GIRLS HOCKEY 2019-2020
WestieBlue
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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; Veronica Lynn '19; Taylor Nowak '19
Westie Sharks fall to East Catholic
WH/SHA falls to 10-3 on year
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(February 1, 2020) - The West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy girls hockey team has hit a bump in the road. After a solid win followed a pair of losses, the Westie Sharks played host to East Catholic Saturday evening.
Falling behind early, the team was unable to come back in a 4-3 loss at the Edward L. Bennett Rink in West Haven. With its third loss in four games, West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy fell to 10-3 on the year.
Mia Celentano led the way with a goal and an assist for the Westie Sharks.
Trailing by two goals in the second period, the Westie Sharks evened the contest with a pair of goals in a span of 2:17.
Megan Froehlich scored off an assist from Taylor Nowak at the 4:28 mark, and Celentano tallied off an assist from Jianna Cohrs at the 6:45 mark to even the game at two.
ETB took a 4-2 lead in the third, before Caitlin Welch got the Westie Sharks within 4-3 at the 9:48 mark.
West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy was unable to get the equalizer and dropped its third contest of the year.
Greenwich tops Westie Sharks
WH/SHA loses fourth in five games
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(February 3, 2020) - The West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy girls hockey team is officially in a funk. Looking to get back to its winning ways, West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy fell to Greenwich 2-1 Monday afternoon at the Edward L. Bennett Rink in West Haven.
With its fourth loss in five games, West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy fell to 10-4 on the year.
After a scoreless first period, the Westie Sharks opened the scoring in the second period. Just 3:53 into the period, West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy took a 1-0 lead when Jianna Cohrs scored off assists from Taylor Nowak and Megan Froehlich.
That was all the scoring for West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy. Despite holding a 32-23 shot advantage in the contest, the Westie Sharks could not find the back of the net again.Greenwich answered with a pair of goals in 1:33, the latter with 5:01 left in the second for a 2-1 lead it never relinquished.
Westie Sharks thump Hamden
Froehlich joins 100-point club
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(February 5, 2020) - The West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy girls hockey team recently crowned a 100-goal scorer in Taylor Nowak. The Westie Sharks now have to add a 100-point scorer to the list.
With two goals against Hamden in an 8-3 victory, Megan Froehlich joined the 100-point club as the Westie Sharks improved to 11-4 on the season.
The win was a big one for West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy as the team looks to get back on track after suffering four losses in its last five games. Jenna Hunt led the way with three goals and an assist, Froehlich had two goals, Nowak added a goal and two assists, and Mia Celentano and Brooke McNabola each had a goal and an assist in the victory.
The Westie Sharks led 4-1 after one period of play and never looked back. McNabola opened the scoring off an assist from Hunt, and Hunt gave WH/SHA a 2-1 lead with an unassisted goal 7:10 into the contest. Froehlich scored for a 3-1 lead off assists from Mackenzie Gardner and Nowak before Celentano rounded out the first period scoring off an assist from Nowak.
Leading 4-3, WH/SHA extended the margin to three goals in the final 5:09 of the middle period. Froehlich recorded her 100th career point and gave the Westie Sharks a 5-3 lead, then Hunt scored off an assist from McNabola with 1:19 left in the second for a 6-3 advantage.
The Westie Sharks put the game away with two more goals in the third. Hunt scored off an assist from Celentano 1:20 in, and Nowak capped the scoring with an unassisted goal in the final seconds.
Hailey Alfano made 21 saves in the win.
Darien drops Westie Sharks
Blue Wave too much in 7-4 win
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(February 12, 2020) - The West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy girls hockey team knew it was in for the ultimate test Wednesday evening when the Westie Sharks played host to Darien. Consistently one of the best teams in the state, the Blue Wave would prove to be quite the test.
Scoring the first three goals of the game, Darien never looked back in a 7-4 victory at the Edward L. Bennett Rink in West Haven.
The Westie Sharks (11-5) were unable to break through until the second period when Mackenzie Gardner scored off an assist from Megan Froehlich to get within 3-1 just 34 seconds after Darien scored and at the 5:58 mark.
The Blue Wave scored the next two goals to take a 5-1 lead, before Taylor Nowak scored an unassisted goal with 2:26 left in the middle period to get West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy within 5-2.
