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03/10/2024 10:55 PMGirls’ Basketball
In the quarterfinals of the Class MM State Tournament on March 5, the North Haven girls’ basketball team hosted No. 30 RHAM and won 65-43. Damaria Williams-Davis and Lia Calderon both scored 17 points to lead the way for the Nighthawks. Ava Johnson also had 14 points, and Ava Papa added nine points.
In the semifinals on March 9, the team faced No. 2 Northwest Catholic and fell 59-43.
Boys’ Basketball
North Haven boys’ basketball earned a spot in the SCC Tournament as the No. 8 seed. In the first round on Feb. 22, the squad hosted No. 9 Hamden and won 64-51.
In the second round on Feb. 24, the team traveled to top-seeded Notre Dame and lost 68-40.
The Nighthawks then entered the Division III State Tournament as the No. 13 seed. In the first round on March 5, the team hosted No. 20 Immaculate and won 65-60 in a double overtime thriller.
In the second round on March 7, the team traveled to fourth-seeded Shepaug Valley and pulled off a big 76-55 upset.
Boys’ Ice Hockey
The North Haven boys’ ice hockey team entered the Division II State Tournament as the No. 11 seed. In the first round on March 5, the Nighthawks traveled to No. 6 North Branford and fell 5-3. Bryce Mastriano led the team in goals this season with 19, and Bryce Montabana led the way in assists with 15. Goaltender Jack Keaney’s goals against average was 3.4.
Girls’ Ice Hockey
The Amity/North Haven/Cheshire Blades received a bye in the first round of the SCC Tournament as the No. 1 seed.
In the semifinals on Feb. 21, the team hosted No. 4 WH-SHA Co-op and fell 2-1. Blades Head Coach John Peschell was named the conference’s Coach of the Year.
The team then entered the state tournament as the No. 11 seed. The team traveled to No. 6 Southington in the first round on Feb. 26, where they took a 4-1 loss. With the season coming to a close, it was a great one for the Blades, with the 12 freshmen having a bright future ahead. Captains Abby Fitol and Elaina Scacino served as very strong leaders throughout the winter.
Fencing
The North Haven fencing team competed at the Team State Championships on March 9. Women’s sabre finished fifth and women’s epee took home the state title.
The third seeded women’s sabre squad, comprised of senior captain Anita Sajan, Nina Novicki, Angela Lin, and Skye Carlisle, lost a close match to Hopkins in the first round, despite a strong effort from all three fencers. In the consolation bracket, the girls defeated Fairfield 5-3 in round 2, and secured a fifth place finish by defeating The Morgan School in Clinton.
The fifth seeded women’s epee squad, comprised of senior captain Ayla Sivri and juniors Fiona Gao, Anna Hansard, and Jannat Imran, started the day by defeating No. 4 Hopkins 5-1.
Sivri and Gao each won two bouts, with Hansard winning the decisive fifth bout 5-4 to send the team into round 2. In the semifinals, the girls faced No. 1 Waterford, whose top two epee fencers both earned First Team All-State honors at the Individual Championships. The girls came out on top with a 5-1 victory, with Sivri winning two bouts and Hansard again winning the decisive fifth bout 5-4.
In the finals, the girls faced off against third-seeded and Central Conference champion Daniel Hand, who had defeated North Haven twice this season. The girls got off to a 3-0 lead and won the match 5-2, with Sivri and Gao each winning two bouts to pace the team. This time, it was Sivri’s turn to secure the match-clinching victory, winning 5-4 in overtime to seal the win.
In the Individual State Championships, Gavin Brawn, Ben Pollio, and Grant Grotzke competed in men’s foil. Emily Cerasoli (16) and Hanako Moffat (22) competed for women’s foil. Matt Kompare (8) earned Second Team All-State honors for men’s epee, and Tim Flanagan (51) and Jonas Miller (56) also competed.
Sivri (7) was named Second Team All-State for women’s epee, and other Nighthawks competitors included Hansard (13) and Gao (43). In men’s epee, Jeff Stalker (27), Colby Parker (31), and Roberto Frunzio (35) represented North Haven. Women’s sabre competitors included Lin (9), Novicki (10), and Sajan (16).