November 1, 2021 This weekend's roundup got edited down, so I wanted to share the unedited, Halloween edition for your (hopeful) entertainment!: Halloween weekend saw the WH Peewee A team take on Yale A, looking to avenge a 10-1 drubbing from early in the season. Kai Lupa guarded the onion bag and was tested early with a breakaway save. The Westie defense showed its toughness throughout, with Kyle Guarino’s deft ability from the back and Gavin Coady’s shot blocking thwarting the Yale pressure. However, Yale got on the board just over six minutes in with a power play goal. Sophia Locklear, Alessandra Picard and Ty Silva quickly countered with their relentless energy and the three were a force throughout the game. Yale’s defense finally broke when Cameren Lipford took a pass from Kyle Guarino and dangled his way to a backhand goal, levelling the game at 1. Yale tilted the ice to start the 2nd but couldn’t crack Lupa and the Westies once again picked up the pace behind Michael and David D’Aiuto’s incessant thievery and strong play from the impenetrable rearguard of Aedan Guarino and Andrew Grillo. Momentum turned the Westie way after another series of defensive stops, including a diving breakup by Ayden Troyer and multiple stops by Raymond Weston, who both played stellar games, and the WH powerplay almost brought the home crowd to their feet with the tying goal, but Dhruva Garani’s drive from the slot was blocked and Locklear rang one off the post. An unfortunate series of bounces put Yale up 3-1 in the 3rd, but the energy up and down the Westie lineup, including spirited play from Ryan Walsh, Brooklynn Maher and Rush Jaworski, kept the Westies alive. A Lipford laser lit the lamp with 3:41 left, assisted by Michael D’Aiuto, and despite a furious final rally, West Haven came up short in the end, losing 3-2. Lupa finished his night in net with 27 thwarted attempts. Sunday’s scream fest with Central A saw an incredible comeback by the Blue Devils. Mason LaCroix started between the pipes, tasked with keeping the cobwebs clean. Yet, bad luck haunted the Devils early as they found themselves down 2 to 0 courtesy of a deflection and a top shelf shot that found the spot where momma keeps the peanut butter. The Devils were buoyed by Maher’s magic in the faceoff circle and the incessant buzzing around the puck by Jaworski and Garani. The Blue Devils came out on fire in the second, dominating play. The trio of Lipford and the dynamic D’Aiuto brothers peppered the Central goalie to no avail. The defense fueled the assault as Troyer and Aedan Guarino delivered perfect biscuits, Grillo and Coady pushed the puck up with ease, and Weston sped up the ice like a runaway train. However, a shorthanded Central goal ended up chasing LaCroix from the game with the Devils in a 4 to 0 hole, despite the goalie standing tall when tested. Kai Lupa came in on relief and the goalie tandem finished with 17 saves. A West Haven timeout accompanied the change of guard and managed to draw the spirits out of the coach’s cauldron. The Devils came out flying as Ty Silva played Johnny-on-the-spot with assists from Locklear and Walsh. The third period brought plenty of howls from the Westie fans as the Blue Devils continued to turn up the heat. Kai Lupa flashed his glove on a 2 on 1 and the Devils responded with a power play goal off the twig of David D’Aiuto, assisted by brother Michael D’Aiuto and Lipford. Before the Westie mob could settle back into their seats, Kyle Guarino used his slick mitts and slicker skating skills to bring the Devils within one. A barrage of shots from the D’Aiuto duo, Lipford, Walsh, Troyer, Jaworski and Grillo followed with Michael D’Aiuto finishing a greasy goal from Aedan Guarino. A late rally by Central was squashed and a last-ditch Devils flurry saw six shots fall short as the raucous crowd boisterously saluted the 4 to 4 tie and sent the Blue Devils off into the Halloween night. November 7, 2021 Weekend roundup (before it gets edited for being too flamboyant, LOL): On Saturday, the West Haven Peewee A team came up short, losing 8 - 3 to a speedy Avon A squad and getting out shot 54-25 along the way. Kai Lupa stood on his head, octopus arming 46 shots away, some in spectacular fashion.
Bennett Rink was cut in half through the first two periods, as Avon bombarded the Blue Devil defense, who earned every minute of their ice time. Aedan and Kyle Guarino broke up multiple scoring attempts, Gavin Coady and Andrew Grillo used their big bodies to block a barrage of chances and Raymond Weston was wheelin’ and dealin’ from the back. Offensive opportunities were few and far between but Sophia Locklear and Alessandra Picard put together some pretty passing plays and Ayden Troyer sprung himself for a partial breakaway after a beauty of a block. However, the Blue Devils came up empty and found themselves down 3 to nothing at the end of two. A game of pond hockey broke out in the third as the teams combined for seven more goals. The Westies threw all they had at the net early, with chances by Michael D’Aiuto, Cameren Lipford, Ty Silva and Locklear turned away. Avon countered with two quick goals, putting the Westies in a 5 to zero hole, but Michael D’Aiuto won the ensuing faceoff and sent David D’Aiuto on a solo rush to make it 5 to 1. Lipford kept the Westies hopes alive with some grand larceny leading to a breakaway goal just 40 seconds later, but two more Avon goals in just over a minute squashed the Westie’s comeback cravings. Lipford potted his second of the game off a rebound with just 38 seconds left after Rush Jaworski’s fierce forecheck led to a Grillo bomb from the point, but Avon added an exclamation point with only two ticks on the clock to close out the action. The Westies took their show on the road on Sunday against the Wallingford Hawks A team in a game filled with more third period pandemonium. Mason LaCroix got the call between the pipes and put the Westies on his back through the first two periods of play, leading the Blue Devils to a 4 to 0 advantage. West Haven’s passing was on point all game, with Alessandra Picard and Sophia Locklear again looking magical, and the trio of Cameren Lipford, and Michael and David D’Aiuto serving some saucy biscuits. The defense was dynamic as well, with hard hat winner Aedan Guarino and brother Kyle Guarino laying the foundation, Andrew Grillo and Gavin Coady strong as bricks and Raymond Weston and Ayden Troyer forming an impenetrable wall. Brooklynn Maher further frustrated the Hawks with strong puck battles and Dhruva Garani sacrificed life and limb with his shot blocking. Michael D’Aiuto started the scoring with a sublime unassisted goal in the first. A slick finish by Locklear, from Picard and Ty Silva, started the second, and Lipford put the Westies up 4 to 0 with two twine ticklers, the first an unassisted demon-like dangle and the second ping-ponging it’s way in off of a Michael D’Aiuto dish. True to the Westie Peewee A style, the heart attack kids kept the crowd entertained, and quite a bit on edge, as they allowed the Hawks to swoop their way back in the third. A power play goal made it 4 to 1 before Ryan Walsh’s resilient play rewarded him with the eventual game winner from Locklear and Troyer. However, the Hawks wouldn’t go away and quickly responded with two goals in 19 seconds, then added another power play marker with just 1:06 to go. Facing pressure and an extra attacker, the Westie wall wouldn’t crack again and held on for the 5 to 4 thrill ride. LaCroix finished with 26 saves for the victory.
November 14, 2021 For those of you that missed the action and for those that want to relive it...my apologies, this one is less of a bedtime story and more of a docu-drama series you need to binge to get thru, LOL, so grab a drink and a snack and enjoy, and sorry for the length! Saturday’s PeeWee A tilt pitted the Blue Devils against the Southeastern Seahawks A1 team at the Edward L. Bennett Rink. Mason “Flash the Leather” LaCroix drew the start between the iron bars and cruised his way to 13 stops, an assist and the win. The Westies set the barn on fire from the drop of the puck, ripping to a 4 to 0 lead within the first 5 minutes. Sophia “Lightning Strike” Locklear struck first, taking a pass from Alessandra "Playmaker" Picard and zipping by the defense. Rush "Java Injection" Jaworski, the game’s Hard Hat winner and caffeine buzz, slammed home the rebound off of Aedan Guarino’s bomb a mere minute later. The cheers had barely ceased when Cameren "Let Me Show You My Hat Trick” Lipford took just 36 more seconds to net the first of his three markers, from David D’Aiuto and Kyle "Tic-Tac-Toe" Guarino. Lipford kept the crowd in a frenzy 47 seconds after that by going top cheese for his second, with David "the Puppet Master" D’Aiuto once again putting the puck on a string. Michael D’Aiuto joined in the fun with his first of the game, from Lipford and Gavin "Cruisin’ for a
Bruisin’" Coady. Aedan "Enjoy the Show" Guarino finished off the furious frenzy of first period goals by flying coast to coast, with the wall of LaCroix picking up the assist after a save. The coaches got creative with the lines in a quiet second period, moving D-men up front and dropping some wingers back. The Westies couldn't quite get going despite the efforts of Raymond "Hot Wheels" Weston, Andrew "Sizzlin’" Grillo and Ayden "the Destroyer" Troyer trying their hand at offense. Brooklynn "the Little Ball of Mayhem" Maher continuously disrupted the opposition and Dhruva "Grand Larceny" Garani shut down any threats with his two-way play. West Haven only ceded three shots on LaCroix and entered the third up 6 to 1. The Westies came storming back out with an absolutely dominating shift by Picard, Locklear and Ty "Tough as Nails" Silva, capping it with Locklear re-gifting Picard’s early apple and setting her up for the finish. Picard picked up her second three minutes later off a smooth pass from Ryan "Radar" Walsh, who found loose pucks all day long, and Locklear’s third point of the game. In an effort to keep the local legends and current coaches “Everyday I’m Hustlin’” Hotchkiss, “West Shore Rescue Me” McKeon and “Two Shy of a Hund-o” Hansen from complacently pacing the pine, the heart attack kids let the Seahawks creep back to within 8 to 4. After the brief Westie scoring reprieve, the dynamic D’Aiuto brothers scored back to back, David scoring a solo effort and Michael “the Magician” following from Lipford 11 seconds later on a now-you-see-me-now-you-don’t give and go. Brendan "Stack the Pads" Silva snuck his way between the pipes to close out the final few minutes and continued his perfect season in front of the cage with nary a challenge. Lipford brought the final curtain with a metaphorical hail of headgear, capping off his hat trick and five point night, assisted by a Michael D’Aiuto faceoff win, and the Blue Devils left the Bennett barn 11 to 4 winners. If Saturday was a minor heart attack, Sunday brought the full shebang. The Westies travelled to the northern limits of the Nutmeg State to take on the Enfield Eagles A1 squad in what started out as a back and forth defensive and goalie duel. Kai “Tiny Tuukka ate his Fruit Loops” Lupa drew the short straw, starting and battling his way to 32 saves and the win. The Blue Devils started slowly, sleepwalking their way through the first to a nil-nil tie. “Java” Jaworski, Ayden Troyer and “Cruisin’ for a Bruisin’” Coady put their bodies in jeopardy blocking early shots and despite some bombs from the point from “Hot Wheels” Weston, Kyle “Tic-Tac-Toe” Guarino, Andrew “Sizzlin’” Grillo and “the Destroyer” Troyer, the Westies found themselves scoreless. The Devils roared out of the intermission, finding wisdom and their groove from what “Everyday I’m Hustlin’’' Hotchkiss had to say and subsequently put on a shooting gallery. Finally, after killing off a two-man advantage led by the tireless play of “Tough-as-Nails” Ty Silva and earning their own power play, lamp-lighting Cameren Lipford lit the red candle from Michael D’Aiuto and Coady. Ryan “Radar” Walsh, who honed in on pucks all period, was denied on two beautiful chances from the slot. An Eagles goal at 2:21 off a scramble was answered in a flash by “Lightning Strike” Locklear, assisted by none other than the aforementioned Walsh and put the Westies back up for good. The demolition defensive crew continued to pepper the Eagles goalie from the point, with blasts from Aedan “the Show” Guarino and “Hot Wheels” Weston failing to illuminate the lamp. The parade to the sin bin continued into the third, but Alessandra “Playmaker” Picard, Sophia Locklear and Ty Silva were absolutely unrivaled in their efforts. Inspired by his teammates’ play, Walsh wanted in on the penalty killing fun and soon struck gold, this time zeroing in on a Rush Jaworski chip and dancing coast to coast for a shortie and a 3 to 1 Westie lead. Lipford teased the crowd with more flying hats, stealing a cross ice pass minutes later and scoring his second with ease, pacing the Devils to a 4 to 1 lead. The infarction fun bunch wasn’t done yet though, pulling out their lawn chairs and watching the Eagles come right back to within two a mere minute and fifteen seconds later. Antacids were passed and popped by the parents and a timeout was called to settle and plan as another Westie found his way to the penalty box. Action was unrelenting when play resumed for the final 3:26. Coady climbed in the way of two quick shots, Michael “the Magician” D’Aiuto was stopped on a breakaway, and “Tiny Tuukka” Lupa turned away three more attempts with aplomb. Having enough of all the excitement, “Hat Trick” Lipford earned the hard hat headgear with one more Westie short handed goal, fed by another juicy Michael D’Aiuto apple. With the scoring all finished, the Blue Devils basked in the headlight glow of a long ride home and a two win weekend.
