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02/16/2019 11:00 PMThe Guilford girls’ ice hockey team has made great progress while taking on some of the best teams in the state this winter. After recently completing the regular season with a pair of wins, the Indians are riding a wave of momentum as they gear up to complete in the playoffs for the first time in several years.
Head Coach Rich Binkowski’s squad finished the regular season with a record of 10-9 by posting victories over Hand-Coginchaug-Old Lyme and Suffield-Ellington-Enfield-Granby-Canton last week. On top of that, the Indians assured themselves a postseason berth by earning the No. 6 seed in the Southern Connecticut Conference South Division Tournament, which begins on Monday, Feb. 18.
“The team has got grown a lot this year. At the beginning of the season, it was a group of kids, some with a very strong grasp of the game of hockey, and some with no grasp at all, and some right in between. We all learned a little bit more and all learned how to play with each other as a team,” said Binkowski, who’s in his first year as head coach after previously serving as an assistant. “Strong opponents that we lost to only showed us how to get better. This is the first time we’ve made the SCC Tournament in my four years of coaching the team. It took a lot of hard work and a lot of perseverance.”
The Indians defeated Hand-Coginchaug-Old Lyme by a 4-1 score on Feb. 13. Freshman Maddie Epke scored two goals for Guilford, while senior tri-captain Mariah Cretella and freshman Olivia Gill netted one goal apiece. Junior Audrey Rowan and freshman Daniella Vickerman added assists for the Indians, who saw senior tri-captain Brielle Kendrioski make 36 saves in net.
This game also marked Guilford’s Senior Night. As part of the festivities, the Indians honored senior tri-captain Sarah Ziemba, along with fellow seniors Abby Ghantous, Jacquie Violette, Cretella, Trinity Ireland, Nell Kinney, Meghan Johnson, and Kendrioski prior to the game.
Then on Feb. 16, the Indians finished their regular season by rallying for a 5-3 win versus Suffield-Ellington-Enfield-Granby-Canton. Despite trailing by two goals in the first period, Guilford stormed back with some great goaltending by Kendrioski, who made 38 saves on the night, along with stellar defense from Gill, Ziemba, junior Jaime Neleber, sophomore Christina Garofalo, and junior Mary Evans. Epke buried three goals for a hat trick to go with an assist in the win. Vickerman added a pair of goals, and Gill dished out two assists.
“[Suffield has] many strong players and was one of the few teams in the state to beat [SCC powerhouse West Haven-Sacred Heart Academy]. They got a two-goal lead on us, but in the span of only a minute or two, we were able to score three goals and take the lead,” Coach Binkowski said. “Shortly into the third period, they tied the game up, but we were able to get another go-ahead goal, and then our team points leader, Maddie Epke, was able to secure our victory and a hat trick with an empty-netter as the third period came to a close.”
Guilford earned the No. 6 seed in the SCC South Division Tournament and will face No. 3 seed Amity-North Haven Cheshire-in the first round on Monday, Feb. 18 at 4:30 p.m. at Lou Astorino Ice Arena in Hamden. The winner of that contest advances to the semifinals to take on No. 2 seed Hamden at that same site on Wednesday, Feb. 20 at 3:30 p.m. The final will be held at Bennett Rink in West Haven on Friday, Feb. 22 at 7:15 p.m.
From the Sidelines
This year, the Guilford girls’ ice hockey team has notched wins against Amity-North Haven-Cheshire (4-3), Northwest Catholic-Mercy (4-3), Trumbull-St. Joseph (5-3 and 7-4), Masuk-Barlow-Newtown-Lauralton Hall (5-0 and 6-3), Branford-North Branford-Sheehan-Lyman Hall (5-1), Hand-Coginchaug-Old Lyme (5-2 and 4-1), and Suffield-Ellington-Enfield-Granby-Canton (5-3).
In their 10 victories, the Indians averaged exactly five goals per game.
For the other half of the SCC South Division Tournament, No. 4 seed Notre Dame-Fairfield/Law/Foran/Weston/Pomperaug is hosting No. 5 Branford-North Branford-Sheehan-Lyman Hall in the first round at The Rinks at Shelton on Monday, Feb. 18 at 2 p.m. The winner of that matchup will face No. 1 seed West Haven-Sacred Heart Academy at Bennett Rink in West Haven on Wednesday, Feb. 20 at 6 p.m.