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Westie Sharks fall in Opener
Darien posts 4-1 victory
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(December 11, 2017) - The West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy girls hockey team knew it was in for a challenge to start the 2017-2018 season, facing perennial power Darien. While the Westie Sharks held their own, it was not enough in a 4-1 loss in the season opener at the Edward L. Bennett Rink Monday evening.
"Tonight's loss isn't the way anyone wants to start their season, but I am still proud of the way the girls played," West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy coach Erin Blake said. "Darien is a very strong and talented team, but the girls fought hard, keeping themselves in the game. We know what we need to work on, and we will be back at it Tuesday at practice. We can only go up from here, and that is what we plan to do.
We are a young team after losing five seniors. We are getting used to some new lines, new systems, and facing strong teams like we did tonight. I am excited for this season and to watch this team grow each practice and game. We move onto Guilford Wednesday, ready to compete."
Despite the graduation of All-State player Gabi Prisco and a total of five seniors, the Westie Sharks return a solid nucleus this season, including ultra-talented players in sophomore Taylor Nowak, junior Celina Condon, junior Francesca Criscuolo, sophomore Megan Froehlich, and junior Veronica Lynn to name a few. Throw in the solid goaltending of Tatum Courtmanche and Kyleen Crowe, the Westie Sharks have plenty of assets returning from a team which finished 18-3-1,won the Southern Connecticut Conference title, and fell to East Catholic in the state quarterfinals a year ago.
With a solid background like that, the Westie Sharks will no longer fly under the radar, despite being young in certain areas and expecting a learning curve. West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy saw this first hand Monday evening.
This is a great group of girls," Blake said. "We are very excited to see what this talented young team can do. We lost our five seniors who were a huge part of our team, but we have high hopes for another successful season. We want to reach the SCC Finals, make the state tournament, and win in the first round of state tournament as we fell short last year in the first round."
Darien jumped out to a quick lead in the contest and never looked back as it took a 1-0 advantage 1 minute, 17 seconds into the contest, and added another at the 11:43 mark.
The Westies fought the entire game and cut the deficit in half when Nowak scored off an assist from Mia Celentano at the 6:39 mark of the second period.
Any momentum the Westie Sarks had quickly went away as Darien responded 42 seconds later to restore the two-goal advantage. Darien added an insurance goal in the third period to take a 4-1 lead.
Courtmanche made 19 saves in the loss for the Westie Sharks.
"Tatum (Courtmanche) played well with 23 saves," Blake said. "Taylor (Nowak) is off to another great start with our only goal of the game, and we hope to see her beat her 30 point total from last season. Freshman Mia Celentano earned her first high school career assist as well."
The 2017-2018 Westie Sharks will be led by senior captain Shannon Siclari, and junior assistant captains Lynn and Criscuolo.
Defensively, the Westies will be led by Lynn, sophomore Brooke McNabola, and freshman Mackenzie Gardner.
Blake will look to spread the offense around with Criscuolo centering a line of Condon and Siclari, and Nowak centering a line of Froehlich and a combination of either Celentano and Jenna Hunt.
Juniors Zoe DeFalco and Grace Plunkett will play on another solid line with freshman Hailey Alfano.
Freshman Jianna Cohrs will see time as both a forward and on defense.
Westie Sharks top Guilford
Lynn leads WH/SHA to first win of season
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(December 13, 2017) - Veronica Lynn and her West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy teammates were none too thrilled with how the season started. A loss to Darien in the opener did not project to the way the Westie Sharks had hoped to start the season.
Just two days later, Lynn and the Westie Sharks turned the tables in a 5-0 victory over Guilford Wednesday evening at DiLUngo Rink in East Haven.
Lynn led the way with one goal and two assists, and eight different players got into the scoring column as the Westie Sharks improved to 1-1 on the year.
"Tonight's win was a full team effort," West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy coach Erin Blake said. "Eight different players had points tonight, we had strong goaltending, and every player touched the ice."
The Westie Sharks took a 1-0 lead at the 13-minute mark of the opening period when Taylor Nowak scored off assists from Francesca Criscuolo and Shannon Siclari.
West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy put the game away with three goals in the middle period. Criscuolo scored off assists from Nowak and Mackenzie Gardner, Celina Condon scored off an assist from Lynn, and Megan Froehlich also scored off an assist from Lynn.
Lynn iced the game at the 12:21 mark of the third period, scoring off an assist from Jenna Hunt.
