The Amity-North Haven-Cheshire (A-NH-C) girls’ ice hockey team is hitting the ice with some new faces in key places this winter. The Blades lost nine athletes from last year’s squad that notched 18 victories, including one win in the Southern Connecticut Conference (SCC) Tournament and another in the State Tournament. However, despite the departures, Head Coach John Peschell believes that his team has what it takes to once again contend for an SCC crown. The Blades are still returning some of their top players from last year’s club, and so Peschell feels confident that they can stay in the postseason conversation if some of their underclass athletes take the next step.

“We are definitely top-heavy right now. So, as the season progresses, we want the younger kids to step up and play more of a role in the progression of the team and help build this particular team into a contender in the SCC,” said Peschell, who begins his third year as head coach. “Overall, we’re lacking the depth we had last year, but with the kids we have and the attitude we have, I still think that we can contend for an SCC championship.”

The Blades are known for featuring great team chemistry as their athletes from Amity, North Haven, and Cheshire mesh every year. Coach Peschell said that he expects the 2018-’19 edition of his team to be no different. The Blades have four North Haven students on their roster this season: senior captain forward Shannon Reilly, senior goalkeeper Caitlin Ranciato, senior forward Katie St. Peter, and sophomore defender Kelsey McCarthy.

Reilly is a winger on the Blades’ top line that includes fellow senior captain wing Andrea DelVecchio, who goes to Amity; and junior center Haley Cable, who is also an Amity student. Reilly served as an assistant captain for the Blades as a junior. Coach Peschell said that she’s a quintessential leader who will be relied on to produce points for the team this season. Reilly assisted a goal by DelVecchio when the Blades took a 5-2 loss at Hall-Conard in their first game of the year on Dec. 5.

“Shannon is a true team leader. She’s a captain among the captains. She brings everybody together,” Peschell said. “Shannon is the leader of this team. People follow her, and they listen to her. Our athletes try to be like Shannon. She gives a tremendous effort all the time. Shannon leads by example, but she’s also vocal. If someone is doing something wrong, she lets them know.”

The Blades’ other senior captain is Cheshire student Meghan Hogan, who will see double duty be centering their second line, while also playing on defense when needed. On the second line, Hogan is flanked by junior wing Tess Csejka, who attends Amity; and fellow junior Nadia DiNatale, who is from Cheshire. Hogan scored from Csjeka for the Blades’ second goal in the team’s season opener. North Haven senior Katie St. Peter also plays forward for the Blades.

“Katie is a four-year player who has improved each year,” said Peschell. “She’s a nice kid with a great personality who continues getting better every season.”

The Blades’ defensive corps features senior Hannah Sosensky, junior Sara Cable, and sophomore Caroline Cadelina, who all go to Amity; along with Kelsey McCarthy, a sophomore from North Haven. Peschell said that McCarthy has made some serious strides since last winter.

“I can see that Kelsey worked hard in the offseason, because she’s stepped up her game a lot from last year to this year,” he said. “With her improvement, Kelsey will see more playing time. She got a few shifts in our first game.”

One of the Blades’ biggest losses from last year was North Haven student Juliana Daddio, who had an excellent senior season as the team’s goalkeeper. Initially, it looked like A-NH-C was going to enter this year without a regular goalie. That’s when senior Caitlin Ranciato decided to sign up and try her hand in the net. Ranciato, who plays shortstop for the North Haven softball squad, came into the campaign with no prior ice hockey experience. However, Coach Peschell said that she’s working hard to learn as much as she can to try and help fill a big void between the pipes.

“Caitlin is working diligently at practice every day. She spends a lot of time working on her technique, her angles, and stuff like that,” Peschell said. “Caitlin is a dedicated and enthusiastic hard worker. She’s giving it 100 percent, having fun, we’re thrilled to have her aboard.”

Peschell’s assistant coach is Scott Whyte, who was previously the Blades’ head coach. The rest of the team’s roster features Amity sophomore Olivea Kosh (forward); Amity freshmen Ilana Leyner (forward/defender), Jade Krukar (forward), Paige Kergaravat (forward), Mia Dow (forward), and Carsyn Rizzuti (forward); plus Cheshire sophomore Megan Crowley, a forward.

This year, the Blades are playing their home games at Lou Astorino Ice Arena in Hamden, instead of at The Rinks in Shelton, where they played the past few seasons.