November 21, 2021 The holidays are around the corner and hockey parents will tell you that hockey and the Holidays are like siblings; sweet and idyllic in portraits and in public, but behind the scenes there can be a lot of chaos and drama, leading to some very exhausted households. Thanksgiving is also a time deep enough into the season to take stock of how strong a team’s bond really is, just like it can really test the bonds among family; such as how much everyone dreads that one “special” relative coming to dinner... The Peewee A Blue Devils headed into their trifecta of games this pre-holiday weekend, testing their inseparable bond, blooming skill and fighting will, as well as their weary parents' and exuberant coaches' fortitude. The first trial saw the blue sweatered Westie crew face off in a heated rivalry rematch against the Hamden Dragons A team at the vaunted Quinnipiac University People’s United Center. The Westie fans came from far and wide to fill the seats and find redemption from the season’s first game’s defeat, and they got their money’s worth in the nail biter. Mason LaCroix nabbed the starter’s net and flashed the leather gloves and pads early, preserving the scoreless start. The rapidly improving Westie wall of Dmen was led by Kyle “the Globetrotter” Guarino as he seemed to be everywhere at once. The Blue Devil barricade clipped the Dragon’s wings and limited their chances to the outside all game. Halfway through the first, David "Pickpocket” D’Aiuto used a nifty bit of thievery to beautifully set up Cameren “Put on your galoshes cuz I’m gonna make it rain Gino’s* this weekend” Lipford. Despite the hard work up and down the lineup, including the serene as a sunset efforts of Brooklynn Maher, Ryan Walsh and Dhruva Garani, that would be all the Westies could muster in the early going. Sophia “Crazy Legs” Locklear came inches from sending the Westies up by two to start the second but was hauled down from behind on a partial breakaway and the Devils came up empty on the power play. Midway through the second, the tendy tandem saw LaCroix exit the game a perfect seven out of seven on save attempts, handing the reins to Kai Lupa to test his mettle in the one to nothing game. A goofy puck found its way into goal soon after, levelling the game at 1 with 6:42 to go, but Ty “Tasmanian Devil” Silva and Rush “Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water” Jawarski’s relentless lurking for loose pucks kept the Westies energized. The heart attack kids entered the third tied and with the vigor of a newly blossoming offensive assault, flew out of the intermission determined to do some damage. Kyle Guarino, Cameren Lipford and Jaworski had a flurry of chances and Alessandra “Animal” Picard was an absolute predator on the ice before Michael “the Marksman” D’Aiuto swiped a puck with help from Lipford and went low cheese in the mouse hole on a breakaway, putting the Devils up 2 to 1. Kai Lupa then came up Aces with a tip-of-the-toe save and diving rebound denial, keeping the Westies in control. A minute later, Michael D’Aiuto’s wraparound attempt was kicked out to Lipford who buried his second of the night and put the Westies up 3 to 1 with 4:17 to go. A Blue Devil penalty at 2:24 led to a mere 10 second power play response from the Dragons and left the Westie parents grabbing their chests, but Lipford provided the Maalox moment and his third straight Hatty, taking a Michael D’Aiuto faceoff win to the house. The Westies clawed their way to the finish and a 4 to 2 win over the dreaded Dragons, with Lupa punching away a final prayer at the buzzer. LaCroix and Lupa combined for 28 saves for the victory, enabling the “Big Kids” behind the bench to sound the alarm and use the dazzling Quinnipiac arena to send a clear warning to the league that the West Haven Blue Devils are turning up the heat and coming for everyone...but not until they kicked back with some snacks and watched the #5 ranked Quinnipiac Bobcats defeat Clarkson in a shootout of course! If Friday was the delectable turkey dinner full of glitz, glamour and the occasional indigestion, Saturday was a chance to rest and recover from the hockey hangover. The Blue Devils blitzed the visiting New Canaan B team 9 to nothing. Mason “Hibachi” LaCroix (it’s a goalie thing) was once again phenomenal in net, stomping out 19 New Canaan attempts, including a death inducing breakaway in the final seconds for his first peewee shutout. The defense continued their dominance behind Gavin “Crunch Time” Coady’s impenetrable play, Aedan “Gunner” Guarino’s goal scoring and Ayden Troyer going from “the Destroyer” to “the Employer” and dishing out assists like paychecks. Andrew Grillo, Raymond Weston and Kyle Guarino rounded out the defensive play with such suave smoothness they were almost taken for granted.
Coady got the goal fest started only a minute and change after the drop of the puck, firing off a goal from Grillo. Dhruva Garani almost added another after his blocked shot sent him off to the races on a breakaway. The D’Aiuto brothers then showed brotherly love on the power play as David scored from Michael, sending the Devils into the intermission up 2 to 0, behind seven stellar LaCroix saves. Previous night’s fatigue reared its head as the Devils came out sleepily to start the second. However, Aedan Guarino found a higher gear at 10:31 and scored a beauty from Alessandra Picard and Sophia Locklear. That goal seemingly lit the fires as Aedan Guarino nearly picked up another, followed by Ayden Troyer and Ty Silva just missing before Troyer sparked the first of three consecutive assisted goals, setting up Lipford all alone with a stunning stretch pass. Lipford tallied his second on a beauty of a backhand one minute later from Michael D’Aiuto and Troyer again. The Westies went into the second rest stop up 5 to 0, with LaCroix gathering a total of 15 new puck marks on his pads. Troyer then completed the playmaker early in the third, tipping the puck to Lipford who set up Michael D’Aiuto for his third point of the contest. The defense continued to be bolstered by Coady’s stops and Aedan Guarino’s offensive drives, as Guarino subsequently potted his second. Picard piled more points onto the Blue Devil offensive surge, scoring from Locklear and aided by Ty Silva’s torrential play and Lipford capped off his astounding fourth consecutive hat trick from David D’Aiuto to close out the scoring 9 to nothing. The Westies had once again showed their fire and put the league on notice. Though one of the smallest teams in stature, these Blue Devils are no pushovers and had now racked up two big wins on the weekend and five in a row overall. On Sunday the Blue Devils went to Stamford to face off against a powerful Darien A1 squad and let’s just say...well, that’s when that relative no one hoped to see showed up to dinner. The Westies lost eight to nothing, Kai Lupa had 32 saves and Mason made four more in relief, and nobody could get home fast enough. So what lessons have we learned as this wacky cast of characters head into the Thanksgiving celebrations with much still unknown and even more to be accomplished? The Heart Attack kids are for real, they are a unique and extraordinary group, and they are only going to get better and start giving the other teams their share of heart attacks. So raise a turkey leg to hockey and the holidays, to these kids and their continued improvement, to plenty of caffeine (and antacids) to keep the parents’ hearts ticking, and to keeping as much chaos and drama (and crazy relatives) away from the rink and the holidays as possible...Let’s Go Westies! (p.s.: Just for clarity, Gino's is hockey slang for GOALS, not G-notes...that just wouldn't be appropriate, unless you're talking about someone's crazy uncle Herb, LOL) November 27, 2021 The West Haven Peewee A team returned to the ice after Thanksgiving break with a bit too much leftover turkey and stuffing stuffed into their shorts, taking on the South Windsor Knights in an afternoon affair. The Westies appeared to be skating through gravy for the first 15 minutes and were thankful to escape the first period knotted at zero. The Blue Devils were backed by 8 strong saves by starter Mason LaCroix, including a highlight reel flash of the leather on a face off one timer, and a four-shot shelling right after. Ayden Troyer blocked a couple of pucks and the Blue Devil defense tried to turn the ice the other way, with Aiden and Kyle Guarino and Gavin Coady playing some strong hockey but found no success. Brooklynn Maher and Ryan Walsh’s strong forechecking led to a Rush Jaworski chance to cap off the first period chances. The West Haven gravy thickened and curdled to start the second, as the young Westies team put their feet up in their recliners and found a way to slow down even more. Hotchkiss and Hansen let some profanity fly (probably) after going down by 2 goals halfway through the second, despite 6 more big stops by the lonely LaCroix, who finished with 12 saves. Kai Lupa was sent to the firing squad with 8 minutes to go in the second and suddenly the Blue Devils' food coma wore off and they found their legs. Michael D’Aiuto hit the post 18 seconds later, before Cam Lipford started the Blue Devil scoring with his first of the night from David D’Aiuto. That wouldn’t be the last we heard from those three as just 24 seconds later
Lipford lit the lamp again from David, after Michael D’Aiuto started the play with a tremendous stretch pass. Walsh continued the Westie revival with his prodigious play and Aiden and Kyle Guarino were extraordinary end to end. Alessandra Picard saw her play pick up and was a standout tonight as well, but despite numerous chances, never found the wishbone. The period wound down with the Lipford and D’Aiuto duo creating a multitude of chances before Lipford, in what is becoming expected, capped off his hat trick from none other than Michael D’Aiuto. The Westies went into the breakup 3 to 2 with the parents’ hearts settling into steadier beats. Aiden Guarino brought high hopes for a runaway at the start of the third as he went unassisted coast to coast to finish off a Westie penalty kill and put West Haven up 4 to 2 only a minute and 30 seconds into the third frame. Brooklynn Maher stepped up her outstanding play and made the hard hat call a no brainer for the bench bosses as she backchecked and forechecked like a champion. Rush Jaworski jammed a few more chances down the Knight’s throats, Sophia Locklear fed Picard more pucks for her hunt for a goal, Ty Silva slammed a couple at the net, Ryan Walsh was wonderful, Weston played roadrunner to South Windsor’s Wile E. Coyote, Troyer carved some clappers at the net, and Dhruva Garani gave it his all, but in the end the Westies couldn’t buy another one and were thankful to walk off with a 4 to 2 win behind an additional 9 saves by Lupa. With another win in the books raising the Westie record to 12-10-3 overall after 25 games, and the Westies looking forward to their Christmas wishes, I’d like to take a moment to close out Thanksgiving and share some things to be thankful for: Starting at the back, is there anything better than the Three Amigo(alie)s, Lupa, LaCroix and Brenden Silva; their unwavering support for each other, their post-game group hugs, and their secret handshakes and butt-wiggling dances… How about that wall of defense, with their unfettered physical play, shot blocking bravado and ability to drive the offense: The big bodies of Coady and Grillo clearing the crease, striking fear into the opponents and fearlessly blocking shots, Weston raising the crowd to their feet while he wheels up and down making plays at both ends of the ice, the Guarino brothers’ unmatched hockey sense and superb allencompassing abilities both offensively and defensively, and Troyer’s wicked wind ups and fear-inducing slapshots...just wait til they start finding the back of the net! And that offense...dancing, dangling, dangerous and able to explode at any minute, but perpetually putting the parents' hearts in palpitations. There’s Walsh with his puck magnetry and timely goals, the D’Aiuto brothers’ trickery with the biscuits and devilishly dealt assists, and Locklear’s superfluous skating and aggressiveness that we all wish was contagious. How about Maher’s ne’er-give-up attitude and underrated face off ability, Garani’s speed and puck pursuit that will in due time lead to a plethora of goals, and Picard’s super smooth passing and crafty hockey smarts. And there’s Jaworski’s relentless forechecking and grinding, creating chances that will soon tickle twine in bunches, Ty Silva’s torrid tornado energy and toughness, and Lipford’s ludicrous shot and nose for the net. Let’s not leave out the coaches, Hotchkiss, McKeon and Hansen...their dedication, positivity, boundless energy and skillful practices set a high standard and make them excellent role models...even if none of them ever scored 100 points in high school. And last but not least, let’s be thankful for the Team Mom, Jolene; the metaphorical hockey tape that holds our socks up and everything else together, and keeps the “Big Kids” organized and the team’s kids skating. Now...onward to the Christmas season and to tougher tests ahead! Lets Go Westies!!!
