ongoing, the West Haven co-op hockey team is making strides. Those strides were not enough Wednesday afternoon against Xavier.
Failing to score on a host of scoring opportunities, and watching as Xavier scored three times in the third period, West Haven fell to the Falcons 5-0 in Cromwell. With the loss, the Westies fell to 0-4 on the year.
The Westies had their chances almost immediately in the game as Yousaf Ullah rang a shot off the post just 20 seconds in. A costly penalty led to a Xavier goal to put West Haven behind 1-0 3:54 in, but the chances were there throughout the first.
Mike Madera had a golden opportunity on a breakaway but his shot just sailed over the right corner 6:09 in. Thomas Porto was denied in close 1:18 later, and Madera was turned aside in front with 4:45 left in the opening period.
An evenly played second period saw more of the same after Xavier took a 2-0 lead just 20 seconds in. Brady Price was denied from in front 4:02 in, and Porto had his shot from the right faceoff circle knocked away 1:08 later.
The Westies put on the early pressure in the third period, but a backhander in front by the Falcons found the back of the net 2:37 in.
From there, the Westies had more opportunities. Jayden Spreyer was turned away in front with a pad save 3:10 in, JJ Alling had a shot turned aside from the right faceoff circle with 4:30 gone by, and Haygen Axelrod’s shot from the point was kicked away later in the period.
Heartbreaker
Westies fall to NDFF in OT
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(January 4, 2023) - Searching for its first win of the season, the West Haven co-op hockey team played its best game of the season. Unfortunately, it was not enough.
Onyx King’s goal with 1:03 left in overtime lifted Notre Dame-Fairfield to a 2-1 victory over the Westies at the Wonderland of Ice Wednesday evening. With the loss, West Haven fell to 0-5.
With the game scoreless after two periods, the Lancers took a 1-0 lead after a West Haven turnover with 6:41 remaining in the third.
The Westies, who had controlled play in the middle period, then mounted the pressure once again in the final four minutes. With a man advantage and an extra skater, a perfectly designed play allowed Marcus Burrows to set up Jayden Spreyer, who ripped a shot from the point in for the equalizer with 0.5 seconds left in regulation.
After Javed Ullah stopped a two-on-none breakaway just 43 seconds into the extra session, the Westies picked up the play once again. Shots by Thomas Porto and Mike Madera were turned aside, Yousaf Ullah’s power play shot just went over the net, and Spreyer hit the post with 2:10 remaining.
With the Westies still pressuring, the puck cycled out of the zone, leading to King’s breakaway goal.
West Haven played its best in the second period, outshooting the Lancers 14-5, with Notre Dame goalie Colby LaSalle stopping each shot.
LaSalle denied Madera with a shoulder save 53 seconds in, turned aside Porto in front 1:33 later, and denied Madera once again with a glove save 3:04 in. LaSalle was the difference in the second period as he denied Yousaf Ullah’s point shot with 11:03 to go, denied Brady Price from the slot 30 seconds later, and Spreyer from the slot a short time after.
The Notre Dame goaltender continued to thwart the Westies, stopping Madera in close with 9:30 to go, and Burrows from the slot with 7:09 remaining in the middle period.
LaSalle then denied Jason Alling with 7:34 remaining in the third of a scoreless game, and Porto from the slot just 13 seconds after the Lancers took the lead.
Javed Ullad made 29 saves in the loss and was particularly impressive in the opening period when he turned aside all 12 Notre Dame shots.
In the Win Column
Westies top East Haven 3-2
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(January 11, 2023) - The West Haven co-op boys hockey team is in the win column.
Led by 37 saves from Kiryl Astravukh and two goals by Marcus Burrows, the Westies topped East Haven 3-2 Wednesday evening at Dilungo Rink in East Haven. With the victory, West Haven, which has played significantly better in its last three games, improved to 1-5 on the year.
Astravukh was stellar throughout the contest, making clutch saves the entire game. The West Haven goaltender was at his best in the final period.
Astravukh denied a breakaway by East Haven’s Michael Savo, who scored twice, with 2:10 gone by and the Westies leading 3-1. He then denied John D’Albero in front with a pad save with 9:47 to go, and Cameron Greene from the right faceoff circle with 7:01 to go.
After Savo cut the West Haven lead to 3-2 with 6:35 to go in the third and East Haven increasing the pressure, Astravukh denied East Haven the rest of the way.
Astravukh also came up with a pair of huge saves 1:15 apart with less than five minutes to go in the second period to preserve a 2-1 lead.
