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06/21/2020 12:00 AMCraig Hillo, a member of the North Haven boys’ ice hockey team for four seasons from 1999 through 2002, passed away in an automobile accident on Oct. 25, 2003 at age 19. In honor of Hillo, his parents, Chip and Joan, set up an annual scholarship that is awarded to graduating seniors on the team who will be continuing their education in college. On May 31, the 2020 Craig M. Hillo Memorial Sports Scholarship was presented to Donny Funaro, Alan Tancreti III, and Jake Wentworth, the three seniors on this year’s team who led North Haven as its captains.
Funaro, Tancreti, and Wentworth helped North Haven enjoy one of its best seasons in recent memory this winter. North Haven finished with an overall record of 13-7-3, advancing to the final of the SCC/SWC Division II Tournament and the quarterfinals of the Division II State Tournament, before the campaign was canceled.
Tancreti said that it means a lot to receive the scholarship, especially since his father, Alan Tancreti, Jr., was an assistant coach for North Haven when Craig Hillo played on the team. Hillo wore No. 2 for North Haven, and that number hangs from the rafters at the team’s home rink at Northford Ice Pavilion.
“It’s a pretty special scholarship. My dad coached Craig Hillo,” Tancreti III said. “It’s cool that we still know the Hillos. It’s cool that they’re still involved and helping out with the team.”
Chris Avena has been North Haven’s head coach for the past two years. In that time, he has come to realize why the Craig M. Hillo Scholarship is so important to North Haven’s athletes, as well as the ice hockey community in town.
“It’s a great thing,” said Avena. “There’s usually so much anguish that comes with losing a child. Hopefully, the majority of us will never have to understand that. But to turn that into something so positive for so many of those kids is always a great thing to be a part of.”
Coach Avena applauded the leadership of all three senior captains both on and off the ice, saying that each one of them brought a specific element in every game they played. Avena describes Tancreti as a fierce competitor who always wanted to win, adding that the senior’s play on defense was instrumental in North Haven’s 13-win campaign.
Avena credited Wentworth for being a leader in the locker room throughout his time with the program. Avena said that Wentworth learned a lot from the leaders who preceded him and put what he learned to good use this season.
Avena added that Funaro brought tremendous determination to North Haven and gave everything he had each time he laced up the skates. Avena felt that the attitude and effort of Funaro—an All-SCC/SWC and All-State Division II First Team selection on defense—were contagious among North Haven’s younger players.
When the scholarship ceremony took place, members of the North Haven boys’ ice hockey team drove by the high school and honked their horns to pay tribute to the three senior captains, along with Craig and Joan Hillo. Coach Avena gave credit to the team’s Parent Club for helping set up the event. Avena believes that the bond among all the returning athletes will only grow stronger after they honored both the seniors and the Hillos in this manner.
Funaro said that he was happy to see his teammates for the first time in quite a while when he attended the ceremony.
“We usually have a hockey dinner, but it still felt the same,” said Funaro. “It was nice to see all the kids on the team. Up until that point, it was at least a month-and-a-half since we have been together. It was nice to get back together with the team.”
It didn’t take long for Coach Avena to get a sense of the character of the North Haven ice hockey community. From what took place during the season through the past few weeks, Avena feels proud to have seen everyone in the community stick together and support one another.
“The town of North Haven seems to be very tight. They take care of each other. The support that we got all year from the community in coming to our games was unbelievable,” Avena said. “I can’t put it into words the excitement this town brought into the rink, and I think the Hillos embody that, as well as the scholarship itself. It shows how important everyone in this town feels about everyone in this town.”
The three seniors on this year’s team didn’t get to finish their season due to COVID-19. As his club moves into the future, Coach Avena wants North Haven’s athletes to realize how fortunate they are to be a part of the program and cherish every moment that they’re out there on the ice.
“I want us to understand that going to the rink and playing every day is a privilege,” said Avena. “The appreciation and the dedication of when you show up every day—give it all you got. You never know when it’s going to end. Every shift you go out there, you do the very best you can. Enjoy the moment, enjoy the journey. Just be thankful that we can participate in sports in high school.”