The Westie Sharks put the pressure on in the third period, but never got closer as Darien scored the first two goals of the period within a span of eight seconds for a 7-2 lead.
West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy got within 7-3 on a Mia Celentano goal with 8:52 remaining, off assists from Jenna Hunt and Emilee DeGrand, before Nowak scored her second of the game off assists from Megan Froehlich and Jianna Cohrs with 3:23 left for a 7-4 contest.
Hailey Alfano made 35 saves in the loss for the Westie Sharks.
Westie Sharks fall to Simsbury
WH/SHA falls 7-4
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(February 15, 2020) - With the postseason approaching, the West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy girls hockey team is looking to find its stride once again. Unfortunately for the Westie Sharks, they have hit a bit of a rut.
The Westie Sharks dropped their second in a row and fourth in five contests with a 7-4 loss at Simsbury Saturday evening. West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy scored first, but trailed 3-1 after one period and never caught up.
Mia Celentano gave the Westie Sharks a 1-0 lead at the 7:29 mark off assists from Emilee DeGrand and Jenna Hunt, but Simsbury took a 3-1 lead.Jianna Cohrs got West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy within 3-2 at the 2:57 mark of the second, but Simsbury scored the next three for a 6-2 lead. Brooke McNabola got the Westie Sharks within 6-3 in the second, and Taylor Nowak scored off assists from Hunt and Megan Froehlich in the third, but it was not enough.
Westie Sharks top Amity
McNabola leads WH/SHA to 7-5 win
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(February 18, 2020) - Having lost two straight and four of five entering Tuesday night’s contest with Amity, the West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy girls hockey team knew the game was coming at the right time.
Looking to get going in the right direction once again, the Westie Sharks rallied from an early deficit, then scored twice in the third period to defeat Amity 7-5 at the Edward L. Bennnett Rink.
Brooke McNabola led the way with three goals, Taylor Nowak and Jenna Hunt each had a goal and two assists, and Hannah Davey made 24 saves to help WH/SHA improve to 12-6 on the season.
The Westie Sharks jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead when McNabola scored 3:40 into the game off an assist from Hunt, then 5:52 later unassisted.
Amity scored the final three goals of the opening period, but the Westie Sharks needed just 10 seconds of the second period to even the contest when McNabola recorded the hat trick off an assist from Nowak.
Hunt gave WH/SHA a 4-3 lead with an unassisted tally at the 4:49 mark, and Jianna Cohrs scored off an assist from Nowak one minute later for a 5-3 advantage.
Amity scored twice in less than a minute to even the game at the 9:40 mark of the second, but Nowak gave WH/SHA the lead for good at 6-5 off an assist from Megan Froehlich at the 3:04 mark of the third. Emilee DeGrand increased the lead to a pair of goals 34 seconds later as the Westie Sharks posted a 7-5 victory.
Davey started in goal in the final two periods, coming up with 12 saves in each to preserve the win.
Guilford Does It Again
WH/SHA falls 7-6
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(February 21, 2020) - The last time Guilford and West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy met was a classic affair which did not end in the favor of the Westie Sharks at Webster Bank Arena.
While Guilford rallied for an overtime victory in the first meeting, it was the Westie Sharks who rallied to force overtime Friday evening. The result, however, again belonged in favor of the Indians.
Despite WH/SHA scoring twice in the final 1:56 of regulation, Guilford used an overtime tally to top WH/SHA 7-6 at the Edward L. Bennett Rink in West Haven. With the loss, WH/SHA fell to 12-7 on the year.
Megan Froehlich led the offense with two goals, while Taylor Nowak had one goal and four assists. Hannah Davey was outstanding in goal with 43 saves.
WH/SHA got on the board first when Nowak scored off an assist from Meghan Dupre 2:21 into the contest. Guilford evened the game 19 seconds later and had a 2-1 lead, before WH/SHA took a 3-2 lead after one period of play.
Mia Celentano evened the contest off an assist from Jenna Hunt at the 10:11 mark, and Jianna Cohrs scored off an assist from Nowak with 51 seconds remaining in the opening period.
The Westie Sharks took a 4-2 lead 34 seconds into the second when Froehlich scored off assists from Brooke McNabola and Nowak.