East Haven took a 1-0 lead with 5:21 remaining in the first period as a Savo shot was deflected past Astravukh, but the deficit was short-lived. Off a feed from Jayden Spreyer, Mike Madera evened the game from in front 1:06 later.
The Westies continued to pressure, but shots by Burrows, Brady Price, and Thomas Porto were denied in the final 3:18 of the opening period.
West Haven had a pair of odd-man rushes to start the second period, but Spreyer was denied off a feed from Madera, and Burrows was denied off a feed from Price.
Burrows finally gave the Westies the lead they would not relinquish when he ripped a shot off the crossbar and in off an assist from Price with 4:47 remaining in the second.
The Westies scored the eventual winner early in the third. After a point shot by Josh Rodrigue was covered up, Price won the faceoff to Burrows, who rang a shot to the top left corner for a 3-1 lead with 1:52 gone by in the third.
Ridgefield tops Westies
Slow start key to 6-1 loss
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(January 16, 2023) - The West Haven boys hockey co-op team has been playing well of late. After three solid outings, which included West haven’s first win of the season, the Westies could not keep that play going.
Allowing three goals in the first period, West Haven fell 6-1 against Ridgefield at the Edward L. Bennett Rink in West Haven Monday evening. The loss dropped West Haven to 1-6 on the year.
West Haven never got going on offense with just ten shots in the game. The Westies were outshot 47-10 in the loss.
Ridgefield took control of the game early with a goal 5:01 into the contest, added a second 48 seconds later, and a third 1:52 after the first.
The Westies had just three shots in the opening period with Josh Rodrigue denied from the point 5:31 in, Theo Diakomis stopped from the right side with 7:23 left in the first, and Zack Fonda denied 48 seconds later.
The Westies came out with more energy in the second period, putting the pressure on from the start. After Mike Madera was stopped with a pad save 20 seconds in, Haygen Axelrod found Jayden Spreyer, who shot in front for a West Haven goal with 1:48 gone by.
Spreyer’s goal was the lone tally for the Westies. Ridgefield answered 2:10 later, taking a 4-1 lead after two periods.
West Haven had two golden opportunities in the third, but Thomas Porto was stopped in front with 6:04 to go, and Brady Price was stopped on a partial breakaway 43 seconds later.
Javed Ullah made 41 saves in the loss.
Crusher
Westies fall to Cheshire in OT
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(January 18, 2023) - For two-plus periods, it looked as if the West Haven boys co-op hockey team was headed to its second victory of the season. Everything changed in the second half of the third period.
Watching as Cheshire scored twice in the final nine minutes, including the equalizer with 41.6 seconds to go in regulation, the Westies fell to the Rams 6-5 in overtime Wednesday evening in Hamden. The crushing loss drops the Westies to 1-7 on the year.
Despite playing well in three of its last four games, West Haven has just one win to show for its efforts. Wednesday was no different.
The Westies had leads of 3-1 and 5-3, but a short bench could not hold on in the final seconds when Cheshire’s Will Gaudet scored from in front to force overtime with less than a minute remaining in regulation and Cheshire skating with an extra attacker.
The Rams then handed the Westies their second straight defeat when Drew DePodesta scored with 4:16 remaining in overtime as he took a pass from behind the net and tapped the winning goal in.
The late rally by the Rams spoiled what was a valiant effort by the Westies. Senior Kiryl Astravukh finished with 36 saves and the West Haven offense was clicking throughout.
The Westies took a 1-0 lead just 1:13 into the contest when Yousaf Ullah scored off an assist from Brady Price.
After Thomas Porto was denied in closed a short time later, Cheshire got the equalizer with 4:45 gone by in the opening period. The Westies then took control of the play.
Jayden Spreyer, who finished with two goals and two assists, gave the Westies a 2-1 lead when his slap shot from the point found the back of the net off an assist from Zack Fonda with 4:17 remaining in the opening period.
Spreyer extended the lead to 3-1 with 2:26 left in the opening period when another blast from the point went in off assists from Mike Madera and Marcus Burrows. Madera finished with two assists on the night.
After Cheshire scored off a rebound 1:53 into the second, the Westies again took a two-goal lead when Porto scored from in front off an assist from Spreyer for a 4-2 advantage with less than four minutes gone by in the second.
West Haven held on to that two-goal advantage and looked as if it would go to the intermission up a pair of goals, but a breakdown led to a breakaway goal by the Rams with 20 seconds to go in the middle period, getting Cheshire within 4-3.