Kyleen Crowe was stellar in goal, stopping all eight shots she faced.
(Kyleen) Crowe played well in net," Blake said. "We played well."
Westie Sharks nip Hand
Nowak leads WH/SHA to 1-0 victory
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(December 16, 2017) - Taylor Nowak and the West Haven / Sacred Heart Academy girls hockey team did not want to let an opportunity slip away. Nowak made the most of hers.
Scoring the lone goal of the game at the 1:45 mark of the third period, Nowak helped the Westie Sharks to a 1-0 victory over Hand in Northford Saturday evening. With the win, West Haven / Sacred Heart Academy improved to 2-1 on the year.
Taylor Nowak (11) scores against Hand, December 16, 2017. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
"The girls came ready to play tonight," West Haven / Sacred Heart Academy coach Erin Blake said. "They moved the puck well, worked hard offensively, and defensively. Taylor (Nowak) had a great game, scoring the game winning goal, but she really stepped it up defensively as well. Tatum (Courtmanche) had a great game as well with her first shutout of the season."
Tatum Courtmanche recorded the shutout with 15 saves as the Westie Sharks held a 30-15 shot advantage in the game.
Tatum Courtmanche (35) made 15 saves in a shutout against Hand, December 16, 2017. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
The defense of the Westie Sharks continues to play well, led by Veronica Lynn, Brooke McNabola, and freshman Mackenzie Gardner.
Offensively, the Westie Sharks have started to come together with Celina Condon double shifting, playing well with Francesca Criscuolo and Shannon Siclari, and also with Jenna Hunt and Jianna Cohrs.
Mia Celentano has also played well, teaming up with Megan Froehlich and Nowak. Froehlich had the assist on Nowak's winner in the third period.
Overtime Winner
McNabola goal lifts Westie Sharks
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(December 20, 2017) - West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy coach Erin Blake has seen her team grow in the first four games of the season. Blake would like those games to be a little less stressful.
Rebounding from a late goal by Branford/North Branford/East Haven, the Westie Sharks rallied for a 4-3 overtime win on a goal by Brooke McNabola 3:30 into overtime Wednesday evening at the Edward L. Bennett Rink in West Haven. The win improved West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy to 3-1 on the season.
Brooke McNabola (18) scores the game-winner against Branford/North Branford/East Haven, December 20, 2017. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
“One hundred ten percent effort from start to finish is what we saw from our girls tonight,” Blake said. “We are proud of the way they kept fighting to get the win tonight.”
Branford forced the overtime when Emmy Norton scored with just seven seconds left in the third period to even the game at three. The goal did not spoil an effort which saw West Haven hold a 59-16 shot advantage as McNabola scored from the right side for the winner.
“The kids played with heart the whole game,” assistant coach Jocey Morrell said. “They didn’t give up, even under pressure with the time ticking down. They left it all on the ice and as coaches, that’s all we ask for.”
Taylor Nowak (11) scores against Branford/North Branford/East Haven, December 20, 2017. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy took a 1-0 lead with 5:56 left in the opening period on a goal by Jianna Cohrs, her first as a freshman, off an assist from Celina Condon. After Julianna Constantinople scored to even the game earlier the second, Francesca Criscuolo gave the Westie Sharks a 2-1 advantage with 1:06 to go in the middle period.
Norton evened the game for Branford with 7:28 left in the third, before Taylor Nowak scored just 1:45 later.
Kyleen Crowe played well in goal for West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy, making 13 saves.
“She (Crowe) had a great game,” Blake said. “The whole team played well offensively and defensively.”
Nowak leads WH/SHA past Lauralton
Westie Sharks improve to 4-1 on season
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(December 23, 2017) - The West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy girls hockey team is on a roll. After a season-opening loss, the Westie Sharks have rolled off four straight wins.
Traveling to Milford Saturday afternoon, the Westie Sharks topped Lauralton Hall 7-0 to improve to 4-1 on the year.
"Tonight's win was a team effort," West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy coach Erin Blake said. "We changed up our lines and every girl saw the ice tonight. Hailey (Alfano), Jenna (Hunt), and Makenna (White) picked up their first career goals."
Taylor Nowak led the offense with two goals and an assist, while Jenna Hunt, Veronica Lynn, Megan Froehlich, Hailey Alfano, and Makenna White each scored once. Kyleen Crowe picked up the shutout in the win.
