This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.

Branford Boys’ Hockey Posts a Pair of Shutouts

After attaining conference and state supremacy last year, the Branford boys’ ice hockey team entered the 2019-’20 campaign on a quest to defend both of those titles. While there are still plenty of games left to play, the Hornets have stormed out to an excellent start with a record of 7-1, including a pair of victories in last week’s action. Branford earned a 3-0 home win over Cheshire and then blanked Amity by a 5-0 score in a road game last week.

Head Coach Jim DiNapoli’s squad is embracing the challenge of keeping the SCC/SWC Division II title and the Division II state crown in its grasp this winter. With a savvy pack of battle-tested veterans leading the way, DiNapoli said that Branford’s goals and its approach to achieving those goals are the same as last season.

“Last year, the goal was to compete for an SCC title, compete for a state title, and try to win both, and that goal hasn’t changed this year. The goal remains the same, and we do talk about it in the locker room,” said DiNapoli. “We’re approaching the season the same way. We approached last year with the old adage of, ‘One game at a time, one period at a time, one shift at a time,’ and we’re not looking ahead on our schedule this year, either. Every opponent is important, and we won’t take anyone for granted.”

Branford certainly didn’t take Cheshire for granted when the two teams faced off at Northford Ice Pavilion on Jan. 8. The Hornets scored one goal in second period and two more during the third on their way to a 3-0 victory against the Rams.

Senior Max Manware got Branford on the board when he scored from fellow senior Spencer Engstrom with 6:16 remaining in the second period. The Hornets increased their lead on an unassisted goal by Engstrom with 12:30 to play in the game. Then with 2:20 to go, Branford solidified the victory when senior Zach Jones scored from fellow senior Blake Kustra to give the Hornets a 3-0 advantage. Sophomore goalie Jared Yakimoff made 14 saves in net to get the shutout for the Hornets, who outshot Cheshire by a wide 44-14 margin.

“We played well for all three periods against a good club and a phenomenal goalie in Nick Maringola. It was another good boost going forward,” Coach DiNapoli said. “We controlled the puck and entered the zone with speed. We were able to get shots from the blue line and bodies in front of the net to get to score our goals. We also played well on defense by keeping Cheshire to outside and minimizing their chances in our zone.”

The Hornets brought back the bulk of their roster from last year, including a ton of experience at the forward position. Senior Jack Manware is centering Branford’s top line with Engstrom at left wing and junior Daniel Farricelli at right wing. Freshman Matt Morgan is playing center on the second line, flanked by wingers Jones and Kustra on the left and right, respectively. Bennett Gentile is another senior forward on the squad.

Sawyer Moriarty, a center, leads a group of junior forwards that includes Connor Erickson and Declan Ross. Sophomore Dominic Viscuso also plays forward for Branford. The Hornets’ other freshman forwards are Colin Deane, Michael Farricelli, Michael Linder, Jack Linder, and Nick Michaud.

“We’ve had some production from an offensive standpoint. They move the puck well and have good vision on the ice,” said DiNapoli. “What we need to improve on is our defensive responsibility on our offensive zone to limit odd-man rushes. We gave up too many of them in our first few games. But I’m pleased so far. Those top two lines are skilled with kids who are solid all-around hockey players.”

Max Manware and fellow senior Chris Donadio form one of Branford’s top defensive pairings. Senior Jake Rivera and junior Billy Linder are also teaming up on the back line. Branford’s other defensemen are junior Finnegan Thompson, sophomore Wes Raymond, and freshman Sean Bosworth.

“They’re all responsible defensively, but they can turn around, join the rush, and become part of the offense, too,” DiNapoli said.

Junior goalie Yakimoff is back in net this season after playing the majority of the minutes throughout last year’s playoff run. Freshman Jeremy LaCroix is Branford’s backup goalkeeper.

Coach DiNapoli understands the benefit of having an experienced goalie like Yakimoff, who’s already thrived in the postseason spotlight.

“Like the rest of the group, Jared has a lot of experience in trenches and knows what it takes. He has a lot of poise and can handle pressure situations that come about throughout the season,” said DiNapoli. “Jared has been through first several games, but I think he can ratchet it up and get better as the season progresses.”

Of course, Coach DiNapoli wants the Hornets to get better as a whole as they dive into the heart of their campaign. DiNapoli said that Branford needs to play at its peak for all 45 minutes every game if the Hornets want to once again be Connecticut’s best Division II hockey squad.

“I want to see us develop more as a complete team and play more of a complete game. The club is practicing hard day in and day out, but we have a lot of work to do,” said DiNapoli. “There is a lot of parity in Division II. It’s similar to last year, where eight or nine teams can win this thing. So, we have to be ready every night if we want to get back to that level. We have to know our responsibilities, go out, and execute the plan. If we do those things, we will see success and win a lot more games than we lose.”

The Hornets finished off last week by skating to a 5-0 road win over Amity at Bennett Rink in West Haven on Jan. 11. Kustra and Daniel Farricelli both scored a pair of goals to lead Branford to the win. Farricelli netted his first goal on an assist from Engstrom during the first period and then scored another goal on a Jack Manware assist to make it 2-0 in the second. Kustra followed with a shorthanded goal for a 3-0 lead through two. Kustra scored another unassisted goal in the third period, after which Jack Manware scored from Thompson and Manware to close out the 5-0 victory. Yakimoff turned aside 12 shots in goal for Branford.

From the Sidelines

Jim DiNapoli is in his fourth season as head coach of Branford boys’ ice hockey and his seventh year with the program. The Hornets’ assistant coaches are Chris Annino and Zach Boorman.

Thus far this season, Branford has recorded victories over Glastonbury (4-3), Woodstock Academy (6-3), Trumbull (3-0), Fairfield Warde/Ludlowe (3-2), West Haven (4-2), and Cheshire. The team’s lone loss was a 4-2 defeat against Lyman Hall/Haddam-Killingworth/Coginchaug.

For the rest of the regular season, Branford has home games against Westhill-Stamford, the Eastern CT Eagles, Guilford, North Haven, East Haven-Old Lyme-Old Saybrook-Morgan-Valley Regional-East Hampton, and Hand on it schedule. The Hornets will also be on the road to play North Haven, Watertown-Pomperaug, North Branford, Woodstock Academy, and Wethersfield-Middletown-Rocky Hill-Plainville.