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03/09/2020 12:00 AMThe Branford boys’ ice hockey team entered the SCC/SWC Division II final looking to defend its conference title, while North Haven had its sights set on capturing the crown for the first time. Both squads had been playing some quality hockey in recent weeks and came into the playoffs riding a wave of momentum after winning several close games down the stretch. In another nail-biting duel, Branford won its second-straight conference title by earning a 1-0 victory over North Haven in the championship game at Bennett Rink on March 7.
Junior Dan Farricielli scored the lone goal of the game at the 2:23 mark of the third period to help Branford claim its fifth conference championship since 2012. Senior Chris Donadio and junior Billy Linder had the assists on the goal for the Hornets, who improved to 19-2-1 as they get ready to compete in the Division II State Tournament this week.
Junior goalkeeper Jared Yakimoff made 26 saves in net to get the shutout for Branford and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the SCC/SWC Division II Tournament. Yakimoff also had a shutout when Branford blanked the East Haven co-op by a 7-0 score in the semifinal round.
Junior goalie Andrew Sacco kept 3rd-seeded North Haven in the game by turning aside 21 shots in the conference final. The Indians were playing in their first championship game after winning a thriller versus Hand on a shootout in the semis. North Haven, which is 12-7-3 on the year, will also be playing in the Division II State Tournament this week.
Following a scoreless first period, North Haven had a 5-on-3 power play for a few minutes early in the second period. However, Yakimoff and the Hornets’ defense were able to kill off the Indians’ two-man advantage and keep the game scoreless. At the end of two periods, Branford and North Haven were still locked in a 0-0 stalemate.
Branford broke through when Farricielli buried the go-ahead goal with 12:37 remaining in the game. Farricelli took a pass from Donadio and was able to slip it past Sacco to give the Hornets a 1-0 advantage. The Hornets kept North Haven off the board the rest of the way and walked off the ice with the conference title in their grasp for the second year in a row.
This game marked the third time that Branford and North Haven played each other this season. The two teams battled to a 2-2 tie at Northford Ice Pavilion in their first meeting in Jan. 15. Then on Feb. 19, Branford edged out the Indians by a 2-1 score in another matchup at Northford Ice. Branford and North Haven could potentially face each other for the fourth time this year if both squads make it to the final of the Division II State Tournament.
Branford reached the SCC/SWC Division II final by netting a 7-0 win against the 4th-seeded East Haven co-op squad in a semifinal game at Bennett Rink on March 5. The Hornets scored two goals in the first period, three goals in the second period, and two more in the third period en route to their lopsided victory versus the Yellowjackets.
Senior Jack Manware scored three goals for Branford, while fellow senior Zach Jones had two goals and an assist in the victory. Senior Chris Donadio dished out three assists, and fellow senior Spencer Engstrom had two assists for the Hornets.
Linder scored the first goal of the game on an assist by Donadio 3:36 into the opening period. With 2:07 to play in the frame, Jones scored from Engstrom to give Branford a 2-0 lead after one.
Manware scored a short-handed goal 24 seconds into the second period to make it 3-0. Two minutes later, Jones netted a goal on assists from Donadio and freshman Matt Morgan to increase the lead to 4-0. With 2:36 left in the period, senior Max Manware scored from Jones to put the Hornets up 5-0 through two.
Jack Manware scored a pair of goals during the third period to give Branford a 7-0 cushion. Manware solidified his hat trick by converting his third goal of the night in the final minutes.
The SCC/SWC named its All-Conference teams for the season last week. Jack Manware and Donadio earned All-SCC/SWC First Team honors at forward and defenseman, respectively, for Branford. Engstrom secured a spot on the Second Team as a forward, and Yakimoff was selected as the goalie for the Second Team.
Branford will begin its state title defense when the Hornets open the Division II State Tournament as the No. 1 seed this week. Branford is hosting No. 16 South Windsor for a first-round game at Northford Ice Pavilion at 6 p.m. on Monday, March 9. With a win, the Hornets will play the winner of No. 8 Glastonbury and No. 9 East Catholic in the quarterfinals on Friday, March 13. The semifinals are at Ingalls Rink on Tuesday, March 17 and the Division II state final will take place at Ingalls Rink at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, March 23.
The athletes on the Branford boys’ ice hockey squad’s roster are seniors Chris Donadio, Jack Manware, Max Manware, Spencer Engstrom, Zach Jones, Blake Kustra, Jake Rivera, and Bennett Gentile; juniors Billy Linder, Declan Ross, Finnegan Thompson, Sawyer Moriarty, Dan Farricielli, Connor Erickson, and Jared Yakimoff; sophomores Wesley Raymond and Dominic Viscuso; and freshmen Jeremy La Croix, Sean Bosworth, Colin Deane, Matt Morgan, Mike Farricielli, Jack Linder, Mike Linder, and Nick Michaud.