West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy took a 4-0 lead in the opening period on goals by Nowak, Hunt, Lynn, and Froehlich. A goal by Alfano in the second period increased the lead to 5-0, before Nowak and White rounded out the scoring in the third.
Mackenzie Gardner, Jianna Cohrs, Zoe DeFalco, Celina Condon, Lynn, White, and Nowak each added assists.
High Five
Westie Sharks win fifth straight
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(December 26, 2017) - The West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy girls hockey team is on a roll, winning five straight since a season-opening loss. The latest victory came Tuesday evening with an 8-1 victory over Southington/Avon at the Edward L. Bennett Rink in West Haven.
With the victory, West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy improved to 5-1 on the year.
West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy celebrates a goal against Southington/Avon, December 26, 2017. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
The Westie Sharks were led by Taylor Nowak with three goals and three assists, Celina Condon with two goals, and Mia Celentano with a goal and two assists. Tatum Courtmanche made 14 saves in the win for West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy.
The Westie Sharks took a 2-1 lead after one period as Condon scored off an assist from Nowak, and Celentano scored off assists from Nowak and Froehlich 1:23 later.
Mackenzie Gardner (16) looks to make a play against Southington/Avon, December 26, 2017. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
Nowak extended the lead to 3-1 off an assist from Celentano early in the second, before the Westie Sharks blew the game open with five goals in the third.
Nowak scored off an assist from Veronica Lynn 1:05 in, Froehlich scored off an assist from Celentano 3:24 later, and Condon scored an unassisted goal with 4:57 to go. Nowak helped cap the scoring with a goal in the final 55 seconds, before setting up Makenna White 18 seconds later.
Six Straight
Westie Sharks blank Lauralton Hall
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(January 6, 2018) - The West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy girls hockey team continues to roll along. Since a season-opening loss, the Westie Sharks have won six in a row, including a 7-0 shutout against Lauralton Hall Saturday evening at the Edward L. Bennett Rink in West Haven.
West Haven / Sacred Heart Academy celebrates a goal against Lauralton Hall, January 6, 2018. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
Jianna Cohrs led the way with three goals, while Mackenzie Gardner added a goal and an assist, and Megan Froehlich had two assists in the victory. Kyleen Crowe made 10 saves in the shutout for the Westie Sharks.
The Westie Sharks took a 1-0 lead just 29 seconds into the game when Shannon Siclari scored off an assist from Makenna White. Taylor Nowak increased the lead to two goals 6:11 later off an assist from Mia Celentano, while Cohrs capped the first period scoring 1:05 later.
Off an assist from Froehlich, Cohrs gave the Westie Sharks a 4-0 lead 4:18 into the second, before Celentano scored off an assist from Gardner 2:37 later. Froehlich set up Cohrs 47 seconds later, and Gardner scored an unassisted goal 8:32 into the third for the 7-0 final.
Lucky Seven
Westie Sharks extend streak with win over Guilford
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(January 10, 2018) - The streak keeps going. The West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy girls hockey team extended its winning streak to seven games with a 6-2 victory over Guilford Tuesday evening at the Edward L. Bennett Rink in West Haven.
With the seventh consecutive win, the Westie Sharks improved to 7-1 on the year.
Megan Froehlich reacts to a goal against Guilford, January 9, 2018. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
Taylor Nowak led West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy with two goals and three assists, while Mia Celentano added two goals and an assist. Mackenzie Gardner added two assists, and Megan Froehlich had a goal and an assist.
The Westie Sharks took control of the game with five goals in the first period.
Nowak gave her team a 1-0 lead 1 minute, 42 seconds into the game off an assist from Celentano. Celentano then increased the lead to 2-0 off assists from Nowak and Froehlich 4:10 in, while Nowak scored again off an assist from Veronica Lynn 2:21 later.
Mia Celentano (28) and Taylor Nowak (11) celebrate a goal against Guilford, January 9, 2018. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
Just 19 seconds after Nowak's tally, Froehlich extended the lead to four goals off assists from Gardner and Nowak, before Celentano capped the first period scoring off an assist from Jenna Hunt.
The Westie Sharks extended the margin to 6-0 with a goal from Zoe DeFalco, off assists from Nowak and Gardner with 2:34 left in the second period.
Guilford spoiled the shutout bid of West Haven / Sacred Heart Academy goaltender Tatum Courtmanche, scoring twice in the final 3:32 of the contest. Courtmanche finished with 16 saves in the win.
