Junior captain Olivia Huang made a big splash for Guilford girls ice hockey this winter as the team's only captain. Photo courtesy of Mags DePetris
Sophomore defenseman Tate DePetris served as a strong role model on and off the ice for the young Grizzlies women's ice hockey co-op team this winter. Photo courtesy of Mags DePetris
Optimism and positivity are always the most important factors for the success of high school athletic teams. The Guilford Women's Ice Hockey Co-op team, in only its second season as a team, maintained these characteristics during a campaign filled with much learning and growth this winter.
Grizzlies head coach Rick Binkowski was proud of the girls for showing so much grit and determination even though the game didn't go well.
“I think our season went well even though we finished with 3 wins and 14 losses overall. Our team was very young and we lost by one goal five or six times.” Binkowski said. “Overall, I was happy with how the girls played. It was a really good group, so I think they had a good season.”
The Grizzlies faced the Mask Co-op team early in the season on December 6th and lost 3-2 in overtime. Over the next few weeks, Guilford lost to Hall/Conard, Suffield Co-op, West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy (SHA), Hampden Co-op, and lost to West Haven/SHA by one point in the regular season. He got his first win of the season. 2-1 on January 8th.
Schools that formed cooperative teams this winter included Guilford (host school), Coginchaug, and East Haven. The Grizzlies finished 3-14 overall in Class L and 2-8 in the Southern Connecticut Conference.
Despite the obvious youth on the ice, Vinkowski said some of the players have experience playing hockey before, but will ultimately have to adjust to playing at the high school level. He explained that there was.
“A lot of our upperclassmen started skating as freshmen, learning how to skate and how to play the game,” Binkowski said. “We had a very young team. We had a lot of experienced hockey players this year who flourished. We really only had sophomores and freshmen on the ice this season. Again, a lot. We have some great talent and hard workers who are really excited to play.”
As the season progressed, the Grizzlies lost three more times to Hall/Conard, Daniel Hand Cope, and Mercy/Northwest Catholic/East Hampton. They then recorded a big win against Fairfield Ludlow/Warde on January 27th, winning 7-3.
This season, Guilford had one captain in junior goaltender Olivia Huang. Although the pressure of having to lead the team alone was certainly felt, she was able to quickly gain respect from her underclassmen colleagues and through her hard work and experience in her sport, her role as a role model. fulfilled.
“She did a great job. She's a first-time captain,” Binkowski said. “She was on the team all three years of high school. When the upperclassmen have low concentration, they usually get support. She was there by herself, leading the younger players on the team, She was leading the charge herself. I think she did a really great job.”
Sophomores Haley Fares (center) and Tate DePetris (defender) also played leading roles this season.
“They've done a really good job of providing leadership to the team, being a voice in the locker room and being there for their teammates when they need to do more,” Binkowski said. “In addition, Haley led by example on and off the ice and was our leading scorer this season.”
Juarez was the only Grizzlies player named to the All-SCC First Team this season and led the team with 16 goals.
Guilford had 10 players return from last year this winter, with the rest of the team including new players. Some of the girls had never skated on ice before.
“I think the biggest challenge they faced was that they were a young team,” Binkowski explained. “They are good hockey players, but there is a big difference between the freshmen and the seniors. Some of the girls on our team were only 13 years old a few months ago; There was a huge physical disparity on some teams.”
Binkowski added that the team played a very solid first and second period in every game, but by the third frame most players ran out of gas. In many competitions, size differences have become increasingly apparent.
At the end of the regular season, the Grizzlies got their last win on February 14th against Mask Corp, crushing their opponents 1-0.
Guilford then competed in the SCC Tournament, but lost 5-0 to top-seeded Hamden in the first round on February 19.
Binkowski looks to the future of the program and knows it is very bright for Guilford women's hockey. She expects her players to gain experience during the offseason and come back even stronger next winter.
“I'm very optimistic and excited about the next few years. We have a lot of strong players coming in as freshmen from youth hockey next season,” Binkowski said. “I'm definitely looking forward to continuing what we've been working on. Letting some of our girls play some out-of-season hockey and using what they learned this year to our advantage next season.” It has allowed me to see my children grow and develop as individuals.”
Binkowski will be assisted by Graham Gill, Scott Knebel, Chelsea Colonies and Tom Epke, and will be joined by two freshmen managers from Guilford, Harper Gill and Avery DeGennaro. do.
The Grizzlies roster includes senior Lillian Schroeder (wing, Guilford HS), juniors Huang and Campbell Jacobson (defender, Guilford HS), sophomores Sabrina Chan (wing, Guilford HS), and Emma -Includes Clifford (defender, Guilford HS), DePetris, Fares, and Emily. Forrest (wing, East Haven High School), Madison Paolella (defender, East Haven High School), Emma Vittorio (wing, Guilford High School), freshmen Maggie Apicella (forward, Guilford High School), Lauren Delgrego (forward, Coginchaug Regional High School), Ella Dinora (Forward, East Haven High School), Camryn Letourneau (Forward, Coginchaug Regional High School), Annabelle Lane (Defender, Guilford High School), Elizabeth Mottolo (Wing, Guilford High School), Mia – Mulhern (goaltender, East Haven High School), Rachel Pistone (forward, East Haven High School), Avery Torres Lanuza (defender, Guilford High School), Jill Violet (wing, Guilford High School).