Guilford scored the next four goals, including three in a span of 1:36 of the second, and the fourth at the 7:08 mark of the third, before the Westie Sharks rallied.
Froehlich drew WH/SHA within 6-5 with 1:56 remaining in the third off assists from Mackenzie Gardner and Nowak, before McNabola scored the equalizer off an assist from Nowak with 52 seconds to go.
WH/SHA blanks Hand
Westie Sharks open SCC tourney with 7-0 win
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(February 24, 2020) - The West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy girls hockey team opened the Southern Connecticut Conference tournament with a 7-0 victory over Hand Monday evening at the Edward L. Bennett Rink in West Haven.
Nine different players were in the scoring column as WH/SHA advances to play Guilford in the semifinals of the tournament. The two teams have already played a pair of high-scoring contests this season, with Guilford coming out on top in both.
Jenna Hunt led the offense with three goals and one assist, Jianna Cohrs had a goal and two assists, and Meghan Dupre finished with a pair of assists. Hailey Alfano and Hannah Davey combined to make 10 saves.
WH/SHA took control of the contest with five goals in the opening period. Taylor Nowak opened the scoring 2:18 in off assists from Cohrs and Meghan Dupre, and Hunt made it a 2-0 game with an unassisted tally 39 seconds later.
Hunt scored her second of the contest 1:20 later off an assist from Mackenzie Gardner for a 3-0 advantage, before Hunt set up Mia Celentano 14 seconds later, with an assist also going to Anne Plunkett, for a 4-0 lead.
Hunt completed her hat trick and increased the lead to 5-0 with 41 seconds to go in the opening period for a 5-0 lead.
WH/SHA used single tallies in each of the second and third periods for the 7-0 final. Cohrs scored off an assist from Dupre in the second, and Chase Ireland scored off assists from Megan Froehlich and Cohrs in the third.
Three Strikes
Westie Sharks fall to Guilford in SCC quarterfinals
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(February 26, 2020) - There will be no Southern Connecticut Conference championship for the WH/SHA girls hockey team. Looking to top Guilford after a pair of gut-wrenching losses to the Indians, the Westie Sharks did not have to worry about any last-minute defeat.
Trailing early and never having the lead, third-seeded WH/SHA fell to second-seeded Guilford 8-3 in the SCC semifinals in East Haven Wednesday evening.
Megan Froehlich led the offense with a goal and an assist, Mackenzie Gardner had two assists, and Hannah Davey made 15 saves, but it was not enough in the lop-sided loss.
Guilford scored the first three goals of the game, including taking a 2-0 lead after one period of play. WH/SHA finally got back into the contest in a span of 3:06, scoring twice, and cutting the deficit to 3-2 with 3:07 left in the second period.
The Indians rebounded by scoring twice in the final 1:27 of the middle period for a 5-2 lead, and increased the margin to 7-2 in the third.
Taylor Nowak scored off assists from Gardner and Froehlich to get within 7-3.
Season Over
Westie Sharks fall to East Catholic in state opener
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(March 2, 2020) - The season came to a crushing end for the West Haven/SHA girls hockey team Monday evening in a heart-breaking 1-0 loss to seventh-seeded East Catholic.
The tenth-seeded Westie Sharks dominated play with 49 shots on goal, but could not get one to find the back of the net.
Hannah Davey played well in goal for the Westie Sharks with 20 saves, but East Catholic scored the winner with 33 seconds to go on a rush by Mary McKiernan.
Westie Sharks top NDFF in opener
Nowak, Froehlich lead way in 8-4 victory
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(December 16, 2019) - The West Haven / Sacred Heart Academy girls hockey team opened the 2019-2020 season in style with an impressive 8-4 victory over Notre Dame Fairfield/Foran Monday evening in Shelton.
Taylor Nowak led the offense with three goals and one assist, Megan Froehlich had two goals and two assists, and Jenna Hunt and Mackenzie Gardner each had a pair of assists. Hannah Davey and Hailey Alfano each played well in goal with Alfano turning aside six shots and Davey saving four more.