Straight 8's
Westie Sharks rally past Amity/NH/Cheshire in OT
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(January 13, 2018) - T
The West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy girls hockey team extended its winning streak to eight games with a hard fought 2-1 overtime victory over Amity/North Haven/Cheshire Saturday evening in Shelton. With the win , the Westie Sharks improved to 8-1 on the year.
In what has become a rivalry between the two teams, the Westie Sharks got 28 saves from Tatum Courtmanche, including two in overtime, before scoring the winner.
Taylor Nowak gave the Westie Sharks the victory when she scored off an assist from Jenna Hunt at the 2:06 mark of overtime.
After a scoreless first period, West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy took a 1-0 advantage when Celina Condon scored off an assist from Brooke McNabola.
Amity/North Haven/Cheshire evened the game in the second period, setting up the overtime dramatics.
Streak Over
Westie Sharks fall to Hamden
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(January 15, 2018) - The streak has ended. After rolling off eight straight victories following a season-opening loss, the West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy girls hockey team suffered defeat once again.
Scoring three of the last four goals in the game, Hamden defeated West Haven/Sacred Haert Academy 4-2 in Hamden Monday afternoon. With the loss, West Haven fell to 8-2 on the season.
Taylor Nowak (11) celebrates a goal against Hamden, January 15, 2018. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
Trailing 1-0, West Haven evened the game with 56 seconds to go in the opening period when Taylor Nowak scored off assists from Megan Froehlich and Mia Celentano.
Hamden scored twice in the second period to take a 3-1 advantage, before West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy scored 3:55 into the third as Hunt set up Jianna Cohrs to get the Westie Sharks within a goal.
Kyleen Crowe made 28 saves in the loss for the Westie Sharks.
Starting Over
Westie Sharks top NW Catholic 3-1
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(January 19, 2018) - After seeing its eight game winning streak snapped, the West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy girls hockey team started a new one with a 3-1 victory at NW Catholic/Mercy Friday evening.
Mia Celentano, Taylor Nowak, and Brooke McNabola all scored for the Westie Sharks, while McNabola and Megan Froehlich each added assists. Tatum Courtmanche made 27 saves in the win.
West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy took a 1-0 lead 4 minutes, 5 seconds into the game when Celenatano scored an unassisted goal. The Westie Sharks increased the margin to 2-0 when McNabola set up Nowak with 2:32 to go in the opening period.
After NW Catholic/Mercy got within a goal in the second period, the Westie Sharks got an insurance goal with 8:32 left when Froehlich set up McNabola for a 3-1 advantage.
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All-State players - Gabi Prisco '15; Gabi Prisco '16; Gabi Prisco '17; Veronica Lynn '17; Veronica Lynn '18; Taylor Nowak '18
GIRLS HOCKEY 2017-2018
Westie Sharks fall to Amity/NH/Cheshire
Blades post 4-1 victory
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(January 21, 2018) - After needing overtime to defeat the Amity/North Haven/Cheshire Blades just over a week ago, the West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy girls hockey team knew it would be in for a battle the second time around.
Unfortunately for the Westie Shaeks, the second round did not produce the same result as the first time. Scoring three times in the final five minutes, Amity topped the Westie Sharks 4-1 at the Edward L. Bennett Rink Sunday evening.
The Westie Sharks celebrate a goal by Veronica Lynn (66) against Amity/North Haven/Cheshire, January 21, 2018. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
Trailing 1-0 after Melissa Montesi scored with 12 seconds left in the middle period for the Blades, West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy evened the game at one when Veronica Lynn scored off an assist from Taylor Nowak 3:05 into the third period.
The Blades put the game away with three goals in the final 4:53 of the game. Tess Csejka gave the Blades a 2-1 lead, before Cally Dixon and Shannon Reilly scored in the final 2:48 to ice the game.
Tatum Courtmanche was stellar in goal for West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy with 31 saves. Courtmanche turned aside 13 shots in each of the first two periods and five more in the third for 31 saves.
Westie Sharks nipped by Simsbury
WH/SHA drops second in row
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(January 24, 2018) - The West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy girls hockey team has hit a road block in the season. After winning eight of their first nine games, the Westie Sharks have dropped two in a row and three of their last four contests.
The latest loss came Wednesday evening as a long road trip to Simsbury produced a 2-1 loss. With the defeat, West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy dropped to 9-4 on the year.
