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12/18/2023 12:19 PMThe North Branford boys’ ice hockey team opened the season at home on Dec. 12, grabbing a 5-3 win over West Haven Co-op. The atmosphere was buzzing, as the players lined up for the opening faceoff of the game and the season.
The T-Birds showed offensive pressure early, yet it was West Haven that got on the board first. Less than a minute later at the 7:19 mark, North Branford senior CJ Sherwood went coast-to-coast, beating three West Haven defenders along the way to tie it up with a rocketed low snapshot.
The second period was a battle that resulted in five total goals scored. West Haven struck first at 13:56, when Mike Madera carried the puck into the North Branford zone and found Spreyer, who buried the puck to go up 2-1. At the 11:33 mark, Sherwood scored again for the Thunderbirds, this time with a post ringing snipe from the high slot. Chris Maisano was credited with the assist, his first career high school point.
With 8:07 to play in the period, West Haven took the lead again before T-Birds defenseman and senior Connor Stoner kept the offensive attack alive, with a bone-crunching check at the blue line. This allowed senior forward Michael Matteo to swipe one home at 7:12 remaining in the period, knotting the score at 3-3.
The Thunderbird’s added another score at the 5:00 minute mark, this time coming from a barrage of shots on West Haven’s goaltender. Senior forward Jack Maley found a rebound, scoring what was the eventual game winner at 4-3. Assists were credited to Matteo and senior defenseman Jake Pedersen.
The third period witnessed fantastic goaltending on both ends of the ice, most notably by North Branford senior Austin Fruin, who fought off 13 shots in the period, and a game total of 25.
Sealing the deal for North Branford was Sherwood, who completed a hat trick of three goals and scored an empty-netter with 24 seconds to go to ice the game at 5-3. The score was assisted by Maisano.
The Thunderbirds then hosted Trumbull on Dec. 16 and won 5-3. In the first period it was all North Branford, as they poured on the offense and threw pucks on net.
Freshman center Chris Maisano opened the scoring for North Branford at 6:42. With aggressive forechecking and heads up play, Maisano was able to bank the puck off Trumbull’s goaltender and into the net. This was Maisano’s first career high school goal. At the 4:05 point of the first, senior Michael Matteo made a nifty backhand pass that found sophomore TJ Connelly open in the slot. Connell went top shelf to put the T-Birds up 2-0.
By the end of the first period, the Thunderbirds had thrown 30 shots on net.
The Eagles came back in the second stanza and tied the game 2-2 before North Branford fought back at the 7:49 mark. CJ Sherwood danced through defenders and got a good bounce, and senior defenseman Brady Martinik buried the rebound to record his first career high school goal. Also in the period, senior Jake Pedersen scored a Power Play goal with 12 seconds remaining.
After Trumbull closed the gap to 4-3 early in the third frame, it was a back-and-forth battle until senior forward Jack Maley scored to make it 5-3 with 17.4 seconds to go.
The T-Birds sent 69 shots on Trumbulls goalie in total, and senior Austin Fruin had 15 saves in the North Branford zone.
Boys’ Basketball
Thunderbirds boys’ basketball traveled to Valley Regional on Dec. 14 to open the season and fell 69-55. Jake Johns and Charles O’Brien led the team in scoring with 10 points each, followed by Victor Castillo with nine points, and CJ Cameron and Jack O’Brien, who each added eight buckets.
The team then traveled to Coginchaug on Dec. 16 and fell 70-64.