Taylor Nowak (11) led the Westie Sharks with three goals in a season-opening win over Notre Dame-Fairfield, December 16, 2019. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
The Westie Sharks scored five times in the opening period and never looked back. Jianna Cohrs opened the scoring 2 minutes, 50 seconds into the contest off assists from Nowak and Froehlich, before Froehlich scored off an assist from Hunt 2:17 later for a 2-0 advantage.
"These girls continue to prove to be special year after year," WH/SHA coach Erin Blake said. "They have come together as a team more than ever this season with the recent injury of our goalie Grace Nowak. Hailey Alfano and Hannah Davey have stepped it up for the team in goal, and as their coach, there is nothing better than seeing every girl continuously rally behind them."
Hunt increased the margin to 3-0 at the 7:52 mark off an assist from Anne Plunkett, and Froehlich made it a 4-0 game 1:09 later off an assist from Gardner. When Gardner set up Maya Boyhen 1:01 later, the Westie Sharks had a 5-0 advantage.
"Every girl plays an important role and seeing the way they worked together, we have high hopes for another great season," Blake said.
West Haven/SHA scored the only goal of the second period when Nowak scored off an assist from Froehlich at the 6:44 mark.
The Westie Sharks put the game away in the third period, scoring twice in the first five minutes for an 8-2 lead. Nowak scored off assists from Cohrs and Hunt, before the West Haven senior finished her hat trick off an assist from Chase Ireland with 4:58 gone by in the third.
Hunt leads Westie Sharks
WH/SHA post 6-0 victory over Hand
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(December 18, 2019) - The West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy girls hockey team improved to 2-0 on the year with a 6-0 victory over Hand/Coginchaug/Valley in the home opener at the Edward L. Bennett Rink in West Haven Wednesday evening.
In a solid defensive effort, the Westie Sharks allowed just four shots on goal, with goaltenders Hailey Alfano and Hannah Davey combining for the shutout. Alfano needed to make just one save, while Davey finished with three saves.
Jenna Hunt (7) scores against Hand/Coginchaug/Valley, December 18, 2019. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
“Our girls are working hard and are extremely motivated this season to help out their goalies,” coach Erin Blake said. “They are playing strong offensively and defensively the entire game.”
Jenna Hunt led the offense with two goals, while Megan Froehlich had a goal and two assists, and Taylor Nowak had a goal and an assist.
Hunt got the Westie Sharks started with a goal less than a minute into the contest, before her second of the game, off an assist from Froehlich, put the Westie Sharks on top 2-0.
West Haven/SHA continued the offensive barrage, taking a 3-0 lead 5:34 into the contest on a goal by Nowak, assisted by Froehlich. Melissa Tsakonas increased the margin to four goals at the 12:10 mark of the opening period.
The Westie Sharks put the contest away with two more goals in the second period. Froehlich scored off assists from Kiersten Adamo and Nowak, and Mia Celentano scored off assists from Emilee DeGrand and Mae Iversen at the 3:03 mark.
Strong Start
WH/SHA improves to 3-0 with win over Hall/Conard
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(December 30, 2019) - The West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy girls hockey team improved to 3-0 with an 8-5 victory over Hall-Conard Monday evening in West Hartford.
Jenna Hunt led the offense with two goals and two assists, Emilee DeGrand had one goal and three assists, Mia Celentano added two goals and an assist, while Megan Froehlich and Taylor Nowak each had a goal and an assist as seven players were in the scoring column. Hailey Alfano made 13 saves in the victory, including six in the middle period.
“Hall/Conard got on the board early first, but what makes me proud is our girls didn't hang their heads,” West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy coach Erin Blake said. “They fired right back and kept the momentum up the rest of game. It was a whole team effort.”
Trailing 1-0, the Westie Sharks evened the contest with 1 minute, 59 seconds remaining in the opening period when Mia Celentano scored off assists from DeGrand and Hunt.
West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy put the game away with five goals in the second period. Hunt gave the Westie Sharks a 2-1 lead off an assist from Mackenzie Gardner 1:22 into the second, before Hunt’s second of the period, off an assist from DeGrand with 10:25 remaining gave West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy a 3-1 lead.