“Simsbury is a tough team,” West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy coach Erin Blake said. “Coming into the game, we knew we were without Brooke (McNabola), and we had Mia (Celentano) get hurt midway through the second period. We had to battle through it. We could not keep up with their speed. Kyleen (Crowe) had an amazing game in net, but we could not pull out the win.”
Kyleen Crowe made 31 saves in the loss for West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy.
Simsbury took a 1-0 lead on a goal by Stephanie Rurka at the 10:49 mark of the opening period, before Taylor Nowak evened the game for the Westie Sharks off assists from Mia Celentano and Mackenzie Gardner at the 7:18 mark of the second period.
Simsbury scored the eventual winner at the 3:57 mark of the third period on an unassisted goal by Kate Werle.
Scoreless
WH/SHA plays to tie against Hall-Conard
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(January 27, 2018) - The West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy girls hockey team is looking to get back on track.A quick start to the season has hit a bump in the road.
Trying to get back on the winning side, the Westie Sharks played o a scoreless tie against Hall-Conard Saturday afternoon at the Edward L. Bennett Rink in West Haven.
Veronica Lynn (66) looks to make a play against Hall-Conard, January 27, 2018. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
With the tie, the Westies Sharks moved to 9-4-1 on the season, and are 0-2-1 in their last three contests.
“We fought hard with a shorter bench,” West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy coach Erin Blake said. “CC (Celina Condon) stepped up and played an amazing game defensively yet again. Kyleen (Crowe) kept us in the game with 17 saves as she communicated well with the defense. We had our chances, but could not catch a break. Everyone stepped up their play. I was proud of the way the girls played offensively as we outshot them. We were missing some key players, but we fought hard all game.”
West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy held a 38-17 shot advantage in the game, including a 14-0 advantage in overtime, but could not get anything by Hall-Conard goaltender Nora McGowan.
Kyleen Crowe made 17 saves in the tie for the Westie Sharks.
Nowak leads Westie Sharks
Sophomore scores twice in 2-0 win over Hand
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(January 30, 2018) - With the season approaching the time of year when teams like to be peaking, the West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy girls hockey team has hit a few bumps along the way. A win and a tie, combined with three losses over the last five games has slowed the team.
Looking to get back to its winning ways, the team played a sound game in a 2-0 victory over Hand Tuesday evening at the Edward L. Bennett Rink in West Haven. With the win, the Westie Sharks improved to 10-4-1 on the season.
The Westie Sharks celebrate a goal by Taylor Nowak (11), January 31, 2018. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
"We are so proud of how our girls have been playing," West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy coach Erin Blake said. "We have had some bumps in the road, but one thing these girls don’t do is give up. Tonight, they got the win we have been working for. Taylor (Nowak) played great offensively and defensively tonight. Tatum (Courtmanche) was our backbone in net again with a shutout. This was an entire team win tonight."
Tatum Courtmanche makes a save against Hand, January 31, 2018. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
Sophomore Taylor Nowak, who moved from the offensive side and played defense Tuesday evening, led the way with a pair of goals, and Tatum Courtmanche turned aside all 18 shots she faced as the Westie Sharks moved away from a 1-3-1 stretch.
Nowak gave West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy a 1-0 lead at the 2:30 mark of the first period off an assist from Celina Condon, then increased the margin to a pair of goals with an unassisted power play goal at the 10:05 mark of the second.
That was all Courtmanche needed, as coupled with a strong defensive effort, she needed to turn aside just five shots in each of the first two periods, and eight in the third.
Westie Sharks blank Masuk
Crowe notches shutout in 6-0 victory
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(February 2, 2018) - With its second straight victory, the West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy girls hockey team improved to 11-4-1. The latest victory came Friday evening with a 6-0 decision over Masuk at Shelton.
Kyleen Crowe stopped all three shots she faced to earn the shutout, while Shannon Siclari and Taylor Nowak each finished with a goal and an assist.
Siclari gave the Westie Sharks a 1-0 lead just 51 seconds into the contest off an assist from Mia Celentano. Taylor Nowak increased the lead to 2-0 with an unassisted goal 7:06 later, before an unassisted goal by Veronica Lynn sent the Westie Sharks to the intermission with a 3-0 lead.
Celentano set up Grace Plunkett 2:52 into the second, Megan Froehlich scored 56 seconds later for a 5-0 advantage, and Makenna White scored off assists from Siclari and Nowak with 4:32 left in the game for a 6-0 lead.
