Printer Friendly Version - Deep, Seasoned Yellowjackets Ready for Next Steps

Alice Stettinger, a senior captain, will look to be a force both offensively and on the boards for the Yellowjackets’ girls’ hoops squad this winter. Photo by Wesley Bunnell/The Courier

Senior captain Gabby Gaetano and the East Haven girls’ basketball team are ready to build upon a 2021-2022 campaign that saw them amass 12 total wins, as the Yellowjackets welcome back several key players. Photo by Wesley Bunnell/The Courier

A year ago, with a rookie head coach in Mike Archambault, the East Haven girls’ basketball team yielded 12 total victories and claimed berths in both league and state tournament play, so the Yellowjackets look to move the needle one step further on the backs of an even more experienced and closer club this season.

Last winter for its postseason foray, East Haven claimed a 37-30 victory at Jonathan Law in the first round of the Class MM bracket, after which the Yellowjackets took a 53-25 defeat at Hand in a second-round contest. East Haven finished its season with an overall record of 12-11 following an 11-9 regular season mark that saw them additionally qualify for the SCC Tournament.

Archambault explained that the Yellowjackets already bring back a stronghold of veteran talent that shined on the stage of the postseason via those dozen decisions.

He further added that East Haven regroups only stronger after a dedicated offseason of training the bodies and cultivating cohesion as colleagues.

“We have high hopes this year; we have eight returning varsity players and four of them were starters last year,” said Archambault. “We went 11-9 in the regular season and won a game in states, so we want to expand on that and make deeper runs in SCCs and states. Through seeing them in summer and fall leagues, I am seeing how well this team is coming together. Bringing in that team relationship will be so important for our success this year.”

A quintessential quartet of seniors will captain the club this winter for East Haven in Gabby Gaetano, Gabriella Milici, and Alice Stettinger–all of whom boast a prior year of starting experience.

“Gabby Gaetano was a [New Haven Register] All-Area Team player last year. She is a versatile player who is a shooting guard but fills in at point,” Coach Archambault said. “She has a great work ethic on and off the court. She leads by example, and the girls look up to her. Gabriella is a true team leader in being vocal and is always positive. On or off the floor, she gives that positive spark of energy. Allie is a workhorse; she will run through a brick wall for you. She is vocal with a lot of energy on the floor. She does things on offense and defense that you look for as a coach with rebounding and diving for loose balls.”

Arielle Dupree rounds out the four-person senior captain class as a defensive stalwart. Additional underclassmen support looks to come from a junior tandem of Gianna Castellano at point guard and a versatile Juliana Iovino, who can light up multiple marks in the statbook.

“Arielle is a three-year varsity player and defensive stopper. She can step up and play against a team’s best player,” said Coach Archambault of Dupree. “She is one of the quickest kids I have had defensively. She is our top defender and one of the top defenders in the SCC. Gianna is a floor general with running the offense. She plays both sides of the floor and is a true team player. She looks for her shots and is also about getting others the ball. I want to see Juliana get double-doubles; she scores and rebounds well.”

Further down the depth chart, three more juniors will look to figure in the equation for varsity minutes with guards Olivia Martin and Kelsey Murray, alongside Mya Fenn.

“Olivia is a 5-foot-10 guard who plays in and out. She can dribble the ball, pass, and score. She stepped up at the end of last season,” Archambault said. “Kelsey is a scorer with a big role. She is a guard who can shoot, get into rhythm, and put up points. We expect Mya to step in and give us a spark off the bench defensively, but she brings in offense as well.”

Archambault returns for his second season as the Yellowjackets’ bench boss. He is assisted by longtime East Haven hoops mainstay Ed Crisafi as varsity assistant coach, along with Miranda Gladwin, who is in her second year as JV coach.

East Haven will embark on the regular season with an out-of-conference, crosstown rival right out the gate before entertaining a mix of new and familiar foes throughout the SCC. Archambault noted that a lot of these nip-and-tuck contests will weigh heavily towards the Yellowjackets’ targets on moving deeper into the dance come playoff time.

“We have some teams we have not seen in the past. We start with North Branford right off the bat, and then we face Shelton, so it is important to start strong,” said Coach Archambault. “We also have big games against West Haven and Sacred Heart Academy, and it’s important to take advantage of those games. We also face Cheshire and Amity, which will both be solid teams this year. We have to pick up wins there and win the close games because those tight games and how we play in them will determine how far we can go.”