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02/19/2024 12:35 AMBoys’ Ice Hockey
North Branford boys’ ice hockey hosted Amity on Feb. 7 and ended in a 1-1 tie. TJ Connelly scored the lone goal for the Thunderbirds, assisted by Max Becker. The teams battled through the balance of regulation, plus eight hectic minutes of overtime, yet the score remained at 1-1. North Branford had 27 shots on net, and goaltender Austin Fruin made 22 saves.
The team then played host to New Milford on Feb. 10, when North Branford fell 3-0. All three goals came in the third period, the last on an empty netter.
On Feb. 14, the Thunderbirds traveled to Cheshire and lost 2-0. The opening action saw two fast and physical teams battling for an edge, but the Rams ultimately prevailed. Fruin managed 40 saves, despite dropping the contest 2-0, and the T-Birds put 31 shots on the Rams’ goalkeeper.
North Branford hit the road to Glastonbury on Feb. 17, where the team earned a 3-2 comeback victory. After falling behind by two within the first minute into the third period, the T-Birds dug deep and got to business. Suffering from injuries and disciplinary vacancies, the bench stepped up. Jake Pedersen got the Thunderbirds on the board, before assisting on a score by Chris Maisano to tie the game at 2-2. Pedersen then scored the game-winner late. Fruin had 26 saves, two of them in the last few seconds to stave off overtime.
Boys’ Basketball
On Feb. 12, North Branford boys’ basketball traveled to East Hampton and fell 70-58.
The team then traveled to Old Saybrook on Feb. 14 and lost a tight contest, 59-58. Jason Cosgrove led the way with 28 points, while Jake Johns had 14 points, Charles O’Brien had eight points, and Victor Castillo added five.
The Thunderbirds closed out the week at Wright Tech on Feb. 16, where they won 71-38.