Printer Friendly Version - Gambardella Wins Two Events at SCCs; Branford Cheer Takes 2nd in States

Senior Corey Gambardella won the 200 individual medley for the second straight year and also captured first place in the 100 freestyle for the Branford-Guilford boys’ swimming and diving team at last week’s SCC Championship. Photo by Kelley Fryer/The Sound

Corey Gambardella swam to first place in a pair of events for the Branford-Guilford (Bfd-Gfd) boys’ swimming and diving team at last week’s SCC Championship. Gambardella, a senior at Guilford High school, prevailed in the 200-yard individual medley and the 100-yard freestyle to help Bfd-Gfd score 352 points and finish ninth place of 16 teams.

The SCC meet started with the Diving Championship at Hamden High School on Feb. 28. Senior Paul Rosenberg scored 224.15 points and placed 15th at the competition.

The swimming portion of the SCC Championship took place the following at Southern Connecticut State University, where Gambardella recorded two first-place finishes for Bfd-Gfd. In the 200 IM, Gambardella swam a time of 1:55.21 to defeat runner-up Ben Brewer of Cheshire, who went a 1:56.55. The victory marked Gambardella’s second straight win in the event at SCCs as he also took first at last year’s conference meet with a time of 1:56.14. Then in the 100 freestyle, Gambardella finished with a time of 47.80 seconds to edge out second-place finisher Jamie Eigner of Cheshire by less than a second, as Eigner clocked in at 48.63.

Gambardella also swam on a pair of relays that posted top-10 finishes at the SCC meet. Bfd-Gfd’s 200 medley relay of Gambardella, senior Kyle Boucher, freshman Aidan Henry, and senior Alex Karosas finished eighth with a time of 1:44.29. The 400 freestyle relay featuring senior Aleandro Hanaj, Henry, Karosas, and Gambardella swam a time of 3:26.41 to take seventh place.

Henry also delivered an eighth-place performance in the 500 freestyle behind a time of 4:57.54 for Bfd-Gfd. In the 200 IM, Henry swam a time of 2:08.74 to take 16th place. Karosas finished in the top 20 of two events. In the 50 freestyle, Karosas placed 19th with a mark of 23.81 seconds. Then in the 100 backstroke, Karosas finished 14th at 59.02. Boucher finished 15th in the 100 breaststroke with a 1:06.32 and he also came in 29th for the 200 IM with a time of 2:17.83. Hanaj placed 32nd in the 50 freestyle with a time of 24.62 seconds. Later, Hanaj swam on the 13th-place 200 freestyle relay that recorded a time of 1:49.34. That quartet also featured senior Dylan Williams, sophomore Andrew Orce, and Boucher.

Branford competed in the Co-ed State Championship at Floyd Little Athletic Center on March 2. The Hornets posted a total of 166.50 points and finished in second place at the meet. Seymour took first place in the competition and North Haven finished third. Branford had previously placed second behind North Haven in the Co-ed Division at the State Championship.

The Hornets came away with one tie and one victory in their last two games of the regular season to go 11-8-1. Branford won five of seven down the stretch and enters the Division II State Tournament as the No. 10 seed.

Branford began last week’s action by skating to a 1-1 home tie against Watertown-Pomperaug at Northford Ice Pavilion on Feb. 27.

Two days later, the Hornets faced another SCC/SWC Division II opponent with a road game versus North Haven at Northford Ice Pavilion. Branford doubled up the Indians 4-2 to finish the regular season on a triumphant note. With the Hornets trailing 1-0 at the end of the first period, Scott Klouda recorded a natural hat trick by netting three straight goals to give Branford a 3-1 lead through two. Klouda’s first goal came on Mitchell Petrillo assist and tied the game at 1 just 2:17 into the second period. Five minutes later, Klouda gave the Hornets a 2-1 lead by scoring from Rob Lionetti and James Cunningham. Then with 1:09 to play in the period, Klouda earned the hat trick by scoring an unassisted goal for a 3-1 lead. North Haven scored a power play goal to make it 3-2 just 43 seconds into the third, but just a couple of minutes later, Branford received an insurance goal when Max Bunton scored from Petrillo for a 4-2 advantage. Justin Edwards picked up the win in net for the Hornets.

As the No. 10 seed, Branford opens the Division II State Tournament with a game at No. 7 Westhill-Stamford (11-8-1) at Terry Conners Ice Rink in Stamford at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 7. With a victory, the Hornets would face the winner of 2nd-seeded Watertown-Pomperaug and No. 15 New Milford in the quarterfinals on Monday, March 10.

Branford is the No. 26 seed in the Class L State Tournament and plays a first round game at 7th-seeded Bethel at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 7. With a victory, the Indians would either play at No. 6 Pomperaug or 23rd-seeded E.O. Smith for a second round contest at 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 9.

Branford finished the regular season with a record of 9-11 before losing to Amity in the SCC Tournament to stand with an overall mark of 9-12 entering states.

The Hornets were the No. 30 seed in the Class L State Tournament and played a first round game against No. 3 Pomperaug in Southbury on Feb. 27. Branford took a 76-57 defeat and finished its season with a record of 5-16.