The Westies again took a two-goal lead with 3:58 gone by in the third with a power play goal. After attempts by Spreyer and Madera were denied, the pair assisted on Haygen Axelrod’s first goal of the year to give the Westies a 5-3 lead.
North tops West
Westies fall to North Haven 3-1
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(January 28, 2023) - The West Haven boys hockey team entered Saturday evening’s contest knowing it would need its best effort as West Haven faced an undefeated North Haven team. While the effort was there, West Haven fell short in a 3-1 loss at the Northford Ice Pavilion.
Javed Ullah was solid in goal with 34 saves, including 15 in the third period. The loss was West Haven’s third in a row and dropped the Westies to 1-8 on the year.
West Haven opened the scoring in the first period when Brady Price set up Jayden Spreyer in front for a 1-0 lead 3:56 into the game.
The Westies held the lead for most of the opening period, but they gave up a short-handed goal by Jake Donovan with 2:31 remaining in the period to even the game at one.
West Haven had a golden opportunity in the final minute of the opening period, but a shot by Marcus Burrows on a 3-on-1 break was deflected out of play.
The Westies had quality opportunities in the second as Thomas Porto was denied in front 4:50 in, Spreyer was stopped from the slot, and Josh Rodrigue was denied from the point with 8:52 remaining.
Sam Marquez could not get off a quality shot on a 2-on-1 with 7:40 remaining, and all the missed opportunities came back to hurt the Westies as Tommy Guidone scored with 6:18 remaining for a 2-1 North Haven lead.
The Westies again had more scoring opportunities to close the period, but Jason Alling was stopped from the point, Mike Madera was stopped on the wing with a glove save less than a minute later, and Porto was denied in the final seconds with a blocker save on a 2-on-1.
West Haven never got going in the third period as its best scoring opportunities came 2:44 in when Madera was denied off the left wing and Burrows suffered the same fate with 5:25 to go. In between, Guidone scored his second of the game for a 3-1 North Haven lead with 9:16 remaining.
Hamden blanks Westies
Westies fall 2-0
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(January 29, 2023) - The West Haven hockey team lost its fourth straight contest with a 2-0 decision at Hamden Sunday afternoon. With the loss, West Haven fell to 1-9 on the year.
The Westies had just 23 shots on goal and none found the back of the net. Hamden scored just 35 seconds into the second and that was all the Green Dragons needed.
Kiryl Astravukh made 24 saves in the loss, including 10 in the third period for West Haven.
The Westies had opportunities from the start, but just could not connect as Zack Fonda was denied in front less than five minutes in, Jayden Spreyer was stopped on a 3-on-1 less than a minute later, and Thomas Porto was turned aside from the left faceoff circle with 3:55 left in the first.
The Westies looked as if they would take a 1-0 lead late in the opening period, but Mike Madera’s shot off a 2-on-1 sailed wide with 55 seconds remaining.
Trailing 1-0 in the second, Madera was denied from the slot, Yousaf Ullah was turned away from the point, Madera again was stopped in front, and Jason Alling was stopped from the point, all in a span of less than three minutes.
West Haven put on a ton of pressure in the third, but could not convert. Spreyer, Alling, Porto and Madera were denied early, and Haygen Axelrod was stopped at the doorstep with five minutes gone by in the third.
Hamden added an empty net goal with 40 seconds remaining to seal the victory.
WH falls to Glastonbury
Westies drop 4-1 decision
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(February 1, 2023) - The West Haven boys hockey team dropped its fifth straight game and fell to 1-10 with a 4-1 loss at Glastonbury Wednesday evening. Glastonbury scored twice in the first period and never looked back in the victory over the Westies.
West Haven had early opportunities, but a shot by Mike Madera was turned aside with a pad save less than three minutes in. Glastonbury then took a 1-0 lead 2:56 into the game off a shot from the point.
Zack Fonda was denied in front a short time later, before the Westies trailed 2-0. Again, West Haven had opportunities, but Marcus Burrows was stopped with a glove save, Josh Rodrigue was turned aside from the point a short time later, as was Yousaf Ullah.
West Haven trailed 4-0 in the second period before getting on the board on the power play. Madera circled behind the net and found Brady Price in front to cut the deficit to 4-1 as Haygen Axelrod also added an assist.
West Haven had chances in the third, but Jayden Spreyer was denied early, and a shot by Thomas Porto and rebound by Connor Moriarty also would not go in.