December 5, 2021 **Atomic Wedgie: the act of hoisting the waistband of the receiver's underwear up and over their heads.**
The West Haven Peewee A team was given an atomic wedgie on Saturday morning by the visiting Stamford Sharks A team. The Westies were outshot 51 to 20 and lost the lopsided event 7 to 2, with their two goals coming as an afterthought long after the outcome was determined. Kai “Leatherman” Lupa was the busiest Blue Devil on the ice and used all of his tools to fight off 30 saves, but still coughed up six goals as he languished through his two periods of labor. However, he provided the local sports networks with an abundance of highlights to keep the fans of both sides oohing and aahing. Stamford came out gangbusters from the opening puck drop, picking up their first goal on an easy tap in just over a minute in. Three minutes later they potted another before the Westies could even remove the skivvies from their scalps. The game was primed to be a runaway for the Sharks early on, but Alessandra Picard had a chance to answer back, Ayden Troyer attempted to go end to end and Aedan Guarino launched a couple at the net to no avail.. Brooklynn Maher had a beauty of a shot block and followed it up with a steal, but the first came to a conclusion with the Westies outskated and outgunned 3 to zero. As if the atomic wedgie in the first wasn’t bad enough, the Westies got clean pantsed in the second. The Sharks went on a feeding frenzy and devoured the discombobulated Blue Devils, outshooting the woeful Westies 24 to 3 in the frame. David D'Aiuto gave a glimmer of hope with a missed opportunity early, but the debacle continued. A Devil penalty led to Lupa having to make a series of stupendous saves to briefly keep the Westies in it. The always fleet footed Sophia “Jitterbug” Lockear sped away with the puck and two-stepped through the defense as the penalty expired, but unfortunately came away without a dance partner. From there the Sharks shot onslaught started to get silly, as Troyer blocked three to help his goalie out, and Lupa fought off another flurry with only one snipe sneaking in. The Westies got one more good look as Michael D’Aiuto hit the post but the Sharks swam all over the hapless Devils the rest of the second, leaving them in a 6 to nothing hole. Mason LaCroix started the third, giving Lupa some relief. He tightened his belt and stoically shuffled his way to the slaughter but was overpowered just 27 seconds later on a 5 on 3, putting the Sharks up 7 to zero. LaCroix jousted away everything else the rest of the way though and finished with 14 stellar saves. Troyer provided a moment of levity early in the third, purposely using his face to deflect a shot away from LaCroix and adding to his abundant block total as the Sharks hardly let up. With the clock winding down, LaCroix living La Vida Loca, and the Westie faithful waiting for time to expire, David D’Aiuto snuck one past the Shark keeper, assisted by the hard work and hustle of Michael D’Aiuto. The Westies closed out the game on a high note and possibly their best power play effort of the season so far with under two minutes to play. After some pulchritudinous passing, Tyler Silva tipped to Locklear who delivered a dart for a Gavin Coady cannonball pointedly painted into the corner by “Picasso” Picard’s flick of the wrist for the second Devil goal. Coady almost provided Picard with a curtain call seconds later before a merciful buzzer put an end to the morning’s pandemonium and the 7 to 2 final. After careening into chaos on Saturday, the Westie coaches looked to take a hard right and get back on track on Sunday. Instead, they were left pulling out their rapidly prematuring grey hairs as the team took four lefts and fell face down on this futile weekend. Mason LaCroix had high hopes as he took his place as starter in net and saw the Westies first shift of Aedan Guarino, Locklear, Ryan Walsh, Kyle Guarino and Troyer come out full of energy. His and the Westie faithful’s hopes were hip-checked hard as the Greater New Haven Warriors scored after just 1 minute and 20 seconds of hockey. A couple of penalties later, West Haven found themselves down 2 to nothing and outshot 9 to nothing only six and a half minutes in. Things were looking bleak for the Blue Devils. Rush Jaworski finally got the Devils on the shot board after 9 minutes and Aedan Guarino had a few chances go wide and get blocked as hardly anything went the Westies’ way. The first mercifully ended with the Blue Devils down 3 to nothing, outshot 14 to 1, and LaCroix wondering where his team was. The second period saw some better play from West Haven. The line of Locklear, Ty Silva and David D’Aiuto move the puck well but to no avail. Dhruva Garani, Jaworski, Walsh and Troyer found an opportunity but came up empty as well. Coady and Andrew Grillo built a strong defensive wall but once again, penalties started to do in the Devils. Despite LaCroix’s heroics and a shortie chance by the rarely quiet Cameren Lipford, the Warriors capitalized once more as a penalty expired to go up 4 to 0, and LaCroix left the game with 14 tough saves.
Kai Lupa came in at the 8:12 mark of the second and inexplicably the Westies found their legs. In less than 1:40 of playing time, the Westies exploded for two goals; the first off of a Tyler Silva twisted wrister from assist machine David D’Aiuto and the hard-nosed work of Locklear, and the second off a short breakaway by the sure handed Aedan Guarino, again from David D’Aiuto. Suddenly these heart attack kids had found new life! Jaworski found himself firing another chance at goal with less than 10 seconds to go and the Westies went into the break down 4 to 2, despite their 28 to 6 shot disadvantage. Lupa started off the third showing his multi-sport ability as he cleanly fielded a fly ball from the point for one of his 20 saves. Kyle Guarino sent a near miss missile past the post and things were looking up for the Blue Devils. Raymond Weston, missing from the weekend action, appeared out of nowhere and infused his freewheeling energy. But then the Westies took another baffling left turn and disappeared into the penalty box. Another power play goal by the Warriors ultimately sealed the loss for the Westies with 5 minutes to go. In a last ditch effort to make things interesting, the newly white-haired Hotchkiss and Hansen called a timeout and pulled the tendy. Another penalty squashed those hopes and despite 2 additional saves by defenseman Kyle Guarani, including a gorgeous glove save that any goalie would be proud of, the Warriors eventually found the empty net and finished off the Devils 6 to 2. In the end, the Westies fired off a paltry 11 shots to the Warriors 42 and were outshot 93 to 31 for the weekend. With their pitchforks between their legs, the Blue Devils fearfully filed to the locker room wondering what Monday’s practice will bring.
December 11, 2021 Trying something new tonight to add in some fun and distract from the final result...reading this is a bit like watching the game on Live Barn: choppy, cuts in and out a lot and some sequences don't make much sense but in the end you still get the idea that a hockey game was played, lol. Go Westies! Here’s to the weekend and a game at Bennett rink The Westies were looking to win and for Enfield to stink Mason the Magnificent started in net Having to juggle lots of saves, that you can bet The game started fast and even as can be With lots of great plays made by the D The hulking Andrew Grillo found pucks galore Tho none of his passes could lead to a score Raymond Weston stopped a centering pass Then took off up the ice skating with sass A delayed penalty goal put the Eagles up one But not to worry, the Westies weren’t done Ryan Walsh was always all over the puck And Kyle Guarino’s rush up the ice ran out of luck Gavin Coady stepped into many a-block While Cameren Lipford’s shots came by the flock Brooklynn Maher played with the force of a gale Her grit gave rise to the Westies and hopes the Eagles would fail Sophia Locklear once again forechecked the most Leading to Aedan Guarino hitting the post Dhruva Garani was an adrenaline shot But at the end of one, ahead the Westies were not Alessandra Picard started the 2nd with a big faceoff win Setting up Lipford for a breakaway less than one minute in Kyle Guarino produced magic with a pass behind his back
To Lipford, who tried, but a goal he would lack The penalties then started and chances were had When Weston to Lipford to Picard made us glad! The score was now tied and the Westies looked tough While Rush Jaworski’s chance the goalie did stuff The Eagles soon scored putting the Westies down one Before David D’Auito’s breakaway brought back the fun (and tied the game!) As the second wound down with a super block by Troyer Walsh’s shot was robbed making him call for a lawyer Tyler Silva set David D’Aiuto alone on a run But the dastardly buzzer sounded, and the period was done (but we were tied 2 to 2!) The third period started as Picard won the draw 27 seconds later play finished, with Westies having nary a flaw Lipford’s result from Michael D’Aiuto and Picard Had the fans jumping and screaming once again in the yard (3 to 2 Westies!) A quick Eagle response just 19 seconds later Halted the cheering and was a bit of a deflater (Oops, 3 to 3) Picard teed up Lipford who rang off the post But then it was all Enfield who’s chances were most Two short handed tallies just 13 ticks apart Was like a dagger through the Blue Devils heart (Uh-oh…5 to 3 Eagles) A timeout to settle the nerves was called by Coach Hotchkiss The right message was there but the purpose did miss Cuz 58 clicks later it was 6 to 3 And the hopes of the heart attack kids began to flee But here came another power play for the home team And Picard, Lipford, Michael D’Aiuto and Aedan Guarino sent forth a gleam Lipford sent lasers, a Picard chance was stolen For a moment it looked like the Westies were rollin’ ‘Til a penalty on us led to a goal in six ticks And gave the Westies another wound for some licks (7 to 3 for those following along) Alas, hold on to your hats and return from the foyer A penalty shot resulted from a trip on Ayden Troyer Cameren Lipford was given the chance The forehand to backhand goal lead to a dance (7 to 4 now!) Locklear just missed from Michael D’Aiuto 11 seconds later A goal coming there couldn’t have been greater The sweet then went sour in a minute not an hour The short spurt of time left the Devils quite dour A mere 66 seconds that would make a proud Lemieux Instead left a cloud of stink like Pepe Le Pew The Eagles did score and they scored a triple (Aaand it’s 10 to 4) Washing away hopes like a tidal wave, not a ripple LaCroix he played well and can keep his head high For 31 saves is no stick in the eye Brendan Silva came in to close out the act And with action those 3 minutes were packed Dhruva drove a driving chance a bit wide That kid can skate, he doesn’t just glide Silva made a save, another notch in his belt But one did sneak by hopefully not leaving a welt (bringing us to the 11 to 4 final score)
The kids can be proud, there were moments of glory So run with the positives and let’s make the next team sorry!
