This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
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.
“We’re certainly very proud of the boys. We feel like we’re in the mode of overachieving right now. We feel like we’re a year ahead of schedule, being able to accomplish some of the things that we did,” Indians’ Head Coach Chris Avena said. “We were ecstatic to get to the SCC final. It was a great atmosphere for our kids to experience. Most kids in the locker room haven’t experienced an atmosphere like that, and we can only hope there are a lot more like that, because it was a lot of fun.”
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.
North Haven had advanced to the conference final by earning a 2-1 victory versus No. 2 seed Hand in a shootout in the semifinal round at Bennett Rink on March 5. With the game tied at the end of regulation and overtime, North Haven and Hand went to a shootout, where the Indians outscored the Tigers by a 2-1 margin to get the win and move on to the championship game.
After a scoreless first period, Hand struck first by scoring a goal 3:21 into the second period to take a 1-0 lead. The Tigers maintained their one-goal edge heading into the third period, but with 9:32 remaining in the game, junior Mason Sullivan tied the game when he scored on an assist from freshman Alex Petersen.
North Haven and Hand remained tied through the rest of the regulation and the subsequent five-minute overtime period, thus sending the game to a shootout to determine the winner. Juniors Aaron Racino and Eli Brubacher scored for the Indians during the shootout session, while Sacco made some great saves in net to help North Haven defeat the Tigers and make their way into the final.
“We felt that even though we last to Hand the week, we had the ability to win this game. The way it played out was as thrilling and exciting as it could have possibly been,” Coach Avena said. “Any time you go up against a team with two losses and get a victory is a great day for your program.”
The SCC/SWC named its All-Conference teams last week. Coach Avena was named the SCC/SWC Division II Coach of the Year after helping North Haven get back to the postseason in his second campaign behind the Indians’ bench. Senior captain defenseman Donny Funaro earned All-SCC/SWC Division II First Team honors on behalf of North Haven.
With the Conference Tournament complete, North Haven now gets ready to play in the Division II State Tournament this week. The Indians are the No. 7 seed in the tournament and will host No. 10 Trumbull for a first-round game at Northford Ice Pavilion on Monday, March 9 at 8:15 p.m. With a win, North Haven will face the winner of No. 2 Hand and No. 15 Guilford 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 North Haven boys’ ice hockey squad’s roster are senior captains Alan Tancreti, Jake Wentworth, and Donny Funaro; juniors Mason Sullivan, Justin Marks, Aaron Racino, Nick Howlett, Will Fiore, Eli Brubacher, and Andrew Sacco; sophomores Jared Anderson, Mike Anquillare, Justin Pniewski, Jake Hines, Brian Jooss, Nick Tondalo, Caden Doheny, and Ayden Mindlin; and freshmen Owen Quick, Alex Petersen, Will Sullivan, Tom Guidone, and Bryce Petersen.