Offense comes Alive
Westies top St. Dominic 7-2
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(February 4, 2023) - The West Haven co-op hockey team has been searching for its offense. Inconsistent over the last handful of games, the Westies have been looking to break out.
That break came on Saturday as nine different players had points in a 7-2 home victory over St. Dominic Regional of Maine at the Edward L. Bennett Rink. The win, on a day where the Westies honored the 35th anniversary of the 1988 State Championship team, helped improve West Haven’s record to 2-10 on the year.
Thomas Porto led the offense with two goals and two assists, Haygen Axelrod had four assists, Brady Price had two goals, and Marcus Burrows and Jayden Spreyer each added a goal and an assist.
The Westies were also solid on defense, allowing just 22 shots. Goaltender Kiryl Astravukh made 20 saves in the victory for West Haven.
West Haven took a 1-0 lead with 2:52 remaining in the opening period as Price tipped in a Burrows shot. Just 1:21 later, the lead increased to 2-0 as Porto picked up a loose puck on the left wing and found the right corner of the net.
The Westies had numerous scoring opportunities in the second period, holding a 14-5 shot advantage. West Haven had four power play goals on the day and took a 3-0 lead when Axelrod, sent a perfect pass to Porto, who found Spreyer for a one-timer and a power play goal with 2:15 left in the middle period.
Just 49 seconds later, the lead increased to 4-0 with another power play goal as Mike Madera fed Burrows, who found the back of the net with 1:26 remaining in the period.
The Westies put the game away in the third as Price scored 2:44 in off assists from Zack Fonda and Connor Moriarty. Leading 5-1, Porto scored the third power play goal off assists from Axelrod and Spreyer with 7:36 remaining.
West Haven closed the scoring with 2:55 to go in the game as J.J. Hall scored his first varsity goal off assists from Axelrod and Porto.
Fairfield blanks Westies
WH falls to Warde/Ludlowe
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(February 6, 2023) - The West Haven boys co-op hockey team could not sustain the momentum of its win two days earlier when the Fairfield Warde/Ludlowe hockey team came to town. Behind four goals and two assists from Ryan Tymon, the Mustangs topped the Westies 9-0 at the Edward L. Bennett Rink Monday evening.
After playing a solid eight minutes to start the game, the Westies watched as Fairfield Warde/Ludlowe scored twice in 5:02 to take a 2-0 lead after one period.
West Haven was outshot 17-5 in the period, with three quality opportunities. Jayden Spreyer came down the right wing but was denied with a pad save 2:40 in, Zack Fonda was turned aside from the point 5:30 in, and Mike Madera had his shot in front turned aside with 5:02 left in the opening period.
West Haven’s best scoring opportunity of the middle period came 48 seconds in when Madera’s shot from in front on the power play went wide.
The Mustangs then put the game away, scoring seven times in the middle period. Spreyer and Fonda had West Haven’s best opportunities to get on the board in the third, but each was denied in the first three minutes of the period.
Matt Rasile came on in relief in goal in the third period and was stellar with nine saves, not allowing a goal.
Westies fall to Hamden
Missed opportunities costly in loss
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(February 11, 2023) - Looking to win its third game in three opportunities, the West Haven co-op hockey team faced Hamden Saturday afternoon. An earlier season loss to the Green Dragons was also on the minds of the Westies. Despite a late goal to even the contest, the Westies dropped their second straight when the Green Dragons scored in the final 30 seconds to top West Haven 2-1.
West Haven, which fell to 2-12, trailed 1-0, but evened the game with 5:51 to play when Sam Marquez jammed in a loose puck after West Haven pressure.
Marcus Burrows had a chance to give West Haven the lead with 5:02 remaining, but his shot was turned aside. The Green Dragons then scored the game-winner with 22.4 seconds remaining on a tipped puck in front.
In a tightly contested game, the Westies had numerous opportunities to get on the board in the first period. Thomas Porto was denied on a 2-on-1 rush, Connor Moriarty was turned aside from the slot, Jason Alling was denied from the point, and Mike Madera and Burrows were stopped minutes apart with glove saves.
After Brady Price hit the crossbar to start the second, Hamden took a 1-0 lead less than two minutes later. Madera was then stopped with a pad save less than a minute later, and Spreyer was denied on a 2-on-1 just 42 seconds after.
Marquez and Haygen Axelrod were turned aside 1:30 apart and Spreyer looked as if he had the equalizer with 4:51 to go, but his shot rang off the post.
