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2020 North Haven Sports Year in Review

There were several success stories for North Haven sports in 2020. The boys’ ice hockey team made headlines during the winter, while Maddie Bergin finished an amazing career as a North Haven swimmer in the fall. Girls’ hoops also made some waves. Let’s take a look back at the highlights of the year in North Haven sports.

Winter

The majority of North Haven sports were completed before the COVID-19 pandemic ended the 2020 winter season. Unfortunately, the boys’ ice hockey squad never got a chance to play its quarterfinal game in the Division II State Tournament. Still, North Haven enjoyed a prosperous season, as did several other teams this winter.

The North Haven boys’ ice hockey team had a resurgent campaign that saw the team post an overall record of 13-7-3 on its way to making the SCC/SWC Division II final. North Haven also advanced to the quarterfinals of the Division II State Tournament before the tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

North Haven reached its first conference final by earning a 2-1 victory versus Hand in a semifinal game that came down to a shootout, which North Haven won 2-1. North Haven went on to take a 1-0 loss to Branford in final.

In the Division II State Tournament, North Haven blanked Trumbull by a 3-0 score in a first-round matchup.

Defensemen Donny Funaro and Alan Tancreti III and forward Jake Wentworth were the senior captains for Head Coach Chris Avena’s team. Funaro earned All-SCC/SWC Division II First Team honors, as well as a spot on the All-State Division II First Team.

The Amity-North Haven- Cheshire (A-NH-C) girls’ ice hockey team made a return trip to SCC final, ultimately finishing with a record of 13-9-1.

A-NH-C made the SCC final by earning a 4-3 victory versus Hamden-Wilbur-Cross-Lyman Hall in the semis. The Blades went on to take a 4-2 loss to Guilford in the final and later lost a 5-3 contest against Guilford in the first round of the State Tournament.

Junior Kelsey McCarthy represented North Haven as a member of the Blades. Head Coach John Peschell was selected as the SCC Coach of the Year.

The North Haven cheerleading team finished in sixth place at the SCC Championship and then came in second place at the Class L State Championship.

Senior captains Alyssa Cannavaciolo and Sophie Kornacki and junior Emily Orth solidified spots on the All-SCC Team. Kornacki, Cannavaciolo, and Orth also made the All-State Team, as did juniors Maddie LaDore and Grace Peruso. Alexis Votto was also a senior captain for Head Coach Kathleen Crisafi’s squad.

Freshman Joe Iamunno put together a phenomenal year on the wrestling mat while representing North Haven as a team-of-one. Iamunno finished in first place for the 120-pound weight class at the SCC Championship, took the title at the Class L State Championship, finished second at the State Open, and then competed at the New England Championship.

Iamunno took the SCC crown by winning a 15-0 decision in the 120-pound championship. At the Class L meet, Iamunno prevailed by pinfall 40 seconds into the final to claim state gold. Iamunno then won three matches at the State Open to advance to the final, where he lost a decision. Iamunno went on to win three matches at the New England Championship.

The North Haven girls’ basketball team finished with a record of 14-10, including one win apiece in the SCC and Class L State tournaments, in its first campaign with Head Coach Tom Blake.

North Haven notched a 52-30 victory over Law in the first round of SCCs before losing to Hand in the quarterfinals. In states, North Haven earned a 38-32 win against Lyman Hall in a first-round game and then lost a 58-47 contest versus St. Paul in the second round.

Laura Petrafesa and Colleen Lucey served as North Haven’s senior captains. Sophomore Eveani Okwuosa solidified a spot on the All-SCC Second Team.

The North Haven boys’ basketball team won nine games on its way to qualifying for the SCC Tournament and the Division III State Tournament.

In the SCC Tournament, North Haven took a 50-34 loss against West Haven in a first-round game. North Haven then dropped a 69-51 decision to Law in the first round of states to finish at 9-13 overall.

North Haven’s senior captains were center Dave Christoforo, power forward Justin White, and guard Bryce Charney.

Athletes from North Haven, Guilford, North Haven, and East Haven joined forces to from the Greater New Haven (GNH) Warriors boys’ swimming and diving squad. The Warriors had an excellent campaign that saw Head Coach Martha Phelan’s squad post a record of 8-2, win the SCC Division 2 title, and finish fifth at the SCC Championship. GNH would have competed at the Class LL State Championship, but the meet was canceled.

Senior Stephen Borrelli and juniors Tanner Powell and Joe O’Connor were the three North Haven residents who served as captains for GNH. At the SCC Championship, North Haven junior Cameron Cargan swam on a 400 freestyle relay that took first place and a 200 freestyle relay that came in second place.

The North Haven girls’ indoor track team finished in fifth place at the SCC West Sectional Championship, 15th in the SCC Championship, and then saw several athletes compete at the Class L State Championship.

Sophomore Lorelei King claimed first place in the high jump at the West Sectional meet.

The North Haven boys’ indoor track squad took eighth place at the SCC West Sectional Championship, 13th in the SCC Championship, and 16th at the Class L State Championship.

Senior Luke Maruca finished second in the shot put at sectionals, was third at SCCs, and then placed third in states. Maruca’s brother, fellow senior Kyle Maruca, came in third place at sectionals, fourth in SCCs, and fifth at the Class L meet. Both brothers went on to throw at the State Open.

Spring

All spring sports across Connecticut were canceled this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. North Haven’s baseball, softball, lacrosse, tennis, outdoor track, and golf teams were unable to compete as a result.

Summer

North Haven athletes had a chance to play lacrosse in the Dream League and baseball in the Connecticut Elite Baseball Association (CEBA) this summer.