“Jenna's (Hunt) line had eleven points total between the three of them,” Blake said. “(Jenna) started the scoring and Emilee (DeGrand), as a freshman, had her first goal and added in four points. Taylor's (Nowak) line all scored so each player on our top two lines scored. Brooke (McNabola) played her best game yet, holding down the defensive with Mackenzie (Gardner).”
Leading 3-2, DeGrand scored off an assist from Celentano, and Celentano scored 1:59 later off assists from DeGrand and Hunt for a 5-2 advantage. Froehlich added a tally with 33 seconds remaining in the period for a 6-2 lead.The Westie Sharks took a 7-2 lead 2:43 into the third when Nowak scored an unassisted goal, before Nowak and Froehlich set up Cohrs with 8:18 remaining for an 8-3 lead.
Four Strong
WH/SHA improves to 4-0 with another win over Hall/Conard
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(January 4, 2020) - The West Haven/Sacred Heart girls hockey team improved to 4-0 with its second consecutive 8-5 victory over Hall-Conard Saturday afternoon at the Edward L. Bennett Rink in West Haven.
Nine players were in the scoring column, including Megan Froehlich with three goals and two assists, and Mia Celentano and Taylor Nowak with two goals apiece. Jianna Cohrs and Meghan Dupre each had a pair of assists in the win for the Westie Sharks.
West Haven / Sacred Heart Academy took a 4-0 lead in the opening period. Jenna Hunt got things going 2:06 into the contest off assists from Froehlich and Dupre, before Froehlich scored off assists from Emilee DeGrand and Brooke McNabola 5:48 later.
Froehlich scored again 26 seconds later off an assist from Cohrs for a 3-0 lead, before Celentano scored off and assist from Dupre for a 4-0 advantage.
Leading 4-1, Hunt set up Celentano 1:23 into the second, and Anne Plunkett set up Froehlich at the 4:25 mark for a 6-2 lead.
With the lead cut to 6-4, Nowak put the Westie Sharks on top by three goals with 48 seconds remaining in the second off an assist from Froehlich. Nowak closed out the scoring in the third off an assist from Cohrs.
Hannah Davey made nine saves, including five in the opening period, and Hailey Alfano made four in the win for the Westie Sharks.
Five in a Row
WH/SHA tops Fairfield Warde/Ludlowe
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(January 6, 2020) - The West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy girls hockey team continues to roll along. Behind 19 saves from Hailey Alfano, two goals and an assist from Taylor Nowak, and a goal and an assist each from Brooke McNabola and Jianna Cohrs, the Westie Sharks improved to 5-0 with a 6-1 victory over Fairfield Warde/Ludlowe at the Edward L. Bennett Rink Monday evening.
Alfano was stellar in goal, making five saves in the first and four more in the second with the Westie Sharks in a tight contest. Alfano was at her best in the third period with 10 saves, and the rest of the team responded with four goals to put the game away.
The Westie Sharks took a 1-0 lead on an unassisted goal by McNabola 2 minutes, 56 seconds into the game and held that lead until the second period. With the game even at one, Cohrs scored off an assist from Anne Plunkett at the 9:24 mark of the second to give West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy a lead it never relinquished.
The Westie Sharks scored four times in the third as Emilee DeGrand opened the scoring at the 6:10 mark off assists from Mia Celentano and Jenna Hunt for a 3-1 lead. Mackenzie Gardner increased the lead to 4-1 just 4:22 later off an assist from Nowak, before Nowak put the game away.
The senior gave West Haven / Sacred Heart Academy a 5-1 lead with 1:57 left off assist from Cohrs and McNabola, before scoring an unassisted tally with 12 seconds remaining.
Hanging On
WH/SHA holds on to top Hamden 10-8
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(January 8, 2020) - The West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy girls hockey team continues to find different ways to win. Through six games, the Westie Sharks are a perfect 6-0.
The latest victory for the Westie Sharks came Wednesday evening against rival Hamden. Scoring six times in the second period, West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy posted a 10-8 victory at the Lou Astorino Rink In Hamden.
“Tonight was a tough game,” West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy coach Erin Blake said. “Hamden is always one of our most difficult games of the season. They are a fast, tough, smart team. Taylor (Nowak) and Megan (Froehlich) both added a hat trick each and Jiji (Cohrs) with her two goals and assists helped put this game away.”