December 18, 2021 (Sorry for the short write-up. I will return to the wordy wizardry after the Holiday break!) The final weekend of Westie Peewee A hockey before the Christmas break gave us a “twofer” on Saturday, as the Blue Devils took on the Western Colonials A team in a home-and-home series. We can safely and sadly say it didn’t go the Westie way. It started in West Haven: After the first 15 minutes of play, EVERY SINGLE WESTIE was playing amazing! The score was tied at 1, and the Westies were playing like the team everyone knew they could be! Effort and energy poured out from up and down the lineup. The offense was outrageously offensive in their play, utterly irritating and fearlessly forechecking whilst pressuring the puck. The defense was deliriously defensive with unrelenting passion, flummoxing their foes with infinite failures. Spirits in the stands were soaring and it looked like a Christmas miracle was on its way! After the second 15 minutes, the gang was playing great, the Westies were only down 3 to 1, spirits were still high and the Westie parents were whispering prayers for a Christmas miracle. The heart attack kids still had hope! After the third 15 minutes of play, the Westies had been outshot 67 to 14, outscored 7 to 1, the crew of kids had still played well, but were definitely a tad tired, and instead of high spirits and Christmas miracles, the stoic spectators were simply left speculating about the kind of Christmas spirits they wanted to sip and thoughts of getting high on imaginations of miracles. It ended in Danbury: After the 4th period of play on the day, the Westies' disproportionate deficit mounted up to 10 to 1, the shots amassed to an astounding 84 to 17, the Devils were still…playing…and, well…at least there were only 30 more minutes to go… After the 5th period of play today…hold on, did we actually play that 5th period? At least the goalies touched the puck. A lot. Like, 106 times for the day. After the 6th and final period of play today, weeeee…were ready to leave this lump of coal behind, glad the day was over, and looking forward to Christmas! Enjoy a safe and healthy break from hockey everyone! May all your wishes come true, your Holiday spirits be merry and bright and your celebrations be wholesome and happy! Now let’s come back ready to finish the season WESTIE STRONG!!! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! January 9, 2022 Weekend recap read The West Haven Peewee A team returned from Christmas break with a home and home series against The Whalers Peewee A team. Saturday’s tilt took place on the Westies home ice and fittingly started with a somber moment of silence followed by stick taps for fallen St. Luke’s School hockey player, Teddy Balkind. Once the game started, spirits were lifted by an offensively thrilling victory over the higher ranked Whalers team, as a rejuvenated and highly energetic Blue Devil squad almost squandered a six-goal lead in the third, but hung on to win 8 to 5. The Blue Devils were clearly itching to play hockey again and came out gangbusters. Aedan “let me assist you with that” Guarino and Alessandra “Bar Down” Picard were all over the scoresheet and almost started early, but Guarino’s chance was blocked less than a minute in. The Blue Devils would only start to get
rolling from there, as Cameren Lipford scored the first of his five goals on a three on one rush from Aedan Guarino and Picard. On the back end, ‘tendy Mason LaCroix was finally tested at the 10:06 mark and continually came up the better man. LaCroix turned away five consecutive shots, including a monster stop on a one timer to keep the Westies in front. Whistles were few and far between as the action flowed and the Whalers picked up the pace in the first. Kyle Guarino’s smooth breakup of a 4 on 2 rush and three more stops by LaCroix, highlighted by a hectic head save, finally brought play to a halt with 6 minutes to play and the Whalers running up a misleading 10 to 2 shot advantage. Picard and Lipford, having seen enough of the suddenly one-sided play, teamed up when Picard potted her first of the night from the slick mitted Lipford with 5:25 left in the first. Fifty-three seconds later, Lipford would light the lamp for the second of his pentamerous day of dallying with the puck, assisted by the gentlemanly Aedan Guarino’s second helper after a superb pinch at the point by Rush Jaworski to keep the play alive. The Devils had found themselves up 3 to nothing by way of their incredibly efficient 3 goals on 4 shots. Later in the period, an odd man rush goal by the Whalers brought them a step closer and the action packed first period ended with the Westies up 3 to 1. The Westies kept pushing in the second. Rush Jaworski continued to reward the three mavericks behind the bench with their moving him back to defense, breaking up another play early. Raymond Weston used his wheels and an opportune loose puck to go for one of his patented perambulatory skates before feeding Ryan Walsh a cross crease cupcake for a tap-in at the 12:49 mark. A couple minutes later, Kai Lupa came in to split with LaCroix, who played an outstanding game and exited with 17 strong saves, a 4 to 1 lead and the eventual win. Some chaotic hockey swiftly ensued as the Blue Devils came a bit unraveled, but Picard and Aedan Guarino settled things down with their fierce backchecking and defending. Once again, Lipford and Picard grabbed the reins and settled the bucking bronco of a game from trying to get away, scoring back-to-back goals 25 seconds apart. Lipford scored first, taking a feed from the consistently slick stalwart of a defenseman, Kyle Guarino, and darting his way to the hat trick with some absolutely dirty dangles. Before the crowd could settle, Aedan Guarino completed his playmaker, slipping the puck to Picard on the near boards. Picard said sit back and watch this, as she sublimely took the roof off of Bennett Rink with her candidate for goal of the year. After stupefying the defender and dropping him to his belly like a flopping fish, she threw a deke from the doorstep and went bar down on the hapless and helpless goalie. Everything was coming up aces for the Blue Devils with their 6 to 1 lead! A couple of successive Westie penalties threatened to let the Whalers back in it, but dominant penalty killing squashed any chances. Sophia Locklear sacrificed her body with back-to-back blocked shots, likely leaving her with some colorful tattoos of honor. Walsh and Weston were superb in their hustle, and the defense of Gavin Coady, Andrew Grillo and Ayden Troyer was dynamic. Aedan Guarino and Picard looked to add to their already impressive totals with Picard fueling more Guarino races to the net, but they came up empty and the period closed with the Westies up a seemingly insurmountable 6 to 1. Things kept going the Westie way early in the third as Picard’s breakaway chance almost yielded another goal before Jaworski found Lipford for his fourth of the game at 12:40. But hold on, these kids aren’t called the “Heart Attack Kids” for nothing, and true to their fashion, the blue and white throng were about to be reminded why! An already dangerous Whaler's attack became even more outrageous. An offensive assault was poured on the Westies and hot-handed goalie Lupa as the Whalers started to fire off 28 third period shots. Lupa came up huge at the 11-minute mark before the Whalers made it 7 to 2. David and Michael D’Aiuto tried taking matters into their own hands moments later when David slid a slick pass to Michael, who was absolutely robbed by a kick save. The Whalers came right back and pinballed a puck through the Westie defense making it 7 to 3 with 8:09 to play. More strong penalty killing by Walsh, Jaworski, Grillo and Coady seemed to settle the Blue Devils as the game wound down, but another Whaler shot found the onion bag at 4:10, bringing them within three. The onslaught continued as the 23rd shot of the frame suddenly sent shivers down the spines of the Westie faithful, icy hands groping for their aching hearts, and the score now 7 to 5. The Whalers called a time out to keep their top scorers on the ice and came out of it firing off three more quick attempts that were thwarted by Lupa. With the Whaler goalie pulled and a last-ditch effort at hand, Picard pointedly blocked a point shot off a faceoff and set Cameren
“the Hammer” Lipford free to put the final nail in the coffin, as he netted his fifth of the game into the empty net. Before the final horn could sound, Gavin Coady sent the Whalers coach home with a souvenir, ripping a dump in attempt into the opponent's bench, striking the unsuspecting educator on his frigid fin. The Whalers desperately dumped three more wishful wagers at the Westie net to no avail, LaCroix and Lupa piggybacked to a team total of 54 saves, and the West Haven Blue Devils capitalized on the upset, 8 to 5. Alessandra Picard deservingly hauled home the hard hat hardware with her four-point performance and exceptional hustle. If Saturday’s game came up roses, Sunday’s away match got sprayed by a skunk. The Whalers wanted revenge and found it with a 10 to 3 drubbing of the West Haven Peewee A team. Mason LaCroix was once again the man between the pipes to start, and picked up where he left off, getting tested seconds into the match. Alessandra Picard continued to fly off the rip and David D’Aiuto was denied early on. Michael D’Aiuto’s thievery, Gavin Coady and Andrew Grillo’s grit, and Ayden Troyer’s shot blocking frustrated the Whaler charges, but the Blue Devil defensive dam finally broke at 9:46. The trio of Sophia Locklear and the D'Aiuto brothers teamed up with Kyle Guarino, looking for a quick response, but multiple shot attempts failed to find the net. The Whalers tickled the twine two more times before Raymond Weston picked up the debris from Troyer and Tyler Silva’s hard-fought battle on the neutral zone boards and fired a wicked wrister to make it a 3 to 1 game at 2:28. Unfortunately, the Whalers quickly responded, and the period ended with the Westies trailing 4 to 1. Kai Lupa came in to start the second and before he could even say hello to his posts, the Whalers went up 5 to 1, scoring just 13 seconds into the frame. After forgetting how to hockey and failing to clear the zone for the next few minutes, Tyler Silva picked up his lunch bucket and went to work, bulldozing his way through three zones and multiple Whalers before getting taken off the puck. Having inspired his teammates with his work ethic, a subsequent Blue Devil power play yielded a highlight reel tip in goal by Aedan Guarino, as his stick found Ayden "the Windmill" Troyer’s clapper right at shoulder level and bounced it past the keeper. Cameren Lipford picked up the second assist on the goal that made it 5 to 2 with 10:51 to go in the second. Another Blue Devil power play looked to shift momentum and bring the cardiac kids right back into the game, but despite Locklear’s enthusiastic efforts, the power play looked discombobulated and found no result. Two more Whaler goals stretched the lead out to 7 to 2 at the 4:56 mark and a Westie penalty seemed to doom any hopes of a comeback. Ryan Walsh and Tyler Silva hustled and hoped for a break, a Lupa face save couldn’t turn the tide, and a last-ditch effort from Lipford to Aedan Guarino was almost impossibly kicked aside as the Whalers increased their lead to 8 to 2 to close out the second. The Westies looked for a miracle to start the third, with Picard’s energy never wavering and Kyle Guarino trying to spark some offense by jumping up into the play, but the Whaler domination was too much. The Westies wouldn’t find a shot on net for over eight minutes, a clear recipe for disaster, before Aedan Guarino stole the puck at his blue line and was off to the races, making it 8 to 3 with 6:31 to go. A glove save by Lupa hoped to ignite another run, but the Whalers quickly quieted that quest seconds later, burying their ninth of the game. The Weston, Walsh and Tyler Silva line tried to get the Westies going again, but the Blue Devils failed to sustain any prolonged pressure. Picard showed one final flash with a breakaway at 2:48, alas the Whaler goalie wouldn’t be beaten. A final dagger into the Blue Devil’s with 10 seconds to play brought the tally to 10 to 3 and saw a weekend split for the Westies January 10, 2022 In West Haven Peewee A practice action tonight, goaltender Kai Lupa superbly robbed Coach Austin Hansen in the 3 on 3 scrimmage, keeping Hansen 2 shy of a hundo... January 16, 2022 Part 1: Saturday's game:
The West Haven Peewee A team kicked off a successful weekend of hockey with a home matchup against the Northeast Huskies A club. Mason LaCroix got the nod in net for the Blue Devils' squad and secured the 8 to 3 victory. The Westies sleepily slumped out to the opening faceoff and found themselves down early after the Northeasterners came out firing and scored at 11:37. The opponent’s parent’s ruckus must have woken up the Westies as Cam Lipford found himself alone a minute later, tidily tying up the game, with assists from Aedan Guarino and Andrew “Give ‘Em Grief” Grillo. The Westies continued to get revved up as Kyle Guarino, Tyler Silva and Ayden Troyer all had the kind of big games that don’t show up on the scoresheet and subsequently started aggravating the Huskies with their hard-nosed, grinding hockey. Brooklynn Maher’s return to the lineup showcased her trademark shot-blocking and hustle and helped turn the tide the Westie way, before Kyle Guarino set up another velvety effort from Lipford, who lit the lamp at 8:05 and put the Westies in front to stay. A Blue Devil penalty with slightly over five minutes left in the first set the stage for Aedan “Big Game” Guarino’s run for a real hockey unicorn: the shorthanded hat trick. Aedan Guarino tapped in a fancy feed from brother Kyle Guarino and the short-handed specialist Ryan “Shorty” Walsh to put the Devils ahead 3 to 1. Lipford followed that act up by almost completing a first period hatty via the plethora of chances created by Kyle Guarino, before Michael D’Aiuto, aided by Sophia Locklear, pickpocketed a hapless Huskie and potted his marker, opening up a 4 to 1 Blue Devil lead. Andrew Grillo broke up a 2 on 1 break near the end of the first and set off Raymond “Frequent Flyer” Weston to rack up some more traveler miles in his attempt to widen a would-be Westie runaway, but the Huskies held off the late chance and the Blue Devils headed into the break, up 4 to 1. Kyle Guarino continued his blue collar masterpiece in the second, stopping an odd-man rush and stretching a pass to Lipford, but to no avail. Tyler Silva and linemates Locklear and David D’Aiuto ate up huge stretches of clock with their offensive play, but they also couldn’t finagle a finish. Gutsy defenseman Gavin Coady kept up his philanthropic ways by aggressively doling a puck into the opposing coach's bench, in what is becoming his signature souvenir move in Westie home wins. As the period pressed on, the Guarino and D'Aiuto brothers seemed to multiply and carry the play, their names frequently bellowed by the imaginary announcer, lauding their persistent efforts. Not to be outdone, Tyler Silva summoned his inner Mike Trout and swung for the highlight reel, fouling off a Troyer heater from the point. Another Westie trip to the sin bin threatened to invite the Huskies back into the game, and despite a steady and stoic LaCroix turning away four shots, the pesky Huskies opened the possibility of a comeback by closing the gap to 4 to 2 as the penalty expired. Aeden Guarino rallied the Westies a minute and a half later, setting up Michael D’Aiuto for his second greasy snipe of the game and restoring a 5 to 2 lead. The Blue Devils looked to extend their edge some more with a fortuitous two man advantage but despite some prolonged possession and a near miss by the astute David D’Aiuto, the Westies failed to extend the lead and the second period ended 5 to 2. The third frame started with some more grievous forechecking by Tyler Silva and Locklear, keeping the Huskies penned in their zone. Rush Jaworski and company’s robust defensive play and LaCroix’s lucid leatherwork set the stage for Locklear to fire one in from Silva at the 10:50 mark, extending the lead to 6 to 2. A defensive breakdown let the Huskies prowl back to a 6 to 3 deficit and another Westie penalty induced a fear that things were about to fall apart, but LaCroix bailed his team out on the kill before Aedan Guarino took over and settled any doubt of the game's outcome. A Walsh faceoff win gave “Big Game” Guarino ample opportunity to score his second shorty at 9:32, and a wayward Huskie pass sent him speeding away to emphatically finish the shorthanded hat trick at 8:51 and give the fans something seldom seen to celebrate. The Westies threatened a few more times with the score 8 to 3, when Locklear frolicked in alone, Weston wound his way to the net, Troyer tried his trickery to confound the Husky defense and Lipford laid out one more bid for his hatty, but all were lamentably denied. The Westies did, however, skate off with an 8 to 3 win, bolstered by Ryan Walsh’s hard hat hustlin’ and LaCroix’s 29 saves. Part 2: Sunday's game:
Sunday saw the wily Westies play away at Avon Old Farms and Kai Lupa in charge of keeping a clean sheet. The underdog Blue Devils were looking for a better result than earlier in the season and Cam “Can You Hear Me Now” Hotchkiss was looking to inspire a faster start from his charges than Saturday had seen. However, that was wishful thinking. An opening faceoff win quickly went south as Avon scored 14 seconds in and the Westies were left looking like they didn’t know that they had arrived at the rink. Two minutes later the score was 2 to nothing, Avon, and the Westie parents started warming up their cars for the long drive home. A Westie power play offered little optimism from the see-saw squad that seemed to play up one game and down the next. But these kids weren’t ready to be written off just yet. The energy line of Raymond Weston, Ryan Walsh and Brooklynn Maher infused a bit of get-up-and-go into the Blue Devils with strong puck possession while Kyle Guarino and Ayden Troyer set up a barricade in the defensive end. Bulwarked by the energy line, the talented trio of Michael D’Aiuto, Cameren Lipford and Aedan Guarino picked up the pace and were rewarded when Aedan Guarino slammed home a Lipford rebound to draw the Devils within one with 5:28 to play in the first. Andrew Grillo took things up another notch by using his big body to further disrupt the Avon attack. Walsh and Weston nearly teamed up for another Westie goal and Kai Lupa deftly denied a breakaway to round out the first, with the Westies down 2 to 1. In a reversal of the first, the Westies exploded off the opening draw. Aedan Guarino found Michael D’Auito, who’s slick slot shot nearly went bar down, but instead lay on the goalline for Lipford to sweep in for the tying goal 17 seconds in. A much more inspired Westie effort saw them continue to carry the play in the second. Brooklynn Maher found a puck at her feet and scampered in on net, narrowly missing on her attempt. Aedan Guarino and Michael D’Aiuto buddied up for another chance and Kai Lupa blocked a burning biscuit near the ten minute mark. Tyler Silva kept things going the Westie way when he was robbed seconds later and drew a Blue Devil power play. It was all Westies as Michael D’Aiuto, Sophia Locklear and Tyler Silva buzzed around the zone, setting up a Grillo bomb. Troyer stretched an absolute dart to Lipford that was turned away, then rushed up the ice on his own before flinging it off the goalie’s melon, narrowly putting the Westies in front. The action was non-stop as Kyle Guarino denied an Avon 2 on 1, giving Lipford leeway to team up with Aedan Guarino on another near miss effort. Locklear and Silva kept the momentum going with their combined effort, followed by Kyle Guarino aspiring again. Lipford took a Lupa kicksave coast to coast but mislaid the layup and Michael D'Aiuto followed up with another look before sublimely dropping one to Lipford again. Lipford closed out the period with his deadly dangling skills but the goalie came up aces and the period ended in a draw. The third saw neither team willing to make a mistake or budge an inch. The offense ground to a halt both ways as David D’Aiuto and Maher boldly blocked some bombs early. As Avon started to regain control, the Blue Devil defense kicked into another gear. Gavin Coady, Rush Jaworski, Grillo, Troyer and Kyle Guarino absolutely refused to be beaten. Lupa kicked away a sneaky tip attempt and the Westies countered with some chances of their own from the interminable grinders Michael D’Aiuto, Locklear and Ty Silva. Aedan Guarino missed putting the Westies in front by a whisker at the period's midpoint and the industrious Ayden Troyer doubled up his defensive efforts with a gritty shot block and adroit pass breakup. The game almost came crashing down on the Westies with five and a half minutes to go. Lupa pinched a save between his pads, but the puck, refusing to be held, squeezed through and slid towards the goal line. With the goalie down and out and the puck painfully inching its way to the finish, Kyle Guarino’s superhero efforts saw him crash into the net amid a flurry of sticks and bodies, keeping the prized puck out and the game knotted at two. Following those heroics, Ryan Walsh, in a move that epitomized the Westies' efforts, lost his stick in the corner, yet tirelessly chased down an Avon attacker back to center ice, deposing him from the puck. Another colossal Lupa stop with under 4 minutes to play followed by Silva’s stupendous pestering forced the distressed Avon bench boss to call a timeout with 2:57 to play. With time winding down, Michael D’Aiuto, Aedan Guarino and Lipford glimpsed two more chances, followed by Lupa indebtedly thanking his crossbar at the 1:25 mark. Weston’s rousing effort from Lipford with 10 ticks left didn’t find the
necessary space and with 1.5 seconds left Avon iced the puck. Hotchkiss called a timeout and Lupa went to the bench. Aedan Guarino’s last-gasp invoking effort off the faceoff failed to find it’s spot, yet the Westies pulled off what can only be called an upset of a tie to close out the successful weekend. Kai Lupa finished with 42 scoreless minutes after the opening debacle and 32 saves overall, and Ayden Troyer proudly displayed his well earned hard hat headwear. January 23, 2022 Weekend Recap: The West Haven Peewee A team opened up the weekend with a crucial matchup against the Greater New Haven Warriors and needed to forge a spirited and rousing performance. Kai “Tiny Tuukka Ate His Fruit Loops” Lupa placed between the pipes and showcased a spry display of goaltending. The Westie’s first line came out with a quick jump and offensive promise, as well as some timely point pinching by Rush Jaworski, but it was short lived as the Warriors went up 1 to 0 just four minutes in. Aedan Guarino’s lone Westie endeavor at the net, a dapper tip in the early going, attempted to light the Devil’s fire but was deftly turned away. Tyler Silva, Ryan Walsh and Dhruva Garani looked to find a spark, however the Warriors soon went up by two at the 7:13 mark and seemed to be in full control of dampening any Blue Devil inferno. Lupa nimbly kicked away four more Warrior whacks at goal before Aedan Guarino delivered the puck up ice to Cameren Lipford. Lipford found Michael D’Aiuto on a dime, who swiftly exploded Momma’s jar of peanut butter on the top shelf of the Warrior keeper’s net, waking the Westies up and bringing them within one at 5:31. Alessandra Picard picked up the pace on the next shift, getting categorically robbed after a sweet set up by Gavin Coady, who by the way, did not snipe any opposing coaches on the bench and kept all the pucks he played in play today. Moments after becoming a victim of larceny, Picard’s follow up undertaking rang off the post, missing a tie game by a matter of inches. Ryan Walsh, Picard and Tyler Silva followed suit with a strong shift to keep momentum going and again set the stage for Aedan Guarino, who rang another post with just 55 seconds to play before being looted while all alone on the follow up when the goalie came up superior. The Westies finished the first on fire but found themselves down two goals to one. Sophia Locklear, David D’Aiuto, Picard, Raymond Weston and Coady continued the Westie momentum to start the second. After Ayden Troyer’s fine defensive footwork and another big Lupa save, Lipford took a shot at tying the game and set up a Blue Devil power play. Picard put a perky puck on net from the faceoff dot, but the Blue Devils once again came up empty and found themselves on the penalty kill for the first of many momentum killing trips to the sin bin. Locklear had a slick strike at a loose puck saved after the kill. She then teamed up with Lipford, Picard, Troyer and Andrew Grillo for a few more succulent opportunities before the Warriors sent another arrow through the Westie hearts at 5:38, burying a rebound past a sprawling Lupa. A minor scoring flurry ensued as the Warriors went up by three just 38 seconds later, followed by a Lipford knuckle puck from David D’Aiuto that crawled past the goal line at 3:35 and brought the Westies within 2. Lipford then fed Aedan Guarino in the slot with three minutes to go, but his dapper dally danced just wide and the Westies went into the break still down 4 to 2. Michael D’Aiuto came out firing to start the third with two near misses before penalty problems perforated the Westie’s hopes. A Blue Devil power play was negated by a tripping call, but that didn’t hinder Aedan Guarino from a shorthanded opportunity, as he scampered in on an abbreviated breakaway and came up absent of a goal at 10:55. However, that would signal the end of the scoring opportunities for the Westies. A too many men call continued the penalty box parade, followed by interference and a hooking call on the Blue Devils. Lupa proficiently turned away numerous power play pucks flung his way, aided by dauntless defenseman Kyle Guarino and followed up by an energetic shift by Michael D’Aiuto, Ty Silva and Brooklynn Maher. Another foray to the box for tripping led to a Blue Devil timeout with 1:33. Despite Coach Hotchkiss’s heartening harangue heaved on the ears of the youthful Blue Devils, the heart attack
kids couldn’t find the necessary fit of fortitude for a comeback and fell 4 to 2 behind 47 fanciful Lupa saves. Looking for a flat-out miracle on Sunday, the West Haven Blue Devils traveled to Milford to take on the considerably higher ranked Southern Stars A team. Mason LaCroix received the call of duty and took his armor to the net. The Westies came out absolutely bonkers and shocked the hometown into silence when Cameren “the Silencer“ Lipford, Aedan Guarino and Michael D’Aiuto peppered the Stars net, with Lipford playing Johnny-on-the-Spot and slamming home the rebound just 27 seconds into play. The Blue Devil indomitable “Wall of Blue'' played colossally, with Andrew Grillo, Ayden Troyer, Gavin Coady, Raymond Weston, Kyle Guarino and Rush Jaworski refusing to give up an inch of ice. An early Westie penalty looked reminiscent of sin bin Saturday, but the impervious penalty kill shut down the Stars attack, with D’Aiuto blocking a shot, Jaworski playing strong on the puck, Ryan Walsh displaying his shorthanded thievery, and Aedan Guarino flashing a fierce forecheck. Moments after the infraction expired, Troyer brandished a brilliant sacrifice to save a goal and keep the Westies even. Michael D’Aiuto ran his block total up to three halfway through the first and Kyle “Lock, Stock and Barrel” Guarino set about showcasing what would become one of his best defensive efforts of the season. Mason LaCroix stoutly cleaned up the rest of the rubbish through the first eight minutes before the Stars broke through to tie the game at 6:56. Grillo, Coady and Kyle Guarino made a multitude of fantastic defensive stops through the next few minutes as the Westies were pinned in their zone, helping LaCroix keep the score even. Lipford found an opportunity at the 1:45 mark but fired his laser over the net, then tic-tac-toed a series of passes with Grillo and Michael D’Aiuto before they found Aedan Guarino open for a gorgeous go at the net. Despite all the action at both ends, the period ended one to one with the shots almost even at ten to nine in favor of the Stars. The Westies found themselves on the penalty kill to start the second, but once again the outstanding defensive work of Troyer and Kyle Guarino, aided by Tyler Silva, the D’Aiuto duo, and Sophia Locklear shut down the Stars offensive effort. Jaworski made a strong pinch at the point and fired off a shot to restart the Westie offense, with Walsh, Brooklynn Maher and Dhruva Garani providing a passionate push, capped off by Maher’s indomitable shot blocking. A nonpareil speed burst from Locklear proved unfruitful, Ty Silva’s bullheaded rush was saved and Lipford’s singular effort was turned away as the Westies continued to put pressure on the heavily favored Stars. Kyle Guarino stabilized the Westie surge with his wholly and utterly unbeatable efforts up and down the ice, playing with his heart on his sleeve. With under seven minutes in the second, Mason LaCroix suddenly found himself mano-a-mano with a Stars forward streaking towards him unchallenged. LaCroix cruised out to meet him, unflinchingly stood his ground, and coolly denied the attempt. Unfortunately, the Westies started to wear down and a Stars goal at 6:20 put them ahead. Locklear, Walsh and Garani attempted to fire up the troops with their energy and Ty Silva was stopped once more. Kyle Guarino put his brilliance on display again, exhibiting both hustle and muscle on the backcheck and breaking up a scoring opportunity. But the tired Westies continued to bend and in a span of 26 seconds, yielded two more goals to the Stars, falling behind 4 to 1. A power play to close out the period offered a glimmer of hope when Lipford set up in Ovechkin’s office and found a puck in his wheelhouse, but his cannon sailed high and wide, and the Westies went into the intermission down by three. The third offered little in favor of the Westies, as the Star’s snowballing efforts became an avalanche. Diminishing Blue Devil highlights were few and far between, but Maher continued to get in front of the Star’s clappers, leading with her fearless fervor, and Weston gave us some of his patented perambulations through the Stars players. The Stars made it 5 to 1 before Garani tried to split a trio of Stars, but his shot was staunchly turned away. LaCroix defiantly deflected the endlessly incoming attempts at his net and Coady capably curved everyone that skated his way into the boards. LaCroix made one more monumental stand, snagging an