The opportunities continued for West Haven in the third, but they could not convert. Madera was stopped in close 25 seconds in, Spreyer was denied from the point 21 seconds later, then on a 3-on-2 with 11:45 to go, before Josh Rodrigue saw his point shot stopped with a glove save with 10:20 remaining.
West Haven outshot Hamden 39-22 in the loss.
Westies fall to Prep
Jesuits score four in third to pull away
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(February 13, 2023) - For two plus periods, the West Haven co-op hockey team was hanging around Fairfield Prep. That momentum ended in the third period.
Scoring four times in the final 15 minutes, the Jesuits topped West Haven 7-1 at the Edward L. Bennett Rink Monday evening. With the loss, West Haven fell to 2-13 on the year.
Prep’s Blake Baksay was a thorn in West Haven’s side as he scored four times and added a pair of assists in the win.
The Westies did themselves no favors as they missed opportunities throughout.
Marcus Burrows was denied in front 2:30 into the contest and Jayden Spreyer was stopped on a 2-on-1 rush with a pad save with 3:50 gone by.
Baksay then gave the Jesuits a 1-0 lead with a length of the ice rush with 5:35 to go in the opening period. The Jesuits took a 2-0 lead with a short-handed goal 1:50 into the second period, before the Westies got one back.
Taking a pass from Zack Fonda, Brady Price scored from in front with 5:28 gone by in the second to cut the deficit to 2-1. The Westies never got closer as Baksay used another end-to-end rush with 3:53 remaining in the second.
West Haven then had its opportunities to get closer in the third. Mike Madera was stopped on a breakaway with a pad save 2:15 in, and Spreyer was denied from the slot 3:51 in.
The Westies had two more golden opportunities later in the contest, but none found the back of the net. A shot by Price and rebound by Madera were turned aside, before another 2-on-1 saw Spreyer turned aside in the final minutes.
Javed Ullah made 36 saves in the loss.
ND tops Westies
WH falls 6-0
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(February 15, 2023) - The West Haven boys hockey team fell to 2-14 with a 6-0 loss against cross-town rival Notre Dame – West Haven. The Green Knights scored three times in a span of 1:20 in the opening period to take control of the game.
Notre Dame controlled the contest from start to finish with West Haven’s best scoring opportunities in the first period coming from Jayden Spreyer, who was stopped with a point shot with 3:30 left in the first and Yousaf Ullah, who was stopped in front 21 seconds later.
Haygen Axelrod hit the post with a point shot late in the second period and Spreyer was stopped in front with a pad save with 6:19 remaining in the game.
Ty Battipaglia scored twice for the Green Knights, including the opening goal of the game.
Kiryl Astravukh made 48 saves for the Westies in the loss.
Ridgefield blanks Westies
WH falls 6-0
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(February 20, 2023) - The West Haven boys co-op hockey team lost its fifth straight contest with a 6-0 loss at Ridgefield Monday afternoon. The loss dropped the Westies to 2-15 on the year.
West Haven had its chances in the contest but could not convert. Trailing 1-0, Marcus Burrows broke down the left wing, but was denied with a pad save from Ridgefield goaltender Henry Ertl with 8:25 left in the opening period.
Javed Ullah turned away a handful of shots in net for West Haven, before the Westies had another opportunity when Mike Madera raced down the left wing, but was turned aside by a glove save from Ertl with 4:30 left in the opening period.
The missed opportunities hurt as Ridgefield took a 2-0 lead with a backhander for a goal with 2:55 left in the opening period.
The Tigers opened the game up with two goals in a span of 3:32 in the second period, taking a 4-0 lead with 8:38 remaining in the middle period.
The Westies kept fighting with quality scoring opportunities in the final eight minutes of the period. Thomas Porto was stopped in front with 8:25 remaining, Burrows went the length of the ice less than a minute later and was denied with a pad save with 7:29 to go, before Burrows was stopped on the left wing 1:06 later.
West Haven’s best scoring opportunity for the remainder of the game came with 4:55 left in the second off an odd-man rush. Pushing the puck up the ice, Spreyer fed Madera who beat Ertl, but rang the shot off the post.
Javed Ullah made 12 saves, while Matt Rasile made five in the loss.
Overtime Winner
Astravukh, Porto, Madera lead WH past Amity
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(February 22, 2023) - The West Haven boys co-op hockey team has had its share of adversity this year. Losing numerous games either in overtime or by one goal has sent the Westies to a losing record.
