Last postseason, the North Haven girls’ basketball team represented its school and conference quite well in only coming up two wins shy of attaining the ultimate prize. The Nighthawks may have to take a bit of a step back at times after graduating several key pieces from that run, but they will look to move full steam ahead and continue a strong pedigree.

As the No. 7 seed in the SCC Tournament following a 13-7 regular season last year, North Haven first beat No. 10 Amity 54-38 in the first round before falling to second-seeded Sacred Heart Academy by a 76-56 decision in the quarterfinal round. Still, it was only the beginning for the Nighthawks’ postseason story because for the Class MM State Tournament, the girls had a much lengthier stay in that draw.

11th-ranked North Haven defeated No. 22 Killingly 50-41 in the first round, prior to the Nighthawks upsetting sixth-seeded Suffield 53-40 in the second round. In the quarterfinal round of 8, the Nighthawks raced past No. 30 RHAM by a 65-43 score, prior to seeing their magical run come to an end with a 59-43 loss to No. 2 seed and eventual champion Northwest Catholic in the semifinals. North Haven finished the season 18-9 overall.

Returning Head Coach Jessica Neuweiler explained that the Nighthawks may have to reload again in terms of their savvy upperclassmen presence with a youth movement. Yet through all the ups and downs that will ensue, they are locked in on emerging from the other side a better unit.

“We are a young team this year with one senior and one junior. We will look for this to be a developmental year, where our sophomores and freshmen step into and develop important roles for our team,” said Neuweiler. “We will look to build off of the success that we have worked hard for as a program at NHHS [North Haven High School], and compete every day. We are focusing on getting better and improving one day at a time.”

The lone captain for the Nighthawks this winter will be senior Olivia Ball. She is someone who never ceases to challenge herself in the classroom, and that trait carries over to the court. She is someone who can produce buckets for North Haven in a multitude of ways while showing the products of hard work.

“Olivia has a great court sense and basketball IQ. She leads by example and is always positive and vocal in practices and in games,” said Neuweiler. “Olivia is a hard worker, always leading by example. A well-rounded player, Olivia is an offensive threat from the outside but also takes the ball to the hoop. She is a true versatile scorer. She is a great student-athlete. Olivia takes advanced placement classes in Psychology and Statistics and made the All-Academic Team last season.”

There is also a tandem of underclassmen sophomores that return to the fold, holding valuable varsity experience as rookies a year ago. The backcourt is bolstered by Lia Calderon running the point, plus shooting guard Chloe Belcher. Both are steady handles for the Nighthawks while having a sharp-shooting ability to fire at will. Beyond that pair, Neiweiler feels very strong and optimistic about the potential of depth within the sophomore and freshman ranks.

“Lia returns after being the starting point guard her freshman year. Lia has a great court sense and has improved her all-around game in the offseason. We will look for Lia to be a leader on the court for our team this year,” said Neuweiler. “Chloe truly progressed during her freshman season and ended the year making a real impact at the varsity level. The team will look for Chloe to play a larger role both offensively and defensively this season. She is athletic and a great outside shooter. We have a good number of returning sophomores and new incoming freshmen that we will look to have step into larger varsity roles this season.”

Looking at their regular season docket, the Nighthawks have a very competitive schedule–including SCC matchups and out-of-conference games against East Hartford and Bristol Central. The Nighthawks will be home again for the holidays, as they will once again host the Fred Kelly Holiday Tournament, where in addition to North Haven, Notre Dame of Fairfield, Trumbull, and Newington will compete this year.

Regardless of the opponent on the schedule, each and every day, North Haven will aim to carry itself as a program that will fight for every loose ball, basket, and victory. The final objective is to create a wiser and more successful squad that will bring pride to the NHHS community.

“This season, we are looking forward to working with our players and helping them to develop as athletes at the high school level,” said Neuweiler. “We are a young team, but we will work hard, compete each day, and will look to continue to build a program that student-athletes in North Haven aspire to be a part of.”

Neuweiler is back for her third season as bench boss. Also entering their third seasons are her assistants Paul Olivia and Caroline Lacy.

The 2024-2025 North Haven girls’ basketball team roster is comprised of senior Ball; junior Ella Couture; sophomores Belcher, Calderon, Bianca Watts, Chloe Perito, Addison Whitcomb; plus freshmen Kyriakoula Diakogeorgiou, Riley Doyle, Sofia Genova, Gia Giaimo, and Olivia Palmieri.

2024-2025 North Haven Girls’ Basketball Regular Season Results and Schedule

Dec. 13: North Haven 63, Staples 60

Monday, Dec. 16: at Hillhouse at 7 p.m.

Thursday, Dec. 19: vs. Hamden at 6 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 28: vs. Notre Dame-Fairfield at 3 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 3: vs. Foran at 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 7: at Amity at 7 p.m.

Thursday, Jan. 9: at Law at 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 14: at West Haven at 6 p.m.

Thursday, Jan. 16: at Sacred Heart Academy at 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 21: at East Hartford at 6:30 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 24: at Bristol Central at 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 28: at Cheshire at 7 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 31: at Foran at 6 p.m.

Monday, Feb. 3: vs. Amity at 7 p.m.

Wednesday, Feb. 5: vs. Hillhouse at 7 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 7: vs. Law at 6:30 p.m.

Monday, Feb. 10: vs. West Haven at 6:30 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 13: vs. Sacred Heart Academy at 6:30 p.m.

Monday, Feb. 17: vs. Cheshire at 6:30 p.m.