Megan Froehlich led the way for the Westie Sharks with three goals and two assists, Jianna Cohrs added two goals and three assists, while Taylor Nowak had three goals and one assist in the win.
Trailing 4-2 in the second period, the Westie Sharks scored five straight times to take a lead they never relinquished.
Froehlich scored off an assist from Cohrs to get West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy within 4-3 5:04 into the second, before an unassisted goal by Nowak evened the contest at four just 54 seconds later.
Cohrs scored an unassisted goal 1:34 later for a 5-4advantage, before Nowak set up Froehlich for a 6-4 lead 41 seconds later. Froehlich made it a 7-4 contest off an assist from Anne Plunkett with 4:31 left in the second.
The Westie Sharks increased the margin to 8-5 with 18 seconds remaining in the middle period when Nowak scored her third of the game off assists from Cohrs and Froehlich.
“Our defense worked hard tonight,” Blake said. “Mackenzie (Gardner) and Brooke (McNabola) have been controlling the defense with freshman Anne Plunkett and now Maya Boyhen. We were behind a few times tonight, but came together as team and pushed through with four quick goals in five minutes. Our ability to put the puck in the net is what continues to help us be successful.”
With the lead at 8-6, the Westie Sharks increased the margin to three goals on a tally by Hunt with 6:54 to go. Hamden got with 9-8 on a pair of goals in 1:05, but Brooke McNabola iced the contest with 32 seconds to go.
Cohrs gave West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy a quick lead in the contest, scoring 5:36 in, before Hamden scored the next two goals. Nowak evened the contest at two with her first of the game off assists from Cohrs and Froehlich with 2:57 left in the opening period.
Hailey Alfano made 15 saves in the win for the Westie Sharks.
Nowak leads WH/SHA past NDFF
Senior scores 4 times in 6-5 win
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(January 11, 2020) - The winning streak to start the season has reached seven games for the West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy girls hockey team. Behind four goals from Taylor Nowak, including the game-winner with 11 seconds remaining in the third period, the Westie Sharks topped Notre Dame-Fairfield 6-5 at the Edward L. Bennett Rink Saturday afternoon.
“Notre Dame is always an aggressive team that fights start to finish every game,” WH/SHA Erin Blake said. “Today was a hard fought game by both teams and we were lucky enough to pull out the win just in time. Taylor (Nowak) played a phenomenal game leading her team today with four goals, including the game-winner. We need to continue to work hard offensively and defensively to help our goalies. Hailey (Alfano) played a great game in net and is improving every day.”
Leading 5-3 heading into the third period, WH/SHA watched as the Lancers evened the contest with a short-handed goal with 1:09 remaining.
Nowak was there to bail her team out. Off an assist from Mackenzie Gardner, Nowak found the back of the net in the final seconds for a 6-5 advantage.
Notre Dame took a 2-0 lead in the first period before the Westie Sharks got within 2-1 when Nowak scored off an assist from Hunt with 15 seconds to go in the opening period.
Off an assist from Brooke McNabola, Megan Froehlich evened the game at two 1:11 into the second.
Trailing 3-2, WH/SHA closed the period with three consecutive goals. Nowak evened the contest off an assist from Froehlich at the 8:21 mark, and an unassisted goal by Nowak put the Westie Sharks on top 4-3 with 4:20 remaining in the period. Jenna Hunt increased the lead to 5-3 with 40 seconds to go in the period off an assist from Mia Celentano.
“The girls have been digging deep to grab these last two wins and doing it as a team,” Blake said. “That is what makes me proud to coach such a great group of young ladies. Our defense has fought hard every game Mackenzie (Gardner) and Brooke (McNabola) have been amazing. Freshman Anne Plunkett continues to stay strong, and sophomore Maya Boyhen has stepped up big for the team and has been doing a great job on defense.”
Hailey Alfano made 17 saves in the win as the Westie Sharks held a 45-22 shot advantage in the game.
WH/SHA rolls past Masuk
Nowak scores 3 as career total hits 99
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(January 14, 2020) - The winning streak has reached eight games to start the season for the West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy girls hockey team. The Westie Sharks produced their latest victory in emphatic fashion with an 8-2 victory over Masuk Tuesday evening at the Edward L. Bennett Rink in West Haven.