The North Haven Warriors girls’ lacrosse team competed in the Dream League and finished the season with an overall record of 2-7. Defensive wing Erika Holle and attacker Callie Kessler served as the captains for Head Coach Bernie Pellegrino’s squad.

The North Haven U-19 baseball team posted an overall record of 3-16 in the CEBA. North Haven wrapped up its season by playing in the CEBA Tournament, where Head Coach Mike Busillo’s team took a 2-1 loss to East Haven in a play-in game.

The North Haven U-17 baseball squad finished with a record of 8-10 in the CEBA. Matt Coyle completed his first season as North Haven’s head coach.

Fall

After all of the delays and with various restrictions in place, North Haven hit the field to compete during the fall of 2020. Despite a brief shutdown as a result of a positive COVID case at the high school, North Haven was able to complete the season and see its fair share of success along the way.

The North Haven girls’ swimming and diving team didn’t get a chance to defend its state title, but Head Coach Martha’s Phelan’s squad still had a memorable year that featured an excellent postseason performance.

North Haven participated in virtual meets throughout the season and posted a record of 6-2. North Haven then took part in the SCC Virtual Championship and finished in fourth place for both the Division I standings and the conference overall.

Senior captain Maddie Bergin took second place in two events in both the division and the conference. Bergin swam a time of 24.05 seconds in the 50 freestyle to go with a mark of 52.04 for the 100 freestyle on her way to placing second in each event. Bergin earned All-SCC and All-SCC Division I honors in both events and was also selected as the SCC Division I Athlete of the Year.

Bergin also broke school records in the 50 freestyle (23.78), the 100 freestyle (51.95), the 100 butterfly (59.07), the 200 freestyle (1:53.92), and the 500 freestyle (5:05.08) during the season. Bergin led North Haven as a senior captain alongside Riley Jooss and Alyssa Laborde.

Bergin also swam with junior Brooke Nebor, sophomore Alice Scalmani, and sophomore Mikayla Rapuano on North Haven’s 200 medley relay that earned All-SCC Division I accolades by taking third place in the division.

The other athletes who made the All-SCC Division I Team were Rapuano in the 100 butterfly (5th) and the 100 backstroke (5th), Scalmani in the 200 individual medley (5th) and 100 breaststroke (5th), and junior Chandler Ceste-Martinez in the diving competition (6th).

The North Haven girls’ volleyball squad advanced to an SCC championship match for first time in team history. North Haven finished with a record of 6-6 after losing to Cheshire in the SCC Division B Tournament final.

North Haven started off the SCC Division B Tournament with a 3-1 victory against Sacred Heart Academy and then swept Lyman Hall by a 3-0 score in the semifinals. North Haven went on to drop a 3-0 decision against Cheshire in the title match.

Senior captain libero Alex Ferriouolo was named to the All-SCC Division B Team and also made the All-State Class L Second Team on behalf of Head Coach Brianna Kleckner’s club. Junior setter Hannah Auddino and junior outside hitter Caroline Toni also garnered All-SCC Division B accolades.

The North Haven boys’ soccer team finished with a record of 4-5-1 and qualified for the SCC Division A Tournament. North Haven took a 5-2 loss to Cheshire in the semifinal round.

Head Coach Reid Chieffo’s squad was led by senior captain forward Eduardo Cienfuegos de Paz and fellow senior captain Justin Falasco, a center midfielder. Cienfuegos de Paz garnered All-SCC Division A honors, while senior forward Kasey Mongillo also made the All-SCC Division A Team.

The North Haven girls’ soccer squad finished with a record of 1-6. Gary Collins was in his second year as the team’s head coach.

Following the regular season, North Haven competed in the SCC Division A Tournament and lost a 7-0 contest versus Cheshire in a first-round game.

North Haven’s senior captains were defenders Carly Fresher and Emma Christoforo, along with midfielder Megan Russo. Sophomore midfielder Giavanna Damone earned All-SCC Division A distinction.

The North Haven field hockey squad posted a record of 1-7 on the year, notching a 4-3 overtime victory against Hamden. North Haven went on to face Hamden in the SCC Division B Tournament and took a 4-1 loss.

Senior captain Mariella Biceglia, who played midfield and center back, led North Haven as a senior captain with defender Mackenzie White and forwards Jannat Butt and Megan Kell. Biceglia and White were both named to the All-SCC Division B Team on behalf of Head Coach Kim Bouffard’s squad.

The North Haven boys’ cross country team hit the trails for its 23rd season with Head Coach Carl Jackson. After competing in a few regular-season meets, North Haven completed its season by participating in the SCC’s postseason meet.

This year, the SCC held four divisional meets and merged the performances from those meet together to also tabulate the team standings for the conference. North Haven finished in third place at the SCC Division A Championship and came in 15th place in the SCC.

Senior captain Nick Howlett turned in North Haven’s best showing by taking 17th place in Division A. Howlett and fellow seniors Patrick Rourke and Tiernan Neville were North Haven’s senior captains.

The North Haven girls’ cross country squad took part in a handful of regular-season meets, after which the team ran at the SCC’s postseason competition.
North Haven finished in fourth place at the SCC’s Division A Championship and was 16th for the SCC standings.

Sophomore Payton Orosco delivered North Haven’s top performance by finishing 15th in the Division A rankings. Senior Taya Stanley and junior Riley Minns were the captains for Head Coach Carl Jackson’s team.

The North Haven fall baseball team hit the field to play 13 games this year. North Haven posted a record of 6-7 for the season, capping off the campaign with a doubleheader sweep against the Connecticut Royals.