open one timer from the slot before the Stars increased their lead to 6 to 1 with 3:12 to play. A last-ditch Blue Devil timeout to settle this courageous crew preempted some great puck movement by the Guarino’s and Michael D’Aiuto, terminating in a terrific deflection that would have given the Westies a positive note to end on. Unfortunately, the Blue Devils came up empty again and the game ended 6 to 1, with a magnificent Mason LaCroix making 35 saves. January 30, 2022 Sunday's write-up: After being snowed in on Saturday, the West Haven Peewee A team returned to ice with a vengeance and a walloping 9 to 1 win over the Ridgefield Lions. The “Three Ami-Goalies”, Kai Lupa, Mason LaCroix and Brendan Silva, combined for 16 saves in front of the old onion bag. The scoring started swiftly, when off the opening draw, Aedan Guarino and Cameren Lipford gave a give and go to perfection, with Guarino finishing the Lipford feed 18 seconds in. Forty seconds down the line, the duo combined again, this time including Kyle Guarino, as Lipford lit the lamp to put the Westies up by two less than two minutes into the match. The Westies continued to dominate play, passing with precision and performing with the purpose of cementing their spot in States. Lupa looked like a ninja, gloving snipes out of the air with his typical flair in the rare times he was tested. Defensive duo Gavin Coady and Andrew Grillo were exceptional on the back end. Sophia Locklear and Alessandra Picard flew across the ice with ease, entertaining at both ends early on. A Blue Devil power play at 8:17 saw Picard set up Ayden Troyer seven seconds in, but he was denied. In an unexpected twist to the Westies having their way, a short-handed Lions goal brought them within one at the 7:57 mark, threatening a Blue Devil breakdown and a close hockey game. Tyler Silva injected an infusion of energy into the Westies and less than two minutes later Aedan Guarino netted his second, once again being fed a luscious Lipford biscuit, putting West Haven up 3 to 1. Lupa followed up with a savvy save and Locklear continued to appear everywhere as the Westies regained control. With under five to go, Locklear got on her horse and her ferocious backcheck disrupted the Lions attack and sent Kyle Guarino free, upping the score to 4 to 1. A Blue Devil power play at 3:14 gave Gavin Coady his chance to shine. In a mere minute and a half, Coady managed to muscle a Lion off the puck, gifted Ryan Walsh a chance, fired off two missiles at the net and narrowly missed Ty Silva with a beauty of a feed. Coady then narrowly mislaid a puck that would have given Aedan Guarino his hat trick with less than a minute to play before the period ended with the Westies up 4 to 1. The second started with David D’Aiuto’s superb stick lift on the backcheck creating a loose puck for Kyle Guarino, who then set up said D’Auito for a fine finish and an early 5 to 1 lead. The Westies continued to try to run away with the game as Lipford, Michael D’Aiuto and Raymond Weston picked apart the Lion’s defense, but Lipford’s skilled finish was called back due to a high stick at 11:23. Coady and Grillo, who scorched a myriad of shots at the Lion’s goal, continued their stellar play on “D”. Picard, Locklear and David D’Aiuto killed off an additional two minutes in the Lion’s zone, peppering the keeper with numerous shots, with Picard punctuating the dominating shift with a superb, but empty, effort at the end. The Blue Devil onslaught continued with Tyler Silva expertly tipping Kyle Guarino’s drive past the Lion’s keeper for the sixth Westie goal, and a Guarino playmaker. Mason LaCroix came in to relieve Lupa at 7:33 of the second and completely shut down the Lions. Michael D'Aiuto continued the offensive blitz when he took the puck from Dhruva Garani and danced, dangled and dazzled his way to a 7 to 1 lead, leaving the Lions in his wake dazed and confused. Aedan Guarino welcomed hats to the ice as he polished off a hat trick and extended the Westies to an 8 to 1 lead 30 seconds later. On an ensuing penalty kill, Mason LaCroix snagged a rising Lion’s wrister and held it high for everyone to see. Weston and Rush Jaworski teamed up with some nice puck work and passing as the period wound
down and Locklear just missed a finish in the final moments as the Westies took their 8 to 1 lead into the intermission. LaCroix killed off any Lion’s chances on the powerplay to start the final frame and Troyer looked to extend the lead with multiple attempts at net before the Blue Devils called off the dogs and the coaching staff put the lines in a blender to practice alternate positions and perfect their passing. A powerplay goal by David D’Aiuto, set up by Grillo and Kyle Guarino’s fourth assist, as well as some sublime passing around the perimeter by Picard and Brooklynn Maher, finished off the Blue Devil barrage at 8:17. The third member of the soon to be world famous “Three Ami-goalies”, Brendan Silva, entered the ice arena to close out the contest and quickly kicked out a slick save. Walsh fought off a few D-men to get a shot off and Grillo gave another go, possibly his 10th of the game, to close out the Westie chances. The Blue Devils controlled the remainder of the third period and ran out the clock on their way to the easy 9 to 1 win, with Andrew Grillo and Brendan Silva deservedly sporting the players-of-the-game headwear. February 6, 2022 Weekend Roundup: The West Haven Peewee A’s opened up the weekend against a powerful Darien A1 squad and performed more admirably than the lopsided 6 to 0 score depicted. Mason LaCroix strapped on the leather and started in the crease with Kai Lupa coming in relief at the midway point. The dynamic duo kicked and punched their way to 21 saves in the campaign. The Bench Brain Trust instilled a new twist to the Blue Devil attack, and it worked wonderfully in the early going. The diligently practiced, redesigned and refreshed forecheck performed with pizzazz and injected a new energy into the Westies attack, confounding the Darien breakout and putting them on their heels. The Westie wave crashed the Darien zone from the start, as Michael D’Aiuto narrowly missed a tip from Aedan Guarino and Cameren Lipford 30 seconds in. A suave LaCroix save sent the Westies right back on the attack and a flying Sophia Locklear, Alessandra Picard and David D’Aiuto buzzed around the Darien zone. Tyler Silva, Dhruva Garani, Ryan Walsh and Brooklynn Maher infused their trademark energetic, never-give-up style, keeping the Westies in control. Timely pinches by the aggressive, astute defenseman aided the attack. Kyle Guarino was everywhere as usual, Rush Jaworski jumped up into the attack, Gavin Coady crashed Darien’s breakout attempts, Andrew Grillo cooked up some sweet defensive stands, Raymond Weston sped the puck up ice with his stick and feet and Ayden Troyer sent his signature salvo of clappers from the point. Aedan Guarino came inches from putting points on the board while on the penalty kill at 11:44, racing away with a Michael D’Aiuto faceoff win, but he was dragged down, drawing a penalty and some 4 on 4 hockey. Guarino, D’Aiuto, Troyer and Kyle Guarino teamed up for two A+ chances but the score stayed even as the penalties expired. David D’Aiuto was robbed moments later when Picard picked apart the “D” and fed him a beauty. A couple quick strikes by Darien found the back of the net at the midway point of the first, but the Blue Devils wouldn’t quit. Aedan Guarino missed out on two more opportunities as Lipford fed him first, followed by a neatly redirected Troyer missile missing the back of the net. In spite of the aggressive attack, the Blue Devils found themselves down 2 to zero, while outshooting Darien 13 to 11. The second started with Locklear and Picard treating each other to some juicy chances. First, Picard danced devilishly in the corner, escaping with the puck and setting up Locklear who rang one hard off the post. Locklear returned the favor, working relentlessly to get the puck to Picard, only to see her drive get stoned. A Darien counter clocked another closing finish, putting them up by three, and the tide started to roll Darien’s way. Maher stepped in front of a rocket, her shin pads sending a resounding boom throughout
the arena, with Troyer and Michael D’Aiuto following suit with their own bruising blocks, but the Darien barrage culminated in a 4 to nothing edge. The Blue Devils came right back as Michael D’Aiuto saw his subsequent strike sail high over the open cupboard. Darien retaliated quickly, putting the Westies in a 5 to zero hole and chasing the leathery LaCroix from the net, with Lupa coming in to relieve. Darien continued to dominate, briefly broken up by a Locklear pop, but soon slid another one home for a 6 to 0 advantage. Michael D’Aiuto, Lipford and Aedan Guarino looked to conjure up some magic over the next handful of minutes with a few tricks up their sleeves, but Darien wasn’t fooled. After a Lupa kick save and Grillo’s well-timed clearance, David D’Aiuto slipped one wide and Troyer emphatically hammered his follow up over the crossbar. The second came to a close with two more Troyer tries getting denied and the Blue Devils down 6 to 0, but still outshooting their opponents 21 to 18. An otherwise ostentatious display of hockey came to a bit of a grinding halt in the third with whistles dominating play and neither team finding cause for celebration. Aedan Guarino and Lipford teamed up for one more shot at a showstopper, Troyer treated Locklear with a whack at goal, and Tyler Silva used every ounce of energy to put the Westies on a run, at one point taking a Kyle Guarino pass and feeding Walsh who lamentably saw his delivery crash off the post and out. Lupa stayed busy on the back end with some razzle-dazzle; flashing his glove for a save, breaking up a two on one bid, and denying Darien on a mini break away. A power play with the third period winding down gifted a glimmer of optimism to the Blue Devils desires of breaking up the Darien shutout bid. Coady sent a duo of drives past the defense, but the keeper was able to keep a clean sheet. Time ticked away on the Westies and despite the seemingly sound six goal defeat, the Blue Devils spirited first period and aggressive forecheck deserves praise and will hopefully forebode a fortuitous future in the upcoming State tournament. On Sunday, the Peewee A Westies hopped on the road and traveled to South Windsor to take on the Knights A team. This one was about the “Three Ami-goalies” as all three got into the game, Brendan “Two Pad Stack” Silva earned his first start of the season and played outstanding, Kai Lupa picked up credit for the win, and Mason LaCroix played for both sides in the 7 to 3 victory. The Westies' Cameren Lipford, Aedan Guarino and Michael D’Aiuto tested the Knights keeper with a couple of quick shots right from the opening draw before Brendan Silva was called upon. Silva displayed his savvy skills when the Knight’s forward danced through the Westie players, putting two pucks on the ‘tender, with Silva laying out lavishly to punch the rebound bid away. The Blue Devils pounced the other way with Michael D’Aiuto putting their first on the board at 11:22, finishing off a rebound from Aedan Guarino. However, the Knights answered 18 seconds later to tie the game. Lipford, Michael D’Aiuto and Aedan Guarino teamed up again at 6:32 when their passes ping-ponged to the net, allowing Lipford to pick up the trash and deposit it in for a 2 to 1 lead. The Blue Devil defense played big in front of Brendan Silva. Gavin Coady broke up a 2 on 1 soon after and Andrew Grillo sent a sweet breakout pass to set up a 3 on 1, with David D’Aiuto narrowly missing the Tyler Silva sauce. South Windsor took control for the rest of the period, pinning the Westies in their zone, but Brendan Silva and company kept the Blue Devils in front and finished the first up 2 to 1. After the break, the West Haven offense seemed to not notice the second period started, but luckily for the Blue Devils, Brendan Silva and his D-men, Kyle Guarino and Gavin Coady, kept the Knights from scoring, with Silva kicking out multiple shots and Michael D’Aiuto coming back to block an open net attempt. Rush Jaworski tried to get the Blue Devils going, blocking a Knight’s blast and then dusting it off to Ayden Troyer for a breakaway, but Troyer was bested on his attempt. A little back and forth ensued with Raymond Weston’s strong defensive play denying a couple attempts and Kyle Guarino sacrificing his body to keep the shots at bay before Lipford took his turns, first greasily gliding through the D while firing one on net and then launching a Kyle Guarino dish that was turned away.
