Optimism and positivity will always be the most important factors for a high school athletic team to have success. The Guilford girls’ ice hockey co-op squad, in only its second season as one, kept to these characteristics in a campaign full of a lot of learning and growth this winter.

Grizzlies Head Coach Rick Binkowski was proud of the way his girls showed a lot of grit and determination, despite competitions not working out in their favor.

“I think our season went well, despite finishing 3-14 overall. We had a very young team, we had five or six one-goal losses,” said Binkowski. “Overall, I was happy with the way the girls played. We had a really good group, and I think we had a good season.”

In the beginning of the campaign, the Grizzlies faced the Masuk co-op team on Dec. 6, losing 3-2 in overtime. In the next few weeks, Guilford fell to Hall/Conard, Suffield Co-op, West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy (SHA), and Hamden Co-op, before capturing its first regular season win against West Haven/SHA by a score of 2-1 on Jan. 8.

The schools that made up the co-op squad this winter included Guilford (host school), Coginchaug, and East Haven. With an overall record of 3-14 in Class L, the Grizzlies additionally finished with a 2-8 record in the Southern Connecticut Conference.

Despite the obvious youth presence on the ice, Binkowski explained that several of the athletes had prior experience playing hockey, but it came down to having to adjust to playing at the high school level.

“A lot of upperclassmen began playing when they were freshmen, learning how to skate and how to play the game,” Binkowski said. “We were a very young team. We have a good number of experienced hockey players that played well this year. We really had just sophomores and freshmen on the ice this season. Again, a lot of good talent, hard workers, and just really excited to play.”

As the season progressed, the Grizzlies were defeated three more times, by Hall/Conard, Daniel Hand Co-op, and Mercy/NW Catholic/East Hampton. They then recorded a huge win on Jan. 27 against Fairfield Ludlowe/Warde, earning a 7-3 victory.

Guilford had one captain this season in junior goaltender Olivia Hwang. The pressure of having to lead the team on her own was certainly felt, but she was able to earn the quick respect of her underclassmen peers, and served as a role model through her hard work and experience in the sport.

“She did a great job, she is a first time captain,” said Binkowski. “She has been with the team all three years of high school. Usually with that low concentration of upperclassmen, usually there is support. She was there by herself, leading on her own, leading through the younger players on the team. I really think she did a great job.”

Two sophomores also stepped up this season to help lead the squad in Hailey Farace (center) and Tayte DePetris (defender).

“They did a really good job of lending leadership to the team, being vocal in the locker room, and getting on teammates when they needed to be working harder,” said Binkowski. “Plus leading by example on and off the ice, Hailey was our top scorer this season.”

Farace was the only Grizzlies player that made the All-SCC First Team this season, and she led her team with 16 goals.

Guilford had 10 returning athletes from last year this winter, with the rest of the team including new players. Some of the girls had never skated on the ice before.

“I think the biggest challenge that they faced was that they were a young team,” explained Binkowski. “They are good hockey players, but there is a huge difference between a freshman and senior. Some of these girls on our team were just 13 a few months ago, and there was a very big size difference on some of these teams.”

Binkowski added that the team played a really solid first and second period of every game, and then by the third frame, most of the players were gassed. The size difference became apparent down the stretch in many of the competitions.

Toward the end of the regular season, the Grizzlies captured one final win on Feb. 14 against Masuk Co-op, blanking the opponent by a score of 1-0.

Guilford then went on to play in the SCC Tournament, falling in the first round on Feb. 19 to No. 1 seed Hamden, 5-0.

As Binkowski looks ahead to the future of the program, he knows it is very bright for Guilford girls’ hockey. He looks forward to the athletes continuing to gain experience, even during the offseason, and come back even stronger next winter.

“I have a lot of optimism and excitement for the coming years. We have a good number of strong players coming up from youth hockey next season as freshmen,” Binkowski said. “I am definitely looking forward to continuing what we have been working on. Seeing the kids grow as individuals, develop, having some of the girls play out of season hockey, as well as having them take what they learned this year and applying it to their advantage next season.”

Binkowski is assisted by Graham Gill, Scott Neleber, Chelsea Colonese, and Tom Epke, with two freshman managers from Guilford in Harper Gill and Avery DeGenaro.

The Grizzlies roster includes senior Lillian Schroeder (wing, Guilford HS), juniors Hwang and Cambelle Jacobson (defender, Guilford HS), sophomores Sabrina Chung (wing, Guilford HS), Emma Clifford (defender, Guilford HS), DePetris, Farace, Emily Forrest (wing, East Haven HS), Madison Paolella (defender, East Haven HS), and Emma Vittorio (wing, Guilford HS), and freshmen Maggie Apicella (forward, Guilford HS), Lauren DelGrego (forward, Coginchaug Regional HS), Ella DiNola (forward, East Haven HS), Camryn LeTourneau (forward, Coginchaug Regional HS), Annabelle Lane (defender, Guilford HS), Elizabeth Mottolo (wing, Guilford HS), Mia Mulhern (goaltender, East Haven HS), Rachel Pistone (forward, East Haven HS), Avery Torres-Lanuza (defender, Guilford HS), and Jill Violette (wing, Guilford HS).