East Haven Hockey Clinches 33rd Straight Playoff Berth; Francois Scores Points in Two Events at States
Boys’ Ice Hockey
For the 33rd straight year, the Yellowjackets’ ice hockey squad is going to the postseason. The Easties came away with a win, a loss, and a tie during last week’s action, solidifying their spot in the Division II State Tournament by earning a 3-3 draw at Woodstock Academy on Feb. 9. Head Coach Lou Pane’s squad has a record of 7-8-2 on the year.
East Haven-Old Lyme-Old Saybrook-East Hampton-Morgan-Valley Regional started off its week by taking a 3-1 road loss versus Amity at Bennett Rink in West Haven on Feb. 2. Junior goalie Logan Hamilton made 43 saves for East Haven in the game. Old Lyme junior Alec Speirs scored the Yellowjackets’ goal on an assist from Old Saybrook sophomore Cory Benni with less than a minute to play.
On Feb. 6, the Easties rebounded by posting a 2-0 shutout over North Branford at DiLungo Rink. Hamilton played another great game in net by making 41 saves to blank the Thunderbirds. Morgan sophomore Ryan Egan scored the first goal for the Yellowjackets on assists from Benni and East Haven sophomore Dave Amatruda. Speirs added an insurance marker late in the game.
East Haven finished its week by clinching its spot its states with a 3-3 tie against a 12-win Woodstock Academy squad on Feb. 9.
Girls’ Indoor Track
Sophomore Kisha Francois scored 10 points for the Yellowjackets at the Class M State Championship at Floyd Little Athletic Center on Feb. 9. Francois scored all 10 of the Yellowjackets’ points to put them in 15th place at the meet.
Francois recorded points in the 55-meter dash and the long jump for East Haven. In the 55, she finished first in the preliminary heat with a time of 7.47 seconds. Francois then ran that same time in the final, finishing in third place overall behind Ayesha Nelson from Hillhouse (7.31) and Noelle Konior of Berlin (7.43). Francois scored six points for the Yellowjackets with her third-place performance. She also scored four points in the long jump by taking fourth place with a distance of 16 feet-7 inches.
Freshman Emily Mazzucco finished in 21st in the 300-meter dash with a time of 46.63 seconds at the state meet. Sophomore Samantha Franceschi placed 46th in the prelims of the 55-meter dash by timing in at 8.21 seconds.
Boys’ Indoor Track
The Yellowjackets were represented by four competitors at the Class M State Championship meet last week.
In the 55-meter hurdles, senior Evan Damian finished 11th in the preliminary heat with a time of 8.40 seconds. Sophomore Radames Figueroa finished 22nd at 9.10. Senior Steve Johnson placed 12th in the long jump by reaching a distance of 18 feet-7.50 inches. Junior Nathan Santos finished 20th with a jump of 16-11.
Boys’ Basketball
East Haven took three recent defeats in SCC Oronoque Division play to move to 6-11 this season. The Yellowjackets lost contests against Notre Dame-West Haven (85-33), Career (49-46 in double overtime), and Fairfield Prep (58-43) in last week’s action.
Senior captain Nate Furino scored nine points when East Haven lost to Notre Dame on Feb. 2. Sophomores Alias Ford and Ian Reynolds had seven points apiece.
On Feb. 5, the Yellowjackets took a three-point loss against Career in double overtime. Senior Jason Gieparda drilled a 3-pointer at the buzzer of the first OT to send the game to a second extra session, where the Panthers outscored East Haven to walk away with the win. Furino finished with 17 points, Ford scored 10, and Reynolds added nine points.
East Haven finished the week by dropping a decision to Fairfield Prep on Feb. 8.