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12/25/2017 11:00 PMThe weather may have been cold during the 2016-’17 winter season, but the Guilford Indians scorched their competition in many sports, earning state titles in boys’ ice hockey, as well as boys’ and girls’ fencing.
Boys’ Ice Hockey
The Guilford boys’ ice hockey squad put up a pair of banners this winter by winning both the SCC/SWC Division II Tournament and the Division II State Tournament. Head Coach Ralph Russo’s club finished the year with a mark of 21-5, which set the program record for victories in a season.
The Indians got out to a strong 5-1 start before taking a 9-2 loss to East Haven. Guilford responded with six straight victories, but then finished the regular season with losses to Cheshire and Watertown-Pomperaug for a mark of 15-5.
In the playoffs, Guilford won all six of its games to win both postseason tournaments. The Indians captured their first conference crown with a 3-2 overtime victory versus East Haven in the SCC/SWC Division II Tournament final. Then after winning its first three games in the Division II State Tournament, Guilford took down Watertown-Pomperaug in the championship game behind a comeback 5-3 victory at Ingalls Rink. The Indians trailed 2-1 before netting four goals in the third period to earn their first DII crown since 2010 and third state title overall.
Ricky Sandella, who was an All-State and All-SCC/SWC Division II First Team selection, finished the year with 27 goals and 31 assists for 58 points. Fellow captain Kyle Dwyer made 59 saves in net between Guilford’s two wins in the Conference Tournament on his way to being named its Most Outstanding Player. Joining Sandella on the All-SCC/SWC and All-State DII squads were Second Team selections in sophomore forwards John Delucia (68 points on 35 goals and 33 assists) and Jack Ring (team-leading 71 points with 32 goals and 39 assists), who were both Sandella’s linemates. For the Connecticut High School Coaches Association Senior and Junior Select All-Star games, Dwyer competed in the Senior Game, while junior defenseman Joe Neleber played in the Junior Game that Russo coached in.
Russo was named New Haven Register All-Area Team Coach of the Year, and also earning spots on that squad were Delucia, Dwyer, Ring, and Sandella. For the Register’s
All-State Team, Sandella made the First Team with Dwyer and Ring on the Second Team and Delucia on the Third Team.
Girls’ Ice Hockey
Guilford came away with its first victory of the campaign in its season finale on Feb. 18.
Guilford skated to a 3-2 victory versus Lauralton Hall to get itself in the win column this winter. Gil Schaper’s squad finished the season with a record of 1-17. Brielle Kendrioski got the win in net for the Indians, while Sara Russo netted the game-winning goal that broke a 2-2 tie. Sarah Ziemba also scored her first goal of the season in the win.
Boys’ and Girls’ Fencing
Head Coach Kyle Mezzi’s program competed at the Team State Championships at Norwich Free Academy on March 11. Guilford saw both its boys’ and girls’ teams claim their respective overall state crowns for the second straight season by virtue of the cumulative performances from their foil, épée, and sabre squads.
The two victories marked the third overall state title for the boys and the fourth for the girls. Within each discipline, the boys took first place in foil, won their first state title in sabre, and finished fifth in épée. On the girls’ side, the foil team claimed first prize, while sabre was the runner-up, and épée placed third.
At the Individual State Championships the previous week, Luke McNamara and Evans Schultes made the All-State Second Team for the boys. Faren Roth and Willow Coleman garnered All-State Second Team distinction on the girls’ side.
Girls’ Indoor Track
Head Coach Jon Rivera and the Indians finished third at the SCC Championship on Feb. 3 at Floyd Little Athletic Center in New Haven. Meredith Bloss ran a time of 5:14.93 in the 1,600-meter run and was a close runner-up to Bridgid Selfors of Mercy (5:14.86). Kelsi Putnam followed in fourth place (5:32.45) for the Indians. Bloss was also second for the 3,200 by running 11:23.36 to only place behind Selfors, who ran 11:10.66. Jacqueline Guerra placed fourth (11:57.92) and Clara Wiesler was fifth (12:11.81) for Guilford.
Additionally, Guerra finished third in the 1,000 (3:05.17), Jalynn McCown tossed to fourth in the shot put (35 feet-4 inches), Chloe Shaw was sixth for the 600 (1:43.82), the 4x800 relay of Andrea Basilicato, Putnam, Clara Wiesler, and Claire Keanna finished third (10:15.86); and the 4x400 relay of Shaw, Basilicato, Bloss, and Guerra was sixth (4:26.80).
The Indians finished seventh at the state meet at Floyd Little Athletic Center, where Jalynn McCown won the Class L shot put title for Guilford on Feb. 11. McCown launched a toss of 36 feet-7.25 inches to defeat North Haven’s Sarah Vanacore, who threw 36-6.25. Additionally at states, Bloss broke the school record in the 3,200-meter run with a time of 11:08.09, which put her in third place. Guerra was third in the 1,000 at 3:11.03, while the 1,600 sprint medley relay group of Jessica Bohan, Rachel Lauzier, Shaw, and Guerra finished fourth (4:31.25).