Despite losing the lead with 16.7 seconds remaining in overtime, the Westies were not going to be denied again.
Behind a 47-save effort from Kiryl Astravukh and a game-winning overtime goal by Mike Madera, the Westies topped Amity 3-2 in overtime Wednesday evening at the Edward L. Bennet Rink. With the win, West Haven improved to 3-15 on the season.
Madera’s heroics came to fruition due to the efforts of Astravukh, who along with West Haven’s special teams, killed off a five-minute major penalty in the final 5:25 of the game. Amity scored on its 16th shot of the third period with 16.7 seconds to go, forcing the overtime.
The Westies won the game with 2:42 remaining in the extra session as a delayed penalty saw the puck go back to the point. Haygen Axelrod’s point shot was stopped in front, where Madera knocked in the rebound.
West Haven twice had leads in regulation, both times on goals by Thomas Porto, but Amity rallied back.
After a scoreless first period, the Westies had numerous scoring opportunities in the second period before Porto finally converted in front off assists from Madera and Jayden Spreyer with 9:01 to go.
Porto’s goal held up until Amity scored on the power play with 4:05 gone by in the third. Porto and the Westies did not take long to respond as Porto scored an unassisted power play goal 1:34 later.
Astravukh was stellar throughout, making 12 saves in the first period, 17 in the second, and four more in overtime.
Madera finished the game with a goal and an assist, and Spreyer had two assists in the win.
Lancers rally past Westies
West Haven falls 5-2
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(February 25, 2023) - Looking to build off the overtime thriller against Amity, West Haven was in control against Notre Dame-Fairfield for 40 minutes. The final five minutes were a different story.
Scoring four times in the final 5:29 of the game, including two empty-net tallies, the Lancers rallied to defeat West Haven 5-2 Saturday afternoon at the Edward L. Bennett Rink. With the loss, West Haven fell to 3-16 on the year.
Thomas Porto and Jayden Spreyer each had a goal and an assist, while Mike Madera added two assists in the loss. Kiryl Astravukh made 23 saves for the Westies.
Both teams had quality scoring chances in the opening period, but they could not convert until 2:50 remained in the opening period. Madera led Spreyer up the ice and Spreyer fed Porto in front for a quick shot and a 1-0 lead.
The Westies held a 15-8 shot advantage in the second period, but could not convert. Haygen Axelrod and Brady Price were stopped in front less than two minutes in, Marcus Burrows was denied in front twice within 30 seconds in the final 3:21 of the period, and Yousaf Ullah was stopped from the point with 1:14 to go.
The Lancers evened the game at one with 8:58 remaining in the game, but West Haven responded 1:20 later. Porto sent a pass to Madera who fed Spreyer in front for a one-timer and a 2-1 West Haven lead.
Notre Dame then took over, evening the game at two with 5:29 to go, and taking the lead 1:17 later. After Porto was stopped in front with 2:28 left, the Lancers used two empty net goals in the final two minutes to seal the game.
Upper Hand
Tigers top West Haven 6-2
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(March 1, 2023) - The West Haven boys co-op hockey team closed the regular season with two straight losses. A 6-2 loss to Hand in Northford Wednesday afternoon closed the season for the Westies with a 3-17 record.
Marcus Burrows and Thomas Porto scored for the Westies, while Zack Fonda and Josh Rodrigue had assists.
After a scoreless first period, the Westies took the lead 2:27 into the second period as Burrows scored in front off an assist from Fonda. The lead lasted less than a minute as Hand responded 50 seconds later and added another 17 seconds after for a 2-1 advantage.
Despite numerous chances, West Haven never got the equalizer. West Haven’s best chance came in front when both Mike Madera and Porto were denied in front on the power play with just over six minutes to go in the second period.
The Tigers took a 3-1 lead with 3:55 left in the second, but West Haven looked as if it would get that goal right back. Jason Alling’s shot from the point rang off the crossbar 15 seconds later and the Westies never got closer.
Trailing 5-1 in the third, Porto got the Westies in striking distance off an assist from Rodrigue with 5:11 left.
West Haven had the better of the scoring opportunities in the first period, but the Westies could not get on the scoreboard.
Jayden Spreyer was denied from the slot 2:33 in, Rodrigue was stopped from the point with 7:41 to go, and Brady Price was denied in front with 2:30 remaining. Yousaf Ullah had his point shot turned aside with two minutes left, and Madera was turned aside from the slot shortly after.
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