High Drama
Westies rally past Guilford with two late goals
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(October 16, 2021) - Entering Saturday afternoon’s contest with Guilford having lost two in a row and three of its last four contests, the West Haven girls soccer team was looking for a spark. A dramatic comeback victory may do the trick.
Trailing twice in the contest, West Haven rallied each time to post a 4-3 victory over Guilford Saturday afternoon at Ken Strong Stadium in West Haven.
"We showed real resilience coming back twice, first from 2-0 down and then 3-2 down, to get the win,” West Haven coach Pete Trenchard said. “It is a big win for us. The girls stayed strong and kept their heads up, especially after Guilford scored with less than ten minutes to go ahead. We kept fighting and not only got the tying goal, but less than a minute later, got the winner. We were able to close out the game and then get a much-needed win."
Trailing 2-0 after Guilford scored once in the first half and again to start the second half, West Haven cut the deficit in half when Riley Severino scored an unassisted goal 11:07 into the second half. Just 4:56 later, Julia Tsakonas scored off an assist from Grace Nowak to even the game at two.
Tea Gambardella gave Guilford a 3-2 advantage with 8:14 remaining, before the Westies rallied.
Madison Lentine evened the game with 5:07 later off an assist from Tsakonas, before Maya Bermudez scored the go-ahead goal 50 seconds later off an assist from Lentine.
Guilford held an 11-10 shot advantage. Kassidy Carrano made eight saves in the win.
Senior Led
Westies qualify for postseason with Senior Night win
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(October 18, 2021) - Madison Lentine, Cori Severino, Riley Severino and the senior class knew what was at stake when they took the field against Wilbur Cross Monday evening, Not only was it Senior Night, but the Westies had a chance to clinch a berth in the postseason with a victory.
Behind two goals and two assists from Lentine, and a goal and two assists from Cori Severino, West Haven qualified for postseason play with a 6-1 victory at Ken Strong Stadium.
Sophomore Ariana Izzo added a pair of goals and junior Kassidy Carrano needed to make just two saves as West Haven improved to 6-4-2 on the year.
“We went out, played well, and did what we needed to do tonight,” West Haven coach Pete Trenchard said. “The girls all played well, we got the win on Senior Night, and it's the win that clinched our spot in the state tournament.”
The Westies took a 3-0 lead to the half and never looked back in the victory. Izzo started the scoring off an assist from Emma Walker 17 minutes, 21 seconds in, and Lentine increased the lead to 2-0 6:22 later with assists going to Cori Severino and junior Julia Tsakonas.
Izzo assured West Haven was going to play in the postseason when she scored her second of the game less than five minutes later for a 5-0 advantage. Lentine assisted on the goal which gave the Westies a commanding lead.
Lentine and Cori Severino were at it again 10:24 into the second half when Severino assisted on Lentine’s second goal of the game. Tsakonas gave West Haven a 5-0 lead with eight minutes remaining, before Cori Severino capped West Haven’s scoring off assists from Lentine and Riley Severino with 1:55 to go.
Cross scored a late goal to spoil the shutout bid.
“We had four different girls score tonight, with Maddy Lentine and Ariana Izzo both getting two,” Trenchard said. “Defensively, we were solid. We really limited their chances, and Kassidy (Carrano) played well, just as she has done all season for us.”
West Haven held an 11-3 shot advantage in the game.
West Haven Blanks East Haven
Carrano leads Westies with 3rd shutout of year
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(October 20, 2021) - The West Haven girls soccer team improved to 7-4-2 with a 3-0 victory over East Haven Wednesday evening at Ken Strong Stadium in West Haven. The victory was West Haven’s third in a row.
The Westies led 1-0 at the half, then used a pair of second half goals to pull away. In between, West Haven used a solid defensive effort to preserve the third shutout of the year for Kassidy Carrano, who finished with six saves.
“We played well from start to finish,” West Haven coach Pete Trenchard said. “We got the early goal and kept the pressure on them. Getting the second goal so early in the second half deflated them a little and Jaylyn Powell’s goal put it away for us. Kassidy (Carrano) made the saves we needed her to make, and the defense held strong to help Kass pick up the shutout."