Froehlich leads Westie Sharks
WH/SHA tops NDFF 5-1
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(February 10, 2018) - Since a midseason slump, the West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy girls hockey team has picked a good time to get going again. Led by two goals from Megan Froehlich and two assists from Jianna Cohrs, West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy topped Notre Dame-Fairfield 5-1 at the Edward L. Bennett Rink in West Haven Saturday afternoon.
Kyleen Crowe prepares to make a save against Notre Dame-Fairfield, February 10, 2018. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
With its third straight victory and having gone 3-0-1 in its last four games, West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy improved to 12-4-1 on the season.
The Westie Sharks needed just 55 seconds to take the lead for good as Taylor Nowak gave the team a 1-0 lead. Just 1:23 later, West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy had a 2-0 advantage as Celina Condon scored off an assist from Jenna Hunt.
West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy increased the lead to 4-0 with two goals in the second period, both coming from Megan Froehlich.
West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy celebrates a goal against Notre Dame-Fairfield, February 10, 2018. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
Froehlich increased the lead to 3-0 off assists from Cohrs and Mackenzie Gardner 54 seconds into the middle period, before Cohrs set up Froehlich at the 8:29 mark for a 4-0 advantage.
Veronica Lynn gave West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy a 5-0 lead at the 8:18 mark of the third.
Kyleen Crowe played well in goal, stopping 15 shots and coming within 3:44 of earning a shutout.
Froehlich, Courtmanche lead WH/SHA
Westie Sharks blank Masuk
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(February 13, 2018) - The West Haven / Sacred Heart Academy girls hockey team improved to 4-0-1 in its last five games with a 5-0 victory over Masuk at the Edward L. Bennett Rink Tuesday evening. With the victory, the Westie Sharks improved to 13-4-1 on the year.
Megan Froehlich led the offense with two goals and an assist, while Celina Condon and Veronica Lynn each added a goal and an assist in the win.
Francesca Criscuolo scores against Masuk, February 13, 2018. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
The Westie Sharks took a 1-0 lead in the opening period when Francesca Criscuolo scored off an assist from Celina Condon at the 7:40 mark.
West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy took a 2-0 lead when Froehlich scored off an assist from Lynn 8:06 into the second, before Condon scored off an assist from Froehlich 3:55 later for a 3-0 advantage.
Froehlich's second goal of the game off an assist from Taylor Nowak with 3:41 left increased the lead to 4-0. Lynn capped the scoring 54 seconds later for a 5-0 advantage.
West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy celebrates a goal against Masuk, February 13, 2018. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
Tatum Courtmanche stopped all eight shots she faced in the shutout. The Westie Sharks held a 61-8 shot advantage.
Froehlich, Courtmanche lead WH/SHA
Westie Sharks top Branford
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(February 15, 2018) - The West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy girls hockey team is back on track. After a mini slide, the Westie Sharks won their fifth game in a row with a 3-0 road shutout over Branford/North Branford/East Haven Thursday evening. With the win, West Haven /Sacred Heart Academy improved to 14-4-1 on the season.
Megan Froehlich (32) had a goal and an assist against Branford/North Branford/East Haven, February 15, 2018. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
Tatum Courtmanche was stellar in goal, finishing with 17 saves in the shutout, while Megan Froehlich led the offense with one goal and one assist.
Tatum Courtmanche made 17 saves assist against Branford/North Branford/East Haven, February 15, 2018. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
The Westie Sharks scored the only goal they would need at the 5:44 mark of the opening period when Mia Celentano scored off an assist from Froehlich. West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy increased the lead to 2-0 when Celina Condon set up Francesca Criscuolo at the 8:48 mark of the middle period.
The Westie Sharks, who had a 50-17 shot advantage in the game, increased the margin to 3-0 at the 1:55 mark of the third period when Froehlich scored off assists from Taylor Nowak and Jianna Cohrs.
Lynn leads Westie Sharks
Overtime winner tops East Catholic
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(February 16, 2018) - The West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy girls hockey team closed the regular season with a dramatic 4-3 overtime road victory over East Catholic Friday evening. With the win, the Westie Sharks concluded the regular season at 15-4-1.
Veronica Lynn scored twice in the contest, including the game-winner in overtime with an unassisted tally at the 1:55 mark.