South Windsor soon tied the game at 2 and again tilted the ice their way, the pressure making the Blue Devils look lost, and pressing Brendan Silva to make multiple stops over the next few minutes. A hopeful stretch pass from Weston to Aedan Guarino gave a very brief reprieve to the defending, before a stoppage in play allowed for a goalie change. Silva proudly left the ice to loud applause and 15 saves under his belt in the knotted affair. Kai Lupa came in at the 4:39 mark of the second and was tested with a laser 10 seconds later but flashed his glove and swallowed up the puck. The fleet-footed Sophia Locklear took over from there with two goals in 19 seconds, putting the Blue Devils in front for good. Locklear’s first came from the crease as she deposited the loose change created by David D’Aiuto and Tyler Silva. Seconds later, Locklear did it all herself, picking up the loose puck in the neutral zone, flying down the wing, beating the defense and banging home her own rebound for the eventual game winning goal. The Knights looked to answer quickly and after taking back control and forcing Lupa to reject a point-blank attempt, South Windsor buried the rebound to bring it back to a one goal deficit with 2:40 to go in the second. With the period winding down, Coady and Grillo returned fire at the Windsor net, but no one was there for the rebounds. Michael D’Aiuto and Aedan Guarino got last second swipes in, but the buzzer beaters were denied, and the Westies went into the third up 4 to 3. The third period got interesting with goalie changes galore, but not before West Haven roused from their sleepy-ish second. Weston, Ryan Walsh and Dhruva Garani brought the Blue Devils close with some chances before Michael D’Aiuto dug out a loose puck from Lipford’s crack at the net and made it 5 to 3. South Windsor’s goalie then went down with an injury, leaving them without a goal guardian. In a show of great sportsmanship, Mason LaCroix skated into the enemy net and shared a wave across the ice to his Blue Devil amigo, Kai Lupa, as play resumed. LaCroix guarded the net as his own, coming up with two saves in his 2 minute 20 second stint as a Knight. Meanwhile, the score stayed constant as Lupa was bailed out by Grillo and Troyer when he was sent scrambling in another South Windsor barrage. A Blue Devil power play looked to bury the Knights but came up barren, despite Jaworski’s dexterous play to glove a clearing attempt, put it on his stick and slickly get a shot off. Mason LaCroix then reappeared in the match, this time in his own net, replacing Lupa at the 8:10 mark of the third. Thirty-eight seconds later, the Westies helped relieve some pressure when David D’Aiuto finished a beauty of a biscuit served by Kyle Guarino. Hard hat prizewinner Dhruva Garani almost added to the Westie windfall a minute later, a Ryan Walsh service finding him open at the top of the crease, but his bid was flung wide. Michael D’Aiuto finished off the Blue Devils scoring by securing his hat trick from Lipford’s second assist of the game and Aedan Guarino’s playmaker achieving set up. The Blue Devils cruised through a fruitless man advantage followed by some 4 on 4 play as the clock wound down and they clinched the day’s supremacy. On the back end, the three Ami-goalies combined for 27 saves, and the multi-tasking Mason LaCroix finished off his game with three saves as a Westie to go along with the two he made for the Knights in the 7 to 3 Blue Devil win.
February 12, 2022 Saturday's roundup: The West Haven Peewee A Blue Devils kicked off Super Bowl weekend with a win more reminiscent of a football game, defeating the visiting CT Riverhawks A1 squad by a field goal, 10 to 7. The defense on both sides was snacked on all game, Cameren Lipford and Aedan Guarino exploded for five points apiece offensively, and the Westies trotted out all three of the Amigoalies to be sitting ducks.
A defensive breakdown got starter Kai Lupa involved in the game early, forcing him to kick away a breakaway within the first minute. Not long after, Ayden “the Destroyer” Troyer sent a punishing slapshot through the back of the net, putting the Westies in front at 12:25 from the first of Aedan Guarino’s four assists in the morning’s match. Trenchant energy from Tyler Silva, Ryan Walsh and Brooklynn Maher kept the Blue Devils on pace before Lipford lit up the scoresheet for his first at 8:53, getting sprung by Troyer and serving one bar Mexico on the down and out Riverhawk keeper. Aedan Guarino and Lipford traded a couple more chances over the next 90 seconds, and at 6:55 Kyle Guarino jumped in on the fun, lasering one through traffic after the keen peepers of Alessandra Picard picked him out at the point, with David D’Aiuto also getting in on the scoring. The would-be runaway ground to a halt 11 seconds later when the Riverhawks walked in on Lupa and flung one over his shoulder, bringing the contest to 3 to 1. Picard came right back, narrowly missing out on her opportunity, and Andrew Grillo and Gavin Coady stepped in to add some strong play at both ends of the ice, their big bodies becoming roadblocks the Riverhawks struggled to go around throughout the affair. At 3:54, Aedan Guarino found the hot handed Lipford again, as the sniper’s backy went top cheddar to put the Westies ahead 4 to 1. Once again, the Riverhawks attempted to respond within seconds, but an alert Lupa sprung from his crease to cover the puck and kill a quick comeback. The Westies closed out the scoring in the first at 2:52 when Michael “the Puck Pirate” D’Aiuto purloined an unprotected biscuit and fed Aedan Guarino for a goal and his third point of the skirmish. Lupa gave way to Brendan Silva to open the second and Silva was greeted with two quick Riverhawk power plays. The sturdy Silva and his Blue Devils didn’t break on the first one; the tireless legs of Sophia Locklear and Picard running the Riverhawks ragged and Kyle Guarino and Rush Jaworski beating everything else away. However, the Riverhawks doubled up their success on the follow up powerplay, and again 47 seconds later, crawling back to a 5 to 3 deficit with 8:21 to play in the middle frame. A shiver of panic may have weaved its way through the Blue Devil’s backers, as the famed heart attack kids teased an appearance, but Raymond Weston sedated the scare, picking up a poor clearing attempt and twisting a wrister over the goalie’s head for a 6 to 3 score. The Riverhawks kept the slugfest going at 3:28, climbing back within two again, but David D’Aiuto tucked home another seeing-eye pass from Picard, with Locklear also in on the assist to put the Blue Devils up 7 to 4. Before the scorekeeper could put their pencil down, the Westies rallied for 2 more goals in 37 seconds; Michael D’Aiuto dialing in from Lipford, followed by Lipford finishing his hatty from brother’s Aedan and Kyle Guarino, with Aedan attaining the playmaker. Being the well-mannered hosts they are, the Blue Devils treated the Riverhawks to a few more chances to close out the second, including another power play, but some hard-nosed blocks from Michael D’Aiuto, Kyle Guarino and Jaworski helped goalie Brendan Silva get out of the period further unscathed, with Silva bravely beating one away with his head at the buzzer. Mason LaCroix emerged as the third part of the delightfully entertaining and poignant trio of keepers, beginning the third stanza with a 9 to 4 lead. LaCroix and Grillo combined to kill off the remaining portion of a penalty and Weston teamed up with Picard, Locklear and Troyer to try to put some more points on the board early in the third to no avail. At 11:37, Lipford found his fourth, again from Aedan Guarino and Michael D’Aiuto to finish off the Westie scoring at 10. Once again however, the Westies opened the door for the Riverhawks to make another charge. Despite a whirlwind of arms and legs from LaCroix, a flurry of rebounds finally found a hole at 10:19, bringing the Riverhawks within 5. Moments later, LaCroix got buried after making a big pad save, the collision momentarily shaking up the tough ‘tender. After some words of encouragement from Coach Callen McKeon refocused the ‘keeper, the Riverhawk barrage continued. A couple more markers brought them back to a three goal deficit at 7:01, again begging to frustrate the Blue Devil faithful.