West Haven took a 1-0 lead in the first half when Cori Severino scored off an assist from Madison Lentine just 5 minutes, 42 seconds in. Severino’s goal held up until early in the second half.
Julia Tsakonas gave the Westies a 2-0 advantage when she scored off an assist from Lentine 3:28 into the second half. Jaylyn Powell capped the scoring at the 69:30 mark for a 3-0 lead.
West Haven Rebounds
Carrano and defense lead Westies to 4th shutout
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(October 25, 2021) - After losing to Foran 4-0 two days earlier, the West Haven girls soccer team was looking to bounce back quickly. The Westies did exactly that. Behind a strong defensive effort and six saves from Kassidy Carrano, West Haven topped North Haven 2-0 at Ken Strong Stadium in West Haven Monday evening.
"Overall, they (Foran) were just better than us on the night,” West Haven coach Pete Trenchard said. “We came out flat and they took advantage."
After a scoreless first half against North Haven, the Westies got on the board early in the second half with the only goal they would need. Julia Tsakonas scored 5:42 into the second half and the defense and Carrano did the rest.
Carrano made six saves, before West Haven iced the contest when Ariana izzo scored at 75:12.
"This was a big win for us,” Trenchard said. “We played extremely well from start to finish, with the whole team working together to get the win. We were able to put the loss to Foran behind us, outplay a team that beat us earlier in the season, and get the win. I am very proud of how the girls played tonight."
West Haven had 12 shots in the win.
Tsakonas leads Westies
Junior nets hat trick in season opening win
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(September 9, 2021) - In a shortened season one year ago, the West Haven girls soccer team got off to a quick start, winning five games to open the campaign. Looking to get off to a similar start in 2021, the Westies accomplished the first step.
On the road to play rival Hamden, the Westies used the scoring of junior Julia Tsakonas (3 goals) and the goalkeeping of junior Kassidy Carrano (7 saves) to open the year with a 3-2 victory over the Green Dragons.
The Westies celebrate one of three goals by Julia Tsakonas in a 3-2 win over Hamden, September 9, 2021. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
"Overall, it is a great way to start the season,” West Haven coach Pete Trenchard said. “We got the win away from home against a strong team. Julia (Tsakonas) was on fire, getting the hat trick. She always finds a way to get the ball into the back of the net. Kassidy (Carrano) had some big saves to preserve the win for us."
Tsakonas scored twice in the opening half and added the eventual winner in the second half. West Haven had 12 shots in the contest.
Tsakonas got the Westies on the board when she scored off an assist from Emma walker at the 24:21 mark. The junior’s second goal came at the 39:08 mark off an assist from senior Cori Severino.
West Haven scored the eventual winner 13:22 into the second half as Tsakonas netted her third of the game off an assist from Maya Bermudez.
The rest was up to Carrano, who held off Hamden with seven saves.
Squared Up
Westies and Hornets play to scoreless draw
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(September 14, 2021) - After opening the season with a road victory over Hamden, the West Haven girls soccer team was looking for a victory in its home opener. While the Westies did not post the win, they did come away with a scoreless draw against Branford at Ken Strong Stadium in West Haven Tuesday evening.
West Haven played to a scoreless draw against Branford, Tuesday, September 14, 2021. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
West Haven (1-0-1) had its opportunities with five shots in the game, but the Westies could not find the back of the net.
“Ariana Izzo played well in the midfield, while CeCe Williams, Grace Nowak, and Ava Murphy were solid on defense,” West Haven coach Pete Trenchard said. “Emma Walker, Julia Tsakonas, Cori Severino, and Maya Bermudez worked hard throughout the game to set up chances on Branford's goal. "
Junior Kassidy Carrano was stellar in goal for West Haven as she turned aside all nine Branford shots to preserve the shutout.
"Overall we played well,” Trenchard said. “It was a back and forth, aggressive game. The girls held strong and worked to the very end. We forced them to take a lot of shots from outside that were easy for Kassidy (Carrano) to grab.”