Trailing 1-0 in the second period, the Westies got the equalizer when Jianna Cohrs scored off assists from Mia Celentano and Brooke McNabola. Lynn evened the game at two with 3:13 left in the second, before Taylor Nowak gave the Westie Sharks a 3-2 advantage 6:47 into the third.
East Catholic evened the contest with 1:15 remaining, but Lynn gave the Westie Sharks the win early in overtime.
Kyleen Crowe made 25 saves in the win for the Westie Sharks.
On to the Finals
Westie Sharks top NDFF in SCC semifinals
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(February 22, 2018) - The West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy girls hockey team has picked the right time to kick the season into gear. Since a loss to Simsbury a few weeks back, the Westie Sharks have been on fire, going 7-0-1, including seven straight victories.
The latest victory came Wednesday evening as the Westie Sharks blanked Notre Dame-Fairfield 3-0 in the Southern Connecticut Conference semifinals at the Edward L. Bennett Rink in West Haven. With the win, top-seeded West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy (16-4-1) will look to defend its league title when it plays second-seeded Hamden Saturday evening at 6 p.m., also at the Bennett Rink.
Celina Condon (4) scores against Notre Dame-Fairfield, February 21, 2018. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
As has been the case throughout the streak, the Westie Sharks received solid defensive play, great goaltending, and offensive contributions throughout the contest.
Kyleen Crowe was stellar in goal, with 22 saves in the game for the shutout. Crowe made seven saves in the first period, nine in the second, and six more in the third.
Offensively, Taylor Nowak led the way with a goal and an assist, while Brooke McNabola and Celina Condon also scored.
The Westie Sharks score against Notre Dame-Fairfield, February 21, 2018. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
Nowak gave the Westie Sharks a 1-0 led a at the 11:19 mark of the opening period with an unassisted tally, then set up McNabola's goal at the 4:16 mark of the second period. When Condon scored in the third period, the Westie Sharks were on their way to defending their title.
SCC South Champions
Froehlich, Courtmanche lead WH/SHA past Hamden
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(February 22, 2018) - The West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy girls hockey team had never beaten Hamden in its history. The Westie Sharks picked a good time to change that.
Behind three goals from Most Outstanding Player Megan Froehlich and 46 saves from fellow sophomore Tatum Courtmanche, West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy topped Hamden 4-3 in the Southern Connecticut Conference South Division championship at the Edward L. Bennett Rink in West Haven Saturday evening.
West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy won the SCC South Division championship against Hamden, February 24, 2018. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
The title for the Westie Sharks (17-4-1) was their second in a row, having defeated Amity/North Haven/Cheshire in the league’s title game last season.
“We had never beaten them in our history,” West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy coach Erin Blake said. “It says a lot about these girls. It says a lot about the program. The girls give their all from start to finish. Every girl on this team contributes. We have the heart.”
The Westie Sharks had to withstand a furious Hamden rally in the third period to secure their second straight title.
Just 1 minute, 42 seconds into the final period, Hamden’s Taylor Klesyk got the Green Dragons within 3-2 when she scored in front off an assist from Mackenzie Sargolini.
The Green Dragons (14-4-2) then threw everything they had at Courrtmanche in the third period, putting 22 shots on goal. Courtmanche was outstanding, denying Margaret Gould, Claire Boncek and Abigail Sullivan, then Ariana Martin in close with 4:55 remaining.
While Courtmanche was keeping the Westie Sharks in front, Froehlich scored what looked to be an insurance goal when she rifled a shot from the slot past Hamden goaltender Gianna Spiro with 4:06 remaining for a 4-2 advantage.
Hamden would not go away, and needed just 19 seconds to get within 4-3 on a goal by Angela Greco off an assist from Kelsey Carignan. Courtmanche denied Martin in front with 2:21 left and the Westie Sharks were closer to the title.
“We had never beaten them before, and this is the best place to beat them for the first time,” Courtmache said. “We just stayed focused.”
The Westie Sharks took over play in the second period, scoring three times in a span of 9:47 for a 3-1 advantage. Froehlich sparked the Westie Sharks, scoring the first two goals and fellow sophomore Taylor Nowak extended the margin to a pair of goals.
The Westie Sharks celebrate a goal against Hamden, February 24, 2018. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
“We had a bad second period,” Hamden coach Mike Callan said. “We did not play very smart hockey in the second period. We did not play well as a team and that cost us. We made some costly mistakes. Give them credit. They capitalized. Coach (Erin) Blake and Coach (Jocey) Morrell do a great job. They deserve it.”
