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02/11/2013 11:00 PMThe Tigers notched a 4-2 win over SCC Division II rival Milford on Feb. 6. The Tigers are now 7-5-3 on the campaign. In the win, Sam LaFontaine scored in the middle of the second period and again early in the third to lift them to the triumph. Danny Braumann and Ryan Bell also scored in the matchup, while Chase Briggs had 42 saves in goal. Hand has now qualified for the Division II State Tournament with the win.
"Sam LaFontaine and Danny Braumann hooked up for three goals, leading the way for our team to earn a big SCC win over Milford," said Head Coach Ryan Hardy. "Danny Healey and Brendan Kelly were tasked with defending Milford star forward Zach White and they both shut him down. The win clinched a playoff berth for our team and also allowed us to keep alive our goal of reaching the SCC Championship game. I am very proud of all the boys. We had a game plan, went out and executed it, and ultimately got the job done to earn a spot in the playoffs. Every member of our team is beginning to come together, sacrifice individual glory for the betterment of the team, and in doing so, we are starting to peak at the right time with only a few weeks left until the playoffs."
Gymnastics
The Hand gymnastics' squad earned a 133.25-126 victory over Law on Feb. 5 to move to 12-1 on the season. The Tigers took the win thanks in large part to top finishes in all five events by Kendall Jerzyk (on bars, beam, on floor, and all-around) and Stefani Taschner (in the vault).
For the vault, Taschner earned a first-place score of 9.15, while Jerzyk took the bars with a mark of 8.5 before Taschner finished right behind her (8.4). Jerzyk then added to her evening with a 9.0 on floor, finishing first to Taschner's 8.7 in the event.
For the all-around, Jerzyk finished with a tally of 34.7 and Taschner with a 34.55. Also for the Tigers, Amanda Rubano netted an 8.8 to finish second on beam.
Boys' Swimming and Diving
Hand had a busy week of competition with back-to-back meets during the first week of February. The boys swam against Jonathan Law on Feb. 5 and Cheshire on Feb. 6. With a win against Law and a loss against Cheshire, Hand is now 4-5 on the season.
Versus Law, Matt Allen and Grant Hesse teamed up to take first and second in the 100 fly against Law. Ethan Crans, normally a freestyler, also took first in the 100 back. First place finishes went to the 200 medley relay team of Daniel Huang, Davide Mendonca, Allen, and Greg Rodriguez (2:08.13), along with Matt Kane in the 200 free (2:32.08), Hesse in the 200 individual medley (2:40.52), Rodriguez in the 50 free (26.95), Allen in the 100 fly (1:10.40), Rodriguez in the 500 free (6:42.01), the 200 free relay team of Steven Van Deusen, Allen, Crans, and Jack Lynch (1:50.89), Crans in the 100 back (1:05.64), Tim Smith in the 100 breast (1:14.03), and the 400 free relay team of Hesse, Kane, Nick Lasala, and Joe Nattarelli (4:09.27).
Second place finishes went to the 200 medley relay team of Lynch, Jeff Pucciata, Hesse, and LaSala (2:10.66), Smith in the 200 free (2:42.26), Sky Enright in the 200 individual medley (2:52.51), Joe Wolek in diving (106.75 points), Hesse in the 100 Fly (1:12.85),Van Duesen in the 100 free (1:09.95), Kane in the 500 free (7:01.83), Huang in the 100 back (1:08.19), and Mendonca in the 100 breast (1:14.09).
Against Cheshire in a 101-82 loss, first place finishes went to Nattarelli in the 50 free (23.24) and 100 free (51.18), the 200 free relay team of LaSala, Doug Wu, Crans, and Nattarelli (1:38.76), along with Lynch in the 100 back (1:02.59), and the 400 free relay team of Crans, Lynch, Wu, and Nattarelli (3:42.41).
Second place finishes went to Crans in the 200 free (2:01.02), Noel Haren in the 200 individual medley (2:17.20) and the 500 free (5:25.52), and Danny Huang in the 100 back (1:07.94). Third place finishes went to Lynch in the 200 free (2:03.85), Wu in the 50 Free (24.4) and 100 free (54.63), Allen in the 100 Fly (1:08.84), and Crans in the 500 free (5:38.12).
-John Lecardo