Volleyball

The North Haven volleyball team traveled to Bacon Academy on Oct. 14 and won 3-2. Alyssa DiGiovanna had 18 kills, and Lucia Cavaliere had 12. Cavaliere also had eight aces and 20 digs, while DiGiovanna also had 20 digs. Alyssa Ferriouolo added 13 digs, and Alex Anquillare had 10. Danielle Dixon had 18 assists.

The team then hit the road to West Haven on Oct. 16 and won 3-0. DiGiovanna had six kills, and Bianca Watts had four blocks. Cavaliere recorded 11 digs, while DiGiovanna had nine. Dixon added 10 assists.

The Nighthawks ended the week hosting Wilbur Cross on Oct. 18 and won 3-0. DiGiovanna had 12 kills, and Cavaliere had 11. Dixon had 18 digs, and Cavaliere had 13. Dixon also had 28 assists.

On Oct. 21, North Haven played host to Daniel Hand and earned a 3-0 win. DiGiovanna had 10 digs.

The Nighthawks faced Hamden at home on Oct. 23 and won 3-2 in the first round of the SCC Tournament. DiGiovanna had 20 kills, and Cavaliere had nine. Ella Couture added five blocks. Ferriouolo had 19 digs, DiGiovanna had 18, and Cavaliere had 17. Dixon added 12 digs and 32 assists.

In the quarterfinals, North Haven traveled to Amity on Oct. 25 and lost 3-0. DiGiovanna had 12 kills, and Watts had six blocks. DiGiovanna and Ferriouolo had 13 digs each, while Guilianna Mesner had 15 assists.

The Nighthawks entered the Class L State Tournament as the No. 18 seed. In the first round on Nov. 4, the team traveled to No. 15 New Milford and took a 3-0 loss.

DiGiovanna was named to the All-SCC First Team for her efforts this fall, and Ferriouolo was named to the Second Team.

Boys’ Soccer

On Oct. 14, North Haven boys’ soccer hosted Career/Hillhouse and won 5-0. Goals were scored by Nick Gaetano, Jack Notaro, Hayden Minns, Joey Solimene, and Jett Rosekopf. Notaro added two assists, and Kevin Parker and Braden Cohen each had one.

The team then traveled to Branford on Oct. 17 and won 3-2. Rosekopf scored two goals, and Russell Collins scored one. Charlie Daniele, Notaro, and Solimene each had an assist.

On Oct. 24, North Haven hosted Cheshire in the quarterfinals of the SCC Tournament and fell 4-1. Notaro scored the Nighthawks lone goal, and it was assisted by Rosekopf.

North Haven opened up the Class L State Tournament as the No. 9 seed, hosting No. 24 Wilcox Tech in the first round on Nov. 2 and winning 9-0. Goals were scored by Notaro (three), Gaetano (two), Rosekopf (two), Minns, and Liam McBride. Assists were credited to David Meneses, Gaetano (two), Notaro, Minns (two), Solimene (two), and Cohen. Joseph Morocho earned the shutout in goal.

In the second round on Nov. 5, the Nighthawks traveled to No. 8 Pomperaug and fell 3-0.

Notaro earned a spot on the All-SCC First Team for his efforts this fall.

Football

The North Haven football team traveled to Notre Dame-West Haven on Oct. 11 and lost a tight game 21-20. Joey Mastroianni, Artie McCormack IV, and Tyler Dimauro each scored a rushing touchdown in the contest. Mastroianni led the way with 134 total yards. Tyler Dimauro had 13 tackles, and Evan Dimauro had 12.

The team then hit the road to East Hartford on Oct. 18 and won 49-34. McCormack IV exploded for six rushing touchdowns and picked up 296 total yards, and Mastroianni also ran in one score. Chris Kottage had 11 tackles, and Evan Dimauro and Tyler Dimauro each had 10.

On Nov. 1, the Nighthawks hosted West Haven and fell 32-7. Mastroianni threw for one touchdown that was hauled in by Nate Eggerling. Tyler Dimauro had 11 tackles, and Kottage had 10.