After Brooke McNabola was stopped in close, Froehlich evened the game at one just a short time later when she took a perfect pass from Nowak and one-timed a shot past Spiro just 1:09 into the second period. Spiro came up big in the middle period for Hamden, turning aside 18 shots, but the Westie Sharks scored twice more.
Froehlich gave West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy a 2-1 lead when she knocked in a rebound of a shot by Jianna Cohrs with 3:44 gone by, before Nowak capped the second period scoring spree with a rebound goal off a shot by Celina Condon with 4:01 left in the second.
“This feels great,” Froehlich said. “In the past years, West Haven has not won against Hamden. This was a lot of team work and a lot of communication on and off the ice.”
Hamden controlled play from the start in the opening period, taking the first ten shots on goal until Nowak finally got the Westie Sharks in the shot column with 7:50 remaining in the opening period.
During the initial ten shots of the game, Hamden took a 1-0 lead when Gould’s shot eluded Courtmanche 2:52 into the game.
Courtmanche finished the opening period with 15 saves, including a dynamic save on a Martin shot from the slot with 8:25 remaining. A one-timer by Klesyk was also turned aside by Courtmanche with 2:02 remaining in the opening period.
The Westie Sharks were able to gain some momentum at the end of the first period, holding off the Green Dragons on a 5-on-3 advantage for 1:51. Nowak had the best scoring opportunity in that time frame as she went the length of the ice, but was turned aside by Spiro.
Rolling Along
Nowak leads Westie Sharks to first round win
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(February 26, 2018) - After topping rival Hamden to win its second consecutive Southern Connecticut Conference title, the West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy girls hockey team had just two days to get over the title and ready for the state tournament. The 48 hours were more than enough.
Scoring three times in the second period, and once more in the third, No. 6 West Haven/SHA topped No. 11 Hall/Conard 4-0 at the Edward L. Bennett Rink in West Haven Monday evening.
"Tonight with this win, the girls were able to accomplish every goal we set in the preseason," West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy coach Erin Blake said. "Last year was the first year we made the state tournament, and we lost in the first round, but this year we were determined. When we played Hall/Conard during the season, we were down Taylor Nowak and Brooke McNabola. We tied 0-0 with Kyleen Crowe playing her heart out in goal. I am extremely proud of our girls and their hard work this season. It is never just one girls stepping up in a win, but the entire team contributing."
With the victory, the Westie Sharks advance to the second round against third-seeded New Canaan. West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy also improved to 18-4-1 on the year, including 9-0-1 in the last ten games.
Taylor Nowak led the Westie Sharks with two goals, while Megan Froehlich added a pair of assists. Kyleen Crowe stopped all 16 shots she faced for the shutout.
Looking to get on a roll for the postseason, the Westie Sharks have done so with nine straight wins. The last time the team did not leave the ice with a win was in a 0-0 tie against Hall-Conard.
After a scoreless first period, the Westie Sharks scored three times in the middle period for a 3-0 advantage.
Just 2 minutes, 21 seconds into the middle period, West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy got on the board with an unassisted goal by Brooke McNabola.
The Westie Sharks increased the margin to two goals when Taylor Nowak scored off an assist from Megan Froehlich. Jianna Cohrs increased the margin to three goals off another assist from Froehlich 2:10 later. Nowak iced the game at the 12:23 mark of the third period.
Season Over
New Canaan tops Westie Sharks in state quarterfinals
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(March 3, 2018) - The season came to an end for the Westie Sharks with a 2-0 quarterfinal round loss against New Canaan. Despite 26 saves from Tatum Courtmanche in goal, including 11 in the first period and 10 in the second, the Westie Sharks (18-5-1) were unable to generate any offense with just 18 shots on goal.
“Coming into the state quarterfinals against third-seeded New Canaan, we knew it was going to be a difficult game,” Blake said. “Though the outcome wasn't what we had hoped for, it was still a hard- fought game till the last second. Tatum (Courtmanche) played an amazing game in net and kept the game in reach for us from start to finish. We went farther this year than last, and I am so proud of their hard work and determination this season. Placing first in the SCC South again, beating Hamden for the first time to win our second SCC Championship, and making the state quarterfinals, I think sums up a season to be proud of.”
West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy mustered just single digit shots in each period, tallying seven in the third.
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