Surprisingly, the longest stretch without scoring closed out the campaign, despite two beautiful chances on a Blue Devil power play, the first a diving would-be-highlight-reel crack by Dhruva Garani that got kicked away and the second a post-pinging pistol from Kyle Guarino. After the dust settled and the final whistle blew, the Blue Devils emerged 10 to 7 victors, with the Amigoalies combining for 22 saves, and Gavin Coady sporting the top performer’s brain bucket. February 22, 2022 Weekend roundup: The West Haven Peewee A’s stumbled out of their weekend opener, pulling out a 5 to 3 victory despite a humdrum, lead balloon effort against the ECHO Stars A team. Brendan Silva and Mason LaCroix combined for 11 saves while splitting the undertaking in net and both of them booted away a smattering of strikes to preserve the win. The physical play and shot blocking by sagacious defensemen Andrew Grillo and Gavin Coady helped limit the Stars to only 14 shots on goal. Kyle Guarino, Rush Jaworski and Ayden Troyer further stifled the Stars, while Raymond Weston fueled the Blue Devils with two goals from the back end. Up front, Michael D’Aiuto drove the offense with his duo of tally's, Cameren Lipford dished a pair of apples, wrecking ball Tyler Silva wreaked havoc wherever he went, and Dhruva Garani raised some rumps from their recliners with his near misses. The first period offered little action early, with Weston and Garani trying to create off the penalty kill and Troyer and Ryan Walsh closing down the Stars' power play. However, the Stars took a one to zero lead at 8:26 on a breakaway goal resulting from an unfortunate miscue. A few minutes later, Weston rambled coast to coast, squirting through the Stars defenders to level the score at one. Michael D'Aiuto’s deft faceoff win sent Aedan Guarino racing in alone seconds later, but he was smartly denied by the cool ‘keeper. As the first period slowly stumbled to a close, Brendan Silva made a colossal stone-cold glove save with 40 seconds to play, preserving a 1 to 1 tie at the break. Grillo and Coady continued their defensive clinic to start the second and David D’Aiuto rolled his savvy tip attempt just wide while redirecting Grillo’s blast before the Westies straight up disappeared for the next 8 minutes. Brendan Silva sagaciously swept his pads for some saves at 11:45 to keep the score tied but another inauspicious bounce bound its way into the back of the net and a 2 to 1 Stars lead with 11:11 to go. Garani’s get-up-and-go got the Blue Devils rolling again when his slickly stolen attempt was discommodiously denied at 6:53. A goalie change hoped to further infuse a spark into a Westie revival as Mason LaCroix came in to relieve Brendan Silva, who played tough-as-nails in net despite the dispiriting score. The restart saw Coady feed a frenzy as Lipford and Grillo’s stabs left them hungry for more and Aedan Guarino clanged a direct hit off the post, leaving the hapless Blue Devils down by one. Last second strikes from Michael D’Aiuto and Aedan Guarino further frustrated the Blue Devils, as the second period came to a close with the Westies trailing 2 to 1 despite a heavy shot advantage. Ayden Troyer twice stretched passes to the wily Tyler Silva to start the third, but Silva couldn’t convert on the opportunities despite his ferocious efforts. However, Tyler Silva’s elbow grease soon freed Weston for his second goal, seeing him speed down the ice and slap home the rebound amid a chaotic crease, leveling the game at two with 13:42 to play. Barely a minute later, hard hat recipient Michael D’Aiuto took the apple from Aedan Guarino, set up in Gretzky’s office, duped the goalie into going the wrong way, and unerringly tucked home the eventual game winner. Cogent defenseman Gavin Coady filled the camera frame at both ends of the ice for the next few minutes, firing off multiple shots and breaking up back-to-back Stars scoring attempts. Ryan Walsh continued his cunning ways, keeping the Westy attack coming and crafting a Dhruva Garani breakaway, but the goalie dismissed the Garani jab. Brooklynn Maher’s vexatious buzzing furthered the
Blue Devil blitz by creating her own attempt moments later, but once again the Westie’s were bested, and the score remained 3 to 2. Sparked to life, the Westies continued to buckle down with Sophia Locklear’s run-and-gun at goal getting batted aside and Michael D’Aiuto and Tyler Silva both having the door closed on their cracks at success. Michael D'Aiuto’s relentless pursuit finally found him his second score, finishing the Gino from Lipford and Coady to put the Blue Devils up 4 to 2 with 6:40 to go. Mason LaCroix, who found it fairly easy to put his feet up to this point, was finally tested and passed with flying kick saves after a pretty passing play left a Stars player open to fire away from the slot. Garani and Maher’s mischief managed to get them one more iron in the fire, but the two Blue Devils again were snake bit in their efforts. The action came back to the Westie’s end with 3:15 left to play but LaCroix’s sleekly sliding pads turned away two more Stars attempts to tie it. Locklear raced away from the melee to give the Blue Devils some breathing room and Tyler Silva’s spin-o-rama added some flair to the affair despite the Stars goaltender flaying the finish. True to form and the coach's dismay, the heart attack kids made things interesting, letting the Stars crawl back to within one with 43 seconds to go. The Stars gave everything they had to tie it with 35 seconds left, but a steadfast LaCroix rose to the occasion and stoned the soft-handed scorer as he dangled through the Blue Devil “D”, preserving the victory. A last-gasp Stars timeout proved fruitless due to the hard-charging Lipford securing the Westie win with an empty net goal with 10 seconds to play. Sunday’s State tourney preview versus the Watertown Red Wings was primed to put the Westies on notice, with a much more aggressive and heartier effort needed for success. In his succinct speech set to motivate his diminutive charges, Coach Cameron Hotchkiss made no mistake in letting it be known, “If you [stink], no pucks at practice for the rest of the year.” The message must have been heard loud and clear as the Blue Devils blazed out of the opening faceoff and hustled and muscled their way to one of their best efforts of the year. Kai Lupa, making the start in his old home rink, went the distance and was tested to the tune of 24 saves in the shutout (Hibachi!). Once again on display was a solid stonewalling by the back line. Gavin Coady and Andrew Grillo stood as tall and immoveable as giant Redwoods, Rush Jaworski and Kyle Guarino were smooth as silk in steering any opposition attacks away, and Ayden Troyer and Raymond Weston consistently moved the puck up ice with ease, firing off tape to tape passes at will. The backchecking was on point as well; the indomitable will of the forwards to not give up anything easy was pervasive on every play. Aedan Guarino opened up the scoring, burying a rebound from Cameren Lipford and Michael D’Aiuto at 10:08. Guarino, bedeviled by the previous game's lack of fortune in finding the scoresheet, would go on to scratch the pencil a total of five times today. One minute and five seconds later, Aedan Guarino was at it again, assisting Michael D’Aiuto’s crafty backhand tally to put the Westies up 2 to nil. A Westie power play followed but came up empty, but not without the free-wheelin’ Weston weaving his way down the ice on his dallying attempt to tally. The Red Wings tried to take off and make it close, however Lupa wasn't having it and swallowed up a wacky puck wanting to make its way into the net at the six-minute mark. Moments later, a streaking rocket tore a hole through Lupa, but a quick-handed Weston took it off the line and whacked it out of danger. The first period continued to see every Blue Devil moving, skating, passing and supporting each other. Tyler Silva wreaked havoc once again and the ruthless trio of Brooklynn Maher, Dhruva Garani and Ryan Walsh stopped at nothing to keep the Westies in front. The Blue Devils capitalized again at 2:54 when Kyle Guarino laid out to keep the puck in the offensive zone, finding brother Aedan Guarino for another foxy feed to Lipford, who effortlessly buried the biscuit into the basket.
Fourteen seconds later, Lipford finished his second act from Aedan Guarino and Andrew Grillo, slicing open a 4 to nothing lead. Lipford wasn’t finished entertaining though; his skillful puck-on-stick juggling act almost setting up a fantastic finish to the period, but the puck wouldn’t find the magic hat. The Westies hoped to keep rolling in the second but would fail to find the back of the net. However, they redoubled their defensive efforts and clipped the Red Wing’s wings. Another Blue Devil power play would come up empty despite Sophia Locklear’s dominant puck possession and a sure-handed David D’Aiuto top-notch tip attempt being kicked away by the desperate goalkeeper. Gavin Coady continued to be an impervious concrete mass and Ayden Troyer defined the day’s defensive dandiness by using his head to block away a one-on-one Red Wing rally, then sent Lipford away with Michael D’Aiuto, who was heinously robbed. The Westies continued to do the little things right, chasing down loose pucks, winning one-on-one battles, dumping, chasing and forechecking, and clearing the crease for their up-to snuff ‘tender. The fundies continued to feed the Westie chances, with Maher sending Tyler Silva on a run, and David D’Aiuto putting the puck on a platter for Walsh, unfortunately neither of which they could finish, and the second period closed with the Westies still leading 4 to nothing. The curtain pulled back to start the third and revealed none other than the heart attack kids. The Red Wings quickly cut the ice in half and hit an early crossbar, but the always-thankful-for-his-iron Lupa saw it go bar-Canada and clear the crease, keeping the shutout intact. The patience and poise the Blue Devils displayed throughout the first two periods gave way to a gritty resilience. The Red Wings ran away to an 11 to zero shot discrepancy in the period before the now desperate Blue Devils found their first, ten minutes into the frame. Dhruva Garani’s dogged drive and determination freed Locklear’s speed to scrape up the other end of the ice, and David D’Aiuto finally ended the shot shutout. Another flying rush by human racecar Raymond Weston threatened one more score before Aedan Guarino capped the final at 5 to nothing with 2:11 to play, assisted by Lipford and Troyer. Kai Lupa seized the hard hat to lock down his lavishly flowing lettuce in the victory.
February 26, 2022 Last regular season write-up: The West Haven Peewee A’s opened up their final weekend of tune-ups before States with the back end of a home and home versus the Watertown Red Wings. Mason LaCroix got the call and played his heart out in the 1 to zero loss, teaming up with his goalposts for 23 solid, if not spectacular, saves and only allowed one sneaky screen-shot to slip through. The Westies came to play, displayed outstanding speed, passing and teamwork, but couldn’t crack the Red Wing goalie. The first five minutes glimpsed the Blue Devils delivering a myriad of chances; Aedan Guarino got denied after a Michael D’Aiuto delivery, Lipford sweetly supplied Alessandra Picard with her glorious attempt getting stoned, a power play came up emptier than a pauper’s bank account, and Ryan Walsh touched his tricky try wide. The defense was once again dominant in their efforts. Ayden Troyer armored away five shots and broke up a handful of other attacks, Gavin Coady and Andrew Grillo played like giant, mythical beasts, Rush Jaworski and Raymond Weston slinked around as smooth and cool as ice, and Kyle Guarino went from Clark Kent to Superman whenever opportunity called. After a smattering of Red Wing flings were rebuffed by a big LaCroix block and a little help from his metal goal post friends, the Westies once again went on the attack. Another worthy Walsh effort was reversed before the Red Wings capitalized on the game’s only goal at 5:23 of the first. Picard promptly picked up the pace and her winged whirl was whisked away. Then Grillo’s blast off a faceoff win, Tyler Silva’s slick tuck attempt and a Lipford breakaway were all indomitably denied by the rubbery Red Wing keeper to close out the first. The Westies kept blazing at the start of the second with David D’Aiuto’s burst being gloved by the goalie. Picard and Sophia Locklear kept the energy alive, fully flying through the Watertown defense but couldn’t
crack the keeper. Weston flashed his foot speed as well, touching every part of the ice but he couldn’t break through either. At 12:30, Walsh and Tyler Silva stood on the brink of tying up the game but once again the goalie got the best of the Westies. LaCroix was revisited and got tested to the tune of three more Watertown whacks but came up grand and got some more help from the hearty iron, as the puck stayed out. The Westies once again turned up the heat and made a huge push. Michael D’Aiuto’s passport to goalville got denied, followed by Weston’s wily effort coming up as shy as a schoolboy at his first school dance. Jaworski’s perilous pinch at the point set Walsh, Silva and Dhruva Garani to go one, two, three with their efforts; each attempt leapfrogging the other, but the Red Wing goalie swallowed them whole. The ridiculous saves didn’t stop there as Lipford and Aedan Guarino were robbed off the following faceoff. Minutes later, David D’Aiuto, Locklear and Picard couldn’t deposit the loose change through the crease filled with scrambling Red Wings, as the star-crossed Westies once again came up barren. A flurry of action at both ends ensued, LaCroix frantically sliding post to post to fantastically kick out a Red Wing finish and the two follow up salvos, and Kyle Guarino going end to end, ultimately getting upended by the kryptonic keeper as he flew through the crease with only 5 seconds to play in the period. The Westie’s continued their pressured push in the third, but the powerful triple punch of Michael D’Aiuto, Lipford and Aedan Guarino got jilted and Picard and Locklear’s labors lacked luck as well. Another glorious LaCroix glove kept the Blue Devils within one and Coady and Troyer interjected some juicy blocks and odd-man rush breakups to stave off a Watertown rally over the next few minutes. Tyler Silva and Walsh teamed up once more, trying to create a moment of magic, as the end-to-end action kept the Westie’s heads twisting like a table tennis match. A Coady cease and desist order on 3 on 1 break combined with more LaCroix thievery and his third post reprieve released Picard and Locklear to try to pick the lock and pot the puck before the period expired. Walsh and Garani then backchecked beautifully to break up another 3 vs 1, the result sending Tyler Silva on a last-gasp, eleventh hour effort to tie the game with the goalie gone from the cage; his furious fling flipping off a defender’s stick and dancing dangerously through the air, only to be swatted away at the last second by the quick limbed ‘keeper, preserving the victory for the Red Wings. The afternoon's international extravaganza against the Mexican National Development Team, due to the popularly prevailing opinions and more than reasonable requests, will not be summarily summarized, but shall instead be erased from our cognizant awareness through copious amounts of tequila and margaritas. (However, for those wondering souls who were lucky enough not to experience it, the Westies were bested by the somewhat embarrassing 10 to 1 score.) Please enjoy the rest of your weekend and get ready for the unpredictably capricious chaos these cardiac kids will indubitably indulge us with in the State Tournament!