Blanked
Mercy tops Westies 1-0
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(September 17, 2021) - The West Haven girls soccer team moved to 1-1-1 with a 1-0 loss at Mercy Friday afternoon. Despite Kassidy Carrano making nine saves, the Westies were unable to get going on offense in their first loss of the year.
The game started particularly slow for west Haven and the team could not find a flow to the contest. Turnovers and loose balls went to Mercy, before West Haven picked up its play in the second half.
"We started slowly and didn't play our best soccer in the first half,” West Haven coach Pete Trenchard said. “We gave the ball away too easily and got beat to 50-50 balls. In the second half, we were much better and created some chances. We just couldn't get that tying goal."
West Haven finished the game with just five shots.
Draw
Westies and Guilford play to 1-1 decision
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(September 21, 2021) - Traveling to Guilford to play a tough soccer program is never an easy task. Coach Pete Trenchard can appreciate how his girls played Tuesday evening.
Holding a tough Guilford squad to just seven shots, West Haven came away with a 1-1 draw to move to 1-1-2 on the year.
"It is always good to walk out of Guilford with any points,” Trenchard said. “They had the edge on us in the first half, but we were much stronger in the second. Maddy's (Lentine) goal was gorgeous, a free kick from about 30 yards out after Julia Tsakonas drew a foul. Overall, it is a good result and hopefully we can build on this as we head into our next game on Thursday."
With just five shots in the game, West Haven made the most of those opportunities when Madison Lentine scored a brilliant goal off a free kick at the 60:18 mark.
West Haven could not hold on as Guilford scored with 14 minutes to go to force the even game.
Kassidy Carrano finished with six saves in the draw.
Severino leads Westies
WH blanks Cross 3-0
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(September 23, 2021) - Looking to continue picking up points and playing its third straight contest away from home, the West Haven girls soccer team battled and came away with a 3-0 victory over Wilbur Cross Thursday afternoon. With the victory, West Haven improved to 2-1-2 on the year.
Julia Tsakonas (32) and the Westies topped Cross 3-0, September 23, 2021. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
"Cross gave us a handful today,” West Haven coach Pete Trenchard said. “They were tough to break down and made things really difficult.”
The Westies wasted no time getting on the scoreboard, then battled from there. Just one minute, two seconds into the contest, Julia Tsakonas scored off an assist from Cori Severino for a 1-0 advantage.
Severino, who was a part of the early first half celebration, then capped the first 40 minutes with another reason to celebrate as her unassisted tally gave the Westies a 2-0 halftime advantage.
“Julia (Tsakonas) gave us some breathing room early, but Cross didn't give up,” Trenchard said. “It was nice to get the second win of the season, and to be 2-1-2 after 5 games puts us in good shape right now.”
The Westies again scored early in the second half. This time, it was Madison Lentine who scored off of a free kick 2:40 into the half for a 3-0 advantage.
West Haven held a 12-3 shot advantage in the game with junior goalkeeper Kassidy Carrano picking up the shutout with three saves.
Easties blank Westies
EH tops WH 2-0
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(September 25, 2021) - The West Haven girls soccer team fell to 2-2-2 with a 2-0 loss at East Haven Saturday morning. Despite forcing East Haven goalkeeper Sera Lendroth to make 11 saves, West Haven could not find the back of the net.
East Haven scored twice in the opening half and made the goals hold up. Emily Pycela had both goals, scoring at the 15 and 25-minute marks.
Powell leads Westies
Freshman scores twice in 3-1 win
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(September 28, 2021) - The West Haven girls soccer team picked up its third victory of the year with a 3-1 decision over Foran at Ken Strong Stadium in West Haven Tuesday evening. With the victory, the Westies improved to 3-2-2 on the year.
After a slow start in which Foran used a goal by Lauren Ardolini just seven minutes in to take a 1-0 lead, the Westies rode the play of freshman Jaylyn Powell to pick up their play in the game.
With Powell in the contest, the Westies needed just 16 minutes to respond as a perfect cross from senior Madison Lentine was converted by Powell for the equalizer at the 23:37 mark.
