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10/02/2016 12:00 AMFootball
The North Haven football team squared off against fellow SCC Tier 1 squad Hand at the Surf Club on Sept. 30 and prevailed 33-7 to improve to 3-1. For another week, the Indians’ ground game was too much for their opponent to handle as North Haven compiled 297 yards on 35 carries for an average of 8.5 yards per carry. All four of North Haven’s touchdowns came on the ground. Also, the Indians’ forced Hand into throwing three interceptions.
“The line of scrimmage, especially with our offense, it’s critical that we establish that in a football game and the earlier the better. We established it pretty early in this game and that helped us,” said Head Coach Anthony Sagnella. “On defense, I think we’re getting better at tackling and with our physicality and I think that was evident on Friday night.”
North Haven held a 14-0 lead after the first quarter in the victory versus the Tigers. Max Sullivan scored the game’s first touchdown on the opening series on a 48-yard run. Later in the quarter, Tom Dodge broke free and ran 29 yards for a touchdown and a quick two-score lead. The only points of the second quarter came off the foot of North Haven kicker Colin Finkle, who booted a 26-yard field goal to put the Indians up 17-0 at halftime.
In the third quarter, Sullivan broke off a big 45-yard run that set up his 5-yard scoring rush for his second TD of the night and a 23-0 advantage. Finkle later kicked one through the uprights from 28 yards away for his second field goal that made it 26-0 through three quarters. Dodge’s 54-yard touchdown run in the fourth blew the game open and Finkle followed with his third extra point kick as the Indians took a 33-0 advantage.
Sullivan rushed for 11 times and 132 yards with the two TDs, while Dodge had 13 rushes for 130 yards and a pair of scores. Jack Steinman completed five passes for 55 yards and his leading target was Dodge, who had three catches for 36 yards.
Dodge recorded one of the interceptions on defense and also forced a fumble. Kyle Melillo and Korbin Pecora had the Indians’ other picks. Zach Orth led the team in tackles with nine, while Sullivan added eight.
This week, the Indians play another SCC Tier 1 team in Notre Dame-West Haven. North Haven will host the Green Knights (2-2) at Vanacore Field on Friday, Oct. 7 with kickoff slated for 7 p.m. The Indians beat Notre Dame 42-21 last season.
Boys’ Soccer
North Haven picked up two points by playing to a pair of ties last week. The Indians began with a home game against Amity on Sept. 26 and the contest ended in a 0-0 deadlock. Two days later, North Haven hosted non-conference opponent Wolcott and battled them to a 3-3 tie. The Indians finished at Foran and dropped a 1-0 decision to stand at 1-6-2.
In the Amity tie, Riley Powell made seven saves to earn the shutout and was voted North Haven’s Player of the Game. Head Coach Federico Fiondella also noted the strong play of his defense that was led by central defender Justin Shea, in addition to the performance of Ben Blumenthal, whom he called “the workhorse of the team.”
Against Wolcott, the Indians trailed 2-0 before Ethan Pavano scored on a free kick that was followed by Jose Rodriguez’s goal off a Steven Pugliese assist to have the game tied at 2 at halftime. Wolcott went up 3-2 in the second half, but Mike Panferov tied it on an assist by Pavano and the game ultimately ended in a 3-3 tie. Pavano and Panferov shared Player of the Game honors. Fiondella said that Pavano’s free kick goal “was one of the best I have seen in many years,” and he also credited Panferov for overall improvement and scoring “a well-deserved goal.” North Haven received nine saves from Powell, who stopped a penalty shot.
“We made some defensive errors to let in the Wolcott goal, but I also need to commend the team for coming back from a two-goal deficit and tying the game up,” said Fiondella. “We scored some nice goals in this one and it was good to see us come back from the scoreless Amity game and knock some goals in.”
For the 1-0 loss to Foran, Brian Daley was named Player of the Game. Coach Fiondella said that Daley’s speed has made him an asset at the forward, midfielder, and defender positions. The coach was also pleased to see AJ Fraschilla return from an injury to play against Wolcott and Foran.
Girls’ Soccer
The Indians had two games last week and split the pair for a mark of 3-4-1. North Haven took a 5-1 loss at West Haven on Sept. 26, bu bounced back to gain a 7-1 home victory against Wilbur Cross-Hillhouse-Career on Sept. 30.
Girls’ Swimming and Diving
The Indians took two defeats last week and are now 3-2. On Sept. 26, North Haven lost a 91-74 contest at Hand. Three days later, the Indians hosted Amity and lost 100-80.
Against Hand, North Haven sophomore Michaela Salvo swam a lifetime-best time of 1:14.94 in the 100 butterfly, sophomore Emily Gibson went a lifetime-best 1:10.44 in the 100 freestyle, and junior Avery Hill’s mark of 1:16.91 in the 100 backstroke was also a lifetime best. Recording season-best times were junior Jasmine Nguy in the 100 butterfly (1:04.69), plus senior Lauren Spencer in both the 500 freestyle (5:29.09) and the 100 backstroke (1:05.39).
In the Amity meet, senior Callyn Priebe swam a lifetime best of 2:19.79 for the 200 individual medley, freshmen Mackenzie Montesi (5:56.30) and Abby Kirtland (6:43.88) posted lifetime-best marks in the 500 freestyle, and freshman Brynley Rainey had a lifetime best of 34.50 in the 50 free. Season-best times were delivered by Spencer in the 200 free (2:05.91), freshman Angela Gambardella in the 200 IM (2:16.32) and 100 breaststroke (1:09.48), junior Lauren Borrelli in the 50 free (26.24), and freshman Kirsten Winter in the breaststroke (1:18.83). The Indians’ 200 medley relay of Spencer, Gambardella, Priebe, and Borrelli swam a season best of 1:58.72, while the 400 freestyle relay of Borrelli, Nguy, Spencer, and Gambardella did the same with a time of 3:53.76. Freshman Ava Santacroce won the diving competition with a score of 178.50.
Field Hockey
North Haven hosted Lauralton Hall last week and took a 5-0 defeat. The Indians now have a record of 2-4.