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03/09/2019 11:00 PMThe Branford boys’ ice hockey team is on the doorstep of playing for a state title. Last week, the Hornets won their first two games in the Division II State Tournament to advance to the semifinal round. With one more victory, Branford will get to take the ice in a state final.
On the heels of winning a conference championship, Branford entered the Division II State Tournament as the No. 4 seed and posted a 6-2 home victory over No. 13 Woodstock Academy in a first-round game at Northford Ice Pavilion on March 4. Four days later, the Hornets notched a 3-1 win versus No. 5 seed South Windsor in a quarterfinal matchup at Trinity College.
Branford, which has an overall record of 18-3-3, play No. 9 seed Wethersfield-Middletown-Rocky Hill-Plainville (17-5) in the semifinals at Ingalls Rink on March 12 (after press time). If the Hornets win, they will face the winner of No. 6 seed Glastonbury and No. 10 Farmington Valley in the final at Ingalls Rink at 7 p.m. on Monday, March 18.
Branford opened the Division II State Tournament by hosting Woodstock Academy for a first-round contest. Branford trailed the Centaurs 2-1, but came back to tie the game at 2-2 heading into the third period, and then scored four goals in the final stanza to come away with the 6-2 win. Senior Rob Lionetti scored three goals for a hat trick, including two goals during the big third period, and also had an assist for the Hornets. Senior Greg Lucente made 20 saves to get the win in net.
Woodstock Academy scored the first goal just 3:34 into the game and held a 1-0 lead after one. The Hornets tied it up on a goal from Lionetti 4:24 into the second period. Juniors Jack Manware had the assist. The Centaurs took a 2-1 lead by scoring their second goal of the game with 7:52 remaining in the second. Then with five minutes to play in the frame, Spencer Engstrom scored from fellow junior Blake Kustra to tie the game at 2-2.
Senior captain Max Bunton gave Branford a 3-2 lead when he scored from Lionetti 38 seconds into the third period. Four minutes later, junior Zach Jones scored from fellow junior Max Manware to give Branford a 4-2 advantage. Just 26 seconds after that, Lionetti scored his second goal of the day to make it 5-2. Lionetti sealed his hat trick and a 6-2 victory for Branford by netting his third goal of the game with 1:26 to play.
On March 8, the Hornets squared off against South Windsor in a quarterfinal contest at Trinity College in West Hartford. Branford scored two goals in the first period and then broke open a one-goal game by netting an insurance goal in the third to earn a 3-1 win over the Bobcats.
Jones scored from Kustra and junior Chris Donadio to give Branford a 1-0 lead 4:06 into the game. Engstrom made it 2-0 when he scored a shorthanded goal on a breakaway with 5:34 remaining in the first period.
Branford brought a 2-0 lead into the second. South Windsor got on the board by scoring a power-play goal to cut the deficit in half with 6:39 to play in the frame.
The Hornets still led 2-1 entering the final period. South Windsor was whistled for a penalty with 6:59 left in the game. Branford took advantage of the power play when Donadio scored a goal from Engstrom and Bunton to give the Hornets a 3-1 lead with 5:51 remaining in the game. Sophomore goalie Jared Yakimoff had 18 saves for Branford in net.
Prior to states, Branford finished with a regular-season record of 14-3-3, including a mark of 6-1 in SCC Division II, to win the division title and earn the top seed in the SCC/SWC Division II Tournament. The Hornets claimed a 5-4 (3-2 in a shootout) victory over Guilford in the conference semifinals, followed by a 2-1 win against Watertown-Pomperaug in the final at Bennett Rink on March 2.