Ten different players were in the scoring column, led by Taylor Nowak who had three goals and one assist. For Nowak, the goal total is now at 99 in her memorable high school career.
Jianna Cohrs scored twice and added an assist, while Hailey Alfano and Hannah Davey combined to make 12 saves. Alfano finished the contest with seven saves and Davey added five in the victory.
“Tonight was a great win for the girls,” coach Erin Blake said. “They continue to fight hard from start to finish each game. Caitlin Welch and Melissa Tsakonas had their first career goals. Hailey (Alfano) played well in the first period in goal, Hannah (Davey) was solid in the second and third periods.”
The Westie Sharks took control of the game in the opening period, scoring four times for a 4-0 advantage. Megan Froehlich, who had a goal and an assist, got things going 33 seconds into the contest with a tally off an assist from Cohrs.
Less than five minutes later, the lead was 2-0 when Melissa Tsakonas scored off an assist from Mackenzie Gardner. Cohrs made the score 3-0 off an assist from Nowak 2:10 later, then scored again off an assist from Emilee DeGrand with six seconds remaining in the period for a 4-0 advantage.
Leading 4-1 in the second, the Westie Sharks increased the margin to 5-1 when Caitlin Welch scored off assists from Maya Boyhen and Jenn Hunt. Nowak scored twice in 35 seconds in the second. Then finished her hat trick at the 12:16 mark off an assist from Froehlich.
WH/SHA tops Branford
Hunt, Cohrs lead the way to 9-0
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(January 16, 2020) - West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy improved to 9-0 with a 6-2 victory over Branford Thursday evening at the Edward L. Bennett Rink in West Haven.
Nine different players were in the scoring column, led by Jenna Hunt and Jianna Cohrs with two goals and an assist apiece. Maya Boyhen finished with a pair of assists. Hailey Alfano finished with 12 saves, including five in the second period.
The Westie Sharks trailed 1-0 until Megan Froehlich scored off assists from Cohrs and Brooke McNabola with 20 seconds remaining in the opening period.
West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy scored the first three goals of the second period for a 4-1 advantage.
Hunt gave the Westie Sharks the lead for good with an unassisted goal at the 10:20 mark, before she scored again 1:06 later off assists from Mia Celentano and Boyhen. When Cohrs scored an unassisted goal 48 seconds later, WH/SHA led 4-1.
h a 4-2 advantage, the Westie Sharks put the contest away with two third period goals. Mackenzie Gardner scored at the 6:39 mark off assists from Hunt and Anne Plunkett, before Cohrs scored her second of the game with 1:12 left off assists from Taylor Nowak and Boyhen.
WH/SHA falls to New Canaan
Nowak scores 100th goal in loss
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(January 20, 2020) - The results were mixed for the West Haven / Sacred Heart Academy girls hockey team Monday evening.
Team-wise, the Westie Sharks suffered their first defeat of the year in a 6-5 loss to New Canaan at the Darien Ice House.
On an Individual basis, senior Taylor Nowak recorded her 100th career goal, adding another notch in her list of athletic and academic achievements.
For the Westie Sharks, they battled back from a two-goal deficit to take a 3-2 lead, then battled back from a 5-3 deficit to even the game, before falling 6-5. The loss was the team’s first after opening the season with nine straight victories.
Megan Froehlich led the Westie Sharks with one goal and three assists, while Brooke McNabola had two goals, and Jianna Cohrs and Nowak each had a goal and an assist apiece.
Trailing 2-0, Nowak put the Westie Sharks on the board off an assist from Froehlich with 2:06 left in the first period. McNabola evened the contest off an assist from Nowak 3:27 into the second, and Cohrs gave West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy a 3-2 lead off assists from Froehlich and Mackenzie Gardner at the 7:52 mark.
New Canaan responded with the final three goals of the second period to take a 5-3 lead to the third period. Off an assist from Cohrs, Froehlich got her team within a goal 2:30 in, before McNabola evened the contest at five off an assist from Froehlich at the 8:25 mark.
New Canaan responded just 11 seconds later to take a 6-5 lead. Hailey Alfano made 11 saves in the loss for West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy.