North Haven played host to Xavier on Nov. 8 and won 42-21. Mastroianni threw a touchdown pass to Brandon Stevens, and Mastroianni also ran in a score. McCormack IV and Dimauro (two) added rushing touchdowns in the contest. Kottage had 13 tackles, Johnny Williston had 12, and McCormack IV had 10.

Girls’ Swimming

North Haven girls’ swimming hosted Jonathan Law on Oct. 21 and fell 91-85. Kelsey Perkins (2:37.19) won the 200 yard Individual Medley (IM). Riley Mattox won the diving (182:00), and Giada Garofalo won the 100 backstroke (1:08.21). Amelia Bautz (1:28.55) won the 100 breaststroke, while the 400 freestyle relay team of Garofalo, Abby Lorusso, Bautz, and Scarlett Russek placed first with a time of 4:44.34.

Girls’ Soccer

On Oct. 21, North Haven girls’ soccer hosted Lauralton Hall and won 4-2. First half goals were scored by Gia Giamo unassisted in the seventh minute, Maya Thompson assisted by Olivia Ranciato in the 22nd minute, and Ranciato assisted by Thompson in the 34th minute. In the second half, Andrea August scored an unassisted goal in the 56th minute. The Nighthawks had 16 shots on goal, and Alivia Garnett had two saves.

North Haven entered the Class L State Tournament as the No. 16 seed. In the first round on Nov. 2, the team hosted No. 17 Rockville and won 3-2. In the first half, Lelia Sweet scored a goal assisted by Alison Palmeri. In the second half, Thompson scored in the 58th minute assisted by Ava Tarasuk. The game went into overtime, and Ranciato scored the game-winning goal in the 98th minute unassisted. Garnett had two saves in goal, including one in overtime, and Whitcomb had three saves. The Nighthawks had 15 shots on goal.

In the second round on Nov. 4, North Haven traveled to top-seeded Suffield and pulled off a 4-3 upset. Suffield had been undefeated in Class L prior to the contest. It was a great game of determination and grit, which resulted in one of the greatest games in North Haven girls’ soccer history.

The Nighthawks had some control of the game in the earlier stages and were able to pick the opponent apart with a through ball that was played in by Ava Tarasuk to Maya Thompson to put them up 1-0.

Tarasuk was also a bright spot in the second half. She worked hard offensively, taking players on and breaking down the defense. North Haven was awarded a penalty kick after Tarasuk dribbled through the defense and was brought down in the box. Captain Andrea August stepped up and calmly placed her shot into the far corner of the goal for the Nighthawks second score, making it a 3-2 game.

North Haven continued to put the Suffield defense under pressure, creating a few more chances before Olivia Ranciato was able to pounce on a loose ball at the back post after a shot from Tarasuk. She scrambled the ball over the goal line to tie the game.

The momentum was in North Haven’s favor, and it showed in the 75th minute when Tarasuk got by her defender and delivered a great cross to the back post for Thompson to score the winning goal with a with a well-placed header back across the goalkeeper. With the 4-3 lead, the Nighthawks dug in and controlled the game defensively, and the comeback was completed.

“It was a great night for North Haven Soccer,” said Head Coach Gary Collins. “I am very proud of this team.”

In the quarterfinals on Nov. 7, North Haven traveled to No. 9 New Canaan and recorded a 4-0 loss.

Ranciato earned a spot on the All-SCC First Team for her efforts on the field this fall.

Cross Country

North Haven freshman Kendall Montabana (Second Team All-SCC) and senior Matt DeNardis (First Team All-SCC) competed at the Class MM State Championships at Wickham Park on Oct. 26 for cross country. Montabana finished 10th out of 116 runners with a time of 20:53. DeNardis finished eighth out of 165 runners with a time of 16:34. Their performances in placing in the Top 12 earned both runners All-State honors.

With their performances, both runners earned a spot to run in the State Open Championships at Wickham Park on Oct. 31, which was comprised of the top high school runners in Connecticut. In that race, Montabana finished 95th out of 199 runners, and DeNardis finished 90th out of 188 runners. Both athletes had an outstanding cross country season.