The Indians came in tied for 32nd place by scoring five points at the State Open Championship, which was held on Feb. 20 at Floyd Little Athletic Center. Scoring points for Guilford were Bloss, who finished fourth in the 3,200-meter run behind a time of 11:01.74; along with McCown, who took sixth in the shot put by throwing 37 feet-1.5 inches. Also competing for the Indians were Guerra, who took eighth place in the 1,000 (3:06.89); along with the 1,600 sprint medley relay of Bohan, Lauzier, Shaw, and Guerra (14th, 4:32.32).
Bloss was named to the All-SCC Second Team, while she and McCown were also selected to the New Haven Register
’s All-Area squad.
Boys’ Indoor Track
Coached by Jon Rivera, Guilford finished in 10th place at the SCC Championship on Feb. 3. Leading the way for the Indians, Corey Sondak was fourth in the 55-meter dash in 6.71 seconds, Finn Davidson came in fourth for the 1,600-meter run (4:37.35), the 4x400 relay of Jordan Lembo-Frey, Joseph Walters, Caleb Benedict, and Sam Sessions was fifth (3:39.71); and the 4x800 group of Ben Crair, Will Smith, Will Dinauer, and Davidson (8:48.49) placed fourth.
Guilford finished in 19th place at the Class L State Championship. Davidson led the Indians by finishing third in the 1,600-meter run behind a mark of 4:36.45. Sondak was sixth in the 55-meter dash by running a time of 6.78 seconds. Also, Guilford’s 4x400 relay of Lembo-Frey, Walters, Benedict, and Sessions placed sixth (3:40.45).
Guilford was represented by Davidson at the State Open Championship. Davidson finished the 1,600-meter run in a time of 4:33.22 and finished in seventh place.
Boys’ Basketball
Head Coach Jeff DeMaio’s club finished with a record of 15-5 for the regular season, earning home games in both the SCC and Class L State tournaments.
In the first round of SCCs, Guilford took a 55-50 defeat to Fairfield Prep. Then as the No. 8 seed in states, the Indians hosted a pair of matchups. Guilford recorded a 71-54 victory over Platt in the first round—marking its first State Tournament win since 2003—and then took a 79-67 loss against Windsor in the second round to finish at 16-7 overall.
Senior Jordan Krause was named to All-SCC Second Team and was also a New Haven Register
All-Area Honorable Mention.
Girls’ Basketball
Head Coach Bob Welsh and the Indians finished 14-6 on the regular season to earn the No. 6 seed and a home game in the SCC Tournament. After defeating Amity, the Indians upset 3rd-seeded Career 58-40 to make their first conference semifinal in 10 years. Guilford lost to eventual SCC champion Mercy, but then entered the Class L State Tournament as the No. 8 seed, and earned home victories against Platt and Farmington in the first two rounds. Welsh’s club finished the year with an overall record of 18-8 after dropping a contest to top-seeded Holy Cross.
The Indians featured a tremendous trio of seniors leading the way as their senior captains this year. Center Camryn Craig averaged nine points, nine rebounds, and four blocks per game; guard Izzy Nerney scored 12 a game, while hitting 46 three-pointers and shooting 77 percent from the free throw line; and center Kayley McLaughlin proved a solid defensive presence for Guilford. Craig and Nerney made both the All-SCC Second Team and were selected to play in the Class LL and L East-West All-Star Game. Nerney made the New Haven Register All-Area Team, plus she additionally notched a spot on the publication’s All-State Third Team. Amanda King was a Register
All-State Honorable Mention.
Wrestling
Head Coach Craig Vedrani’s team saw several athletes advance to the State Open Championship, which took place on Feb. 24 and 25 at the Floyd Little Athletic Center in New Haven. Earning victories for the Indians were McKayd LaRose in the 160-pound weight class, along with Keldon LaRose (120), Charlie Andrus (182), and Jack Six (220). George Sanderlin and AJ Moscato competed in the 126- and 170-pound weight classes, respectively, for Guilford.
Previously, the Indians came in third place with 170 points at the Class M State Championship, which was held at Guilford High School on Feb. 17 and 18. Guilford crowned two state champions in McKayd LaRose, who prevailed in the 160-pound weight class by defeating Ben Stratton of Platt by 1-0 decision; along with Six, who took the 220 title after upending Nicholas Cote of Bethel by a 7-4 score.
For the SCC Championship, the Indians claimed the runner-up slot by scoring 123 points. Guilford saw five athletes reach their respective championship finals at SCCs, including Six, who won the championship in the 220-pound weight class. Three more wrestlers reached their title bouts in the consolation bracket. Six defeated Collin Malloy of Xavier with a pin-fall victory at the 1:16 mark of their championship match. Sophomore Vinny Mascola lost his final at 132 to Pat Moynihan of Xavier when he was pinned at 3:30. Senior McKayd LaRose was pinned 1:31 into his contest with Ryan Devivo of Xavier to earn second in the 160 division. Also placing second were Moscato, who lost to Fairfield Prep’s Evan Titus, 5-1, in the 170-pound final; plus Andrus, who took a 9-5 defeat to Foran’s Qasim Khan at 182.
The Indians finished 19-9 on the regular season. Six made the All-SCC First Team for Guilford, while Mascola, McKayd LaRose, Moscato, and Andrus earned All-Conference Second Team honors. McKayd LaRose and Six also made the New Haven Register
All-Area Team.