Guilford stuns WH/SHA
Indians rally for 7-6 OT win
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(January 24, 2020) - The West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy girls hockey team was in prime position to win its tenth contest of the season. All of a sudden, it was not.
Read about Guilford's stunning comeback from Mike Fornabaio of GameTimeCT below:
BRIDGEPORT — Guilford trailed early and greatly Friday at Webster Bank Arena, but the Indians’ girls hockey team had a few key things going for it. One, the Indians had rebounded from a similar deficit to win last weekend. And two, they had Maddie Epke.
Epke’s fifth goal and seventh point, a power-play goal through a screen 1:55 into overtime, gave Guilford a 7-6 win over West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy at the Connecticut Ice Girls High School Hockey Showcase.
Guilford trailed 5-1 in the second period, 5-2 after two and 6-3 with 7:30 to go. Epke scored her third goal 56 seconds later and her fourth goal 42 seconds after that, and Daniella Vickerman tied the game on the rebound of an Epke shot with 2:21 left.
“In the second and third period, we really kicked on the gears,” Epke said. “We focused more on shooting on the net, because we were missing the net a lot. We focused on skating 100 percent effort every time we got out there.”
Epke, a field hockey and lacrosse standout as well, also drew the penalty in overtime, getting tripped on a breakaway.
On paper, little favored Guilford (5-3), especially once West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy (9-2) jumped ahead 2-1 after one. The Westie Sharks were coming off taking defending state champion New Canaan to overtime on Monday night, a 6-5 New Canaan win.
If Guilford had anything, it was a tournament in Massachusetts last weekend in which the Indians trailed 4-0 in the semifinals before coming back to win in overtime.
“It’s a lot to be able to be able to say that we can come back from everything,” Guilford sophomore defenseman Olivia Gill said. “We have a history of maybe not doing so well, so we’d like to get better every single year. It means a lot to be able to overcome that and believe in ourselves.”
Gill admitted, though, there were some sad faces around the dressing room after the first period. And West Haven/SHA scored the first three goals of the second period, capped by Taylor Nowak’s first of two. Guilford still found a way.
“There’s nothing you can take away from this (Guilford) team,” Westie Sharks coach Erin Blake said. “Maddie Epke’s a fantastic player. She just won that game.
“We talk about playing together as a team. Our goalie today (Hailey Alfano), she’s also a newer goalie, she played great. … This is one of her better games. We’ve got to go strong, start to finish. We can’t come in and take it slow. There’s nothing you can take away from that team. They wanted it more.”
WH/SHA sails by Avon
Froehlich leads way in 9-2 win
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(January 28, 2020) - Following a two-game losing streak which saw West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy endure a pair of gut-wrenching losses, the team needed a game to start feeling good once again. That game came Tuesday evening against Avon.
With 10 different players picking up points, West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy rolled to a 9-2 victory at the Edward L. Bennett Rink in West Haven. With the victory, the team improved to 10-2 on the year.
Megan Froehlich led the way with one goal and four assists, and she now has 96 career points. Taylor Nowak had three goals, Jenna Hunt added two goals and two assists, and Mia Celentano had two goals and one assist.
Hailey Alfano picked up the victory in goal as she turned aside 11 shots in a game the Westie Sharks held a 43-13 shot advantage.
West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy never trailed in the contest, taking a 2-0 lead in the opening period and never looking back.
Froehlich opened the scoring off an assist from Meghan Dupre, and Nowak increased the lead 2:23 later off assists from Froehlich and Jianna Cohrs, who finished with a pair of assists.
Leading 2-1 in the second, West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy went on a 4-1 run for a 6-2 lead. Hunt assisted on Emilee DeGrand’s goal 1:10 into the second for a 3-1 lead, Nowak scored off assists from Froehlich and Mackenzie Gardner for a 4-1 advantage, and Celentano scored an unassisted goal at the 10:34 mark for a 5-2 advantage. Celentano then set up Hunt 1:43 later for a 6-2 advantage.
The Westie Sharks scored all three goals in the third period. Celentano opened the scoring off assists from Froehlich and Hunt 1:13 in, Nowak recorded her hat trick off assists from Froehlich and Cohrs, and Hunt increased the lead to 9-2 off assists from Maya Boyhen and Anne Plunkett with 5:26 remaining.
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