“We played very poorly the first twenty minutes of the game and went down early.” West Haven coach Pete Trenchard said. “We made a change and it paid off as we started to play better and got the tying goal from freshman Jaylyn Powell. Jaylyn scored again when she buried a loose ball in their box. Jaylyn played great and took advantage of the minutes she got today."
With the game even at the break, Powell made sure the Westies came out on top with her second of the night at the 63:28 mark for a 2-1 lead. Lentine then iced the contest with an insurance goal at the 82:25 mark off assists from Cori Severino and Julia Merola.Kassidy
Carrano made nine saves for the Westies, who were outshot 10-8.
Blanked
North Haven tops Westies 3-0
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(October 1, 2021) - The West Haven girls soccer team fell to 3-3-2 with a 3-0 loss at North Haven Friday evening. Despite holding a 9-8 shot advantage, the Westies could not find the back of the net.
Junior goalkeeper Kassidy Carrano made five saves in the loss.
“We went down 1-0 in the first half off of a defensive mistake,” West Haven coach Pete Trenchard said. “We created some chances, and their goalie was fantastic. She made a few incredible saves that not many goalkeepers would make. They scored twice more before the end of the game as we were pushing to try to get something. We played hard and with a lot of hurt, but little mistakes gave them the game."
Tsakonas to the Rescue
Junior scores 4 goals in 6-2 win
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(October 4, 2021) - After a tough defeat Friday evening, the West Haven girls soccer team returned to action Monday evening with a home contest against Hamden. After falling behind early, junior Julia Tsakonas took over.
Scoring four times, including three in the second half, Tsakonas helped West Haven rally from a two-goal deficit to defeat the Green Dragons 6-2 at Ken Strong Stadium.
“After an ugly start, we were able to turn it around,” West Haven coach Pete Trenchard said. “In the second half, we were just phenomenal. We limited their chances on net, and scored five in the second half. Julia Tsakonas was on fire, putting the game away for us. The team played well to set her up.”
Trailing 2-0 after allowing two goals in the first 17:20 of the contest, West Haven cut the deficit in half when Tsakonas scored off an assist from freshman Jaylyn Powell at the 20:51 mark.
The score remained the same until West Haven took over in the second half. Cori Severino scored off an assist from Maya Bermudez 2:26 into the half, before Riley Severino’s corner was headed in by Bermudez 6:03 later for the go-ahead tally.
“Maya's Bermudez) winning goal was a well-timed header off a Riley Severino corner,” Trenchard said. “The defense locked down their most dangerous player in the second half, and when we calmed down, we dominated possession. "
Tsakonas iced the game from there as she scored the final three goals. Cori Severino assisted for a 4-2 advantage, and Madison Lentine picked up a helper on the final tally of the game.
West Haven held a 13-5 shot advantage in the game. Junior Kassidy Carrano made three saves in the win.
Tigers blank Westies
WH falls to Mercy 4-0
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(October 12, 2021) - Having entered Tuesday evening’s contest with Mercy with two wins in its last three games, the West Haven girls soccer team was looking to keep the momentum going. Unfortunately, Mercy had other ideas.
In a game closer than the score would indicate, the Tigers scored two first half goals, on their way to a 4-0 victory at Ken Strong Stadium in West Haven.
"It is unfortunate that we lost, but the score doesn't reflect how close the game actually was,” West Haven coach Pete Trenchard said. “We created some good chances and played with a lot of intensity. Their goalie made some great saves, especially early in the game. I am proud of how hard the girls fought and the fact that they never gave up."
West Haven held a 10-8 shot advantage in the contest, but could not dent the back of the net. Mercy finished with eight shots as Kassidy Carrano finished with four saves in the loss.
GIRLS SOCCER 2021
All-State players - Carlin Guarneri '96; Danielle Lacroix '99; Rebecca Sampara '07; Nicole Pacapelli '09; Gabriella Reis '11; Marisa Pacapelli '13; Marisa Pacapelli '14; Gabi Prisco '16
Retired numbers - Carlin Guarneri (Class of 1997) #1
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