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04/23/2020 12:00 AMIn his sophomore and junior years with the North Haven boys’ ice hockey squad, Donny Funaro and the Indians won just 14 games. As a senior this year, Donny was part of a 13-win team that notched a pair of wins in the playoffs.
A defenseman, Donny served as one of North Haven’s three senior captains this season. He finished the year with four goals and eight assists, in addition to leading the team in plus-minus rating with a +9. While Donny’s name didn’t always show up in the box score, he always made his presence felt on the ice, while providing excellent leadership for the Indians’ underclassmen.
“All that really matters is physically playing well and leaving a positive impact on the team, hopefully getting the win,” Donny says. “The box score is nice, obviously, but without a win, then it doesn’t matter if you put up a big night in the box score.”
Donny helped North Haven have a resurgent season that saw the Indians finish with a record of 13-7-3. The Indians advanced to their first conference final in team history by earning a 2-1 win over Hand in semifinal game that came down to a shootout. North Haven went on to defeat Trumbull by a 3-0 score in the first round of the Division II State Tournament.
These games marked Donny’s first postseason victories with North Haven. Donny led a staunch Indians’ defense that put the clamps on opponents throughout the campaign.
“I thought the team as a whole played a strong defensive zone. We stuck to it and played it really well that game,” says Donny says of the Hand victory. “We didn’t know going into the State Tournament that it would be our last game. With that being my last game of high school, I thought I gave everything I had. It’s probably the peak of my high school career, getting that final win.”
Donny earned All-SCC/SWC Division II First Team accolades to go with a spot on the All-State Division II First Team for his performance this year. Head Coach Chris Avena has been working with Donny for the past two years. Avena says that Donny deserves a lot of credit for changing his style of play between his junior and senior seasons.
“This year, Donny was very giving of himself and was willing to give up points for the betterment of the team. If you could do that for every play, every coach would have the winningest team, because it’s something you look for in just about every player,” says Avena. “Donny’s been great. He nurtured a lot of the younger kids this year. He was as engaging to them as the juniors and seniors. He’s a good guy in the locker room. He has been a pleasure.”
Avena adds that Donny really seemed to enjoy playing hockey during his last month with the team. He says that Donny always had a smile at practice and was having fun.
Donny realized that his high school career was coming to a close in that final month. Donny wanted to make sure that he and his fellow seniors finished their careers on a winning note.
“The last month of the season, we were on a pretty good streak. We beat Sheehan, which was a really good win,” Donny says. “I knew that I would have to give everything. The whole team knew that it was going to take all of us being at 100 percent to be successful. That sense of urgency kicked in where everybody just pushed in one direction together as a team.”
Donny began his hockey career in the Greater New Haven Warriors clinic when he was five years old. Donny’s father Donald, who also played hockey while growing up, was still a fan of the sport and wanted to see if his son liked it. Donny’s passion for hockey came gradually. He always liked the sport, but started to love it when he reached high school.
Even though the Indians went through a few rough seasons, Donny remained dedicated and wanted to help them turn things around. Along the way, Donny formed bonds with a lot of people in the North Haven hockey family.
“I still talk to many of the guys who graduated,” says Donny. “For the underclassmen I won’t be playing with anymore, I know I’m still going to be really good friends with them, even when I’m in college.”
Donny plans to attend Central Connecticut State University, where he will pursue a degree in civil engineering and play for the school’s club hockey team. While his time with the Indians had its ups and downs, Donny leaves the program feeling proud that he helped North Haven battle through adversity to get headed in the right direction.
“It’s been an honor to be a part of the hockey community,” Donny says. “It’s one of the best communities in sports. Everyone knows everyone, and hockey players in general just seem to be like great guys. I love being associated with that.”