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01/28/2024 11:40 PMBoys’ Ice Hockey
On Jan. 24, North Branford boys’ ice hockey hosted Branford for a “Hockey Fights Cancer” game. Thunderbirds Head Coach Ralph Shaw inspires this event every year to raise money for a great cause, as well as to involve players, parents, and the entire community in a shared vision. At the end of the day, nearly $4,000 dollars were raised at this event to support the American Cancer Society. After a ceremonial puck drop, the teams took to the ice in a battle that ended in a North Branford 6-1 victory.
Senior assistant captain Jack Maley opened the scoring for the Thunderbirds at 4:52 of the first period, banging home a rebound off CJ Sherwood’s wrister that came off a pass from Jake Pedersen. Maley tallied another score in the second period, with Sherwood and Pedersen on the assists. In addition, North Branford scored two more goals in the second period. One came from Sherwood, assisted by Maley, and freshman Max Becker, unassisted.
Moving to the third period, freshman Chris Maisano found the net off a feed from Sherwood, and senior Connor Stoner, assisted by Maisano, scored the team’s final goal. Thunderbirds netminder Austin Fruin had 11 saves in net.
North Branford then played host to East Catholic on Jan. 27 and won 2-1. Sherwood scored an unassisted goal, and TJ Connelly scored the second one, assisted by Becker. Junior netminder Greg Galasso got the start, but due to an equipment malfunction, handed it off to Fruin to finish the game in the net for the Thunderbirds.