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Centaurs boys’
hockey team
opens with win
For lack of a better word, the first period between the Woodstock Academy and Eastern Connecticut Eagles boys’ hockey teams last week was “interesting.”
The two teams combined for eight goals.
“We will try and chalk that one up to first game, first period and all that,” said coach Kevin Bisson. “We did have two scrimmages, though, so it’s hard to write it off as an excuse of that nature.”
Fortunately for Bisson and the Centaurs, things settled down a bit after the first chaotic 15 minutes and Woodstock walked away with an 8-3 season-opening victory.
The Centaurs were scored on in the very first shift by the Eagles. Woodstock was missing a starter on its first line so Bisson had to install Noah Sampson at center with Kyle Brennan and Max Larkin.
It was something that Larkin was not used to as he is normally a center, and he and Brennan got confused as to who was playing what wing.
It led to Dylan Relaz being left wide open in front of the net and he scored just 34 seconds into the game.
Fortunately for the Centaurs, they answered quickly. Larkin and Brennan made up for the previous faux pas as Larkin scored off a Brennan assist just 1:16 after the Eagles’ goal.
It was the start of a four-goal barrage by the Centaurs with Sampson, Brendan Hill and Jacob Jurnovoy all finding the net over the next four minutes.
Eastern Connecticut decided to change their goalie and it added a little spark to the Eagles’ step.
Relaz scored his second goal with 3:13 left in the period and added a third just 11 seconds later to bring Eastern Connecticut within one, 4-3.
Sampson scored with 1:17 left in the period off an assist from Larkin to put the Centaurs back up by two going into the second period.
Then things got much quieter. Chris Thibault and Don Sousa of the Centaurs scored the only goals of the second period and Sousa added the only goal of the third.
The scoring also settled down goalie Kaiden Keddy who endured the rough first period.
“He is really playing his first significant varsity minutes because I just can’t say last year was really (varsity hockey). I’m sure he had some (nerves) going on so it was good that he didn’t allow any more to get past him,” Bisson said.
Another question that may start to be answered is where the offense will come from for the Centaurs. Both Sampson and Sousa, two sophomores, had two goals each.
“Losing Guerin (Favreau to graduation) left a major question as to what are we going to do to replicate the point production. It was really great to see younger guys, two sophomores who will have some longevity here, take that next step. It’s still very early, but we saw it in our scrimmages and now in our first game so, hopefully, it continues,” Bisson said.
Are things starting to feel more normal on the ice? The officials, on every face-off, checked to make sure all players were wearing their masks.
Centaurs Girls Battle
Kayla Leite saved her best for last. The sophomore guard had not put the ball in the basket in regulation, but just 55 seconds into overtime, she let one fly from beyond the 3-point line.
It found the bottom of the net to break a tie at the end of regulation and the Centaurs went on to win, 40-33, Dec. 15.
It was a needed win for Woodstock after a season-opening loss to Windham two days before. The Centaurs (1-2, 0-1 ECC Div. II) finished off the week with a 61-29 loss to Waterford.
“Every win is great,” said coach Will Fleeton following the victory over Montville. “This one was a battle. We have to coach it every second so, hopefully, when we’re in this situation again, they will feel more comfortable and know what we’re looking for.”
The Centaurs needed the lift from Leite.
They led by eight, 24-16, going into the final quarter when Montville got hot from beyond the arc.
Montville (0-2) hit five 3-pointers to score 17 fourth-quarter points.
With 24 seconds left, Montville led 33-31.
The Centaurs forced the overtime when Eva Monahan (eight points) hit a bucket with 11 seconds left. After Leite’s 3-pointer, Alex Cloutier, who finished with a team-high 10 points, hit a basket with 20 seconds left.
Reegan Reynolds, who played a great defensive game, closed out the win with a pair of free throws with five seconds left.
Earlier in the week, Woodstock rebounded from a 15-point first half deficit to Windham, but fell short, 54-45, in the season opener.
The Centaurs contributed to a 16-0 first half run by Windham with five consecutive turnovers. But a 5-0 run at the end of the first half cut that deficit as Woodstock trailed by only seven, 28-21, at the break. The Centaurs rebounded in the second half behind a strong effort by freshman center Monahan. She scored eight of her 12 points and Woodstock Academy trailed by only five, 38-33, at the end of the third quarter.
The Centaurs would get as close as three in the fourth quarter but Windham pulled away late as it outscored the Centaurs 9-3 in the final 3 minutes, 16 seconds. Leila MacKinnon led the Centaurs with 15 points while Reynolds added 10.
Waterford jumped out to an early 27-5 lead at the end of the first quarter Dec. 18 and never looked back as the Lancers recorded their first win in three games and improved to 1-1 in ECC Div. II.
MacKinnon had a pair of 3-pointers and finished with 10 points for Woodstock. Freshman Sophia Sarkis added nine for the Centaurs.
Boys’ Basketball Losses
The Woodstock boys’ basketball team had battled Bacon Academy pretty evenly through the first three quarters, trailing by only six going into the final quarter.
But the Bobcats went 12-for-21 in the final quarter from the free throw stripe and posted the 68-66 win over the Centaurs Dec. 18.
The loss dropped Woodstock to 0-2 overall in Div. II of the ECC.
Braiden Saucier hit a deep 3-pointer to cut the deficit to just the two points late, but the Centaurs ran out of time.
The Centaurs battled back from a 17-8 deficit in the first quarter to take a 26-25 lead at the half.
That was similar to their opener with Waterford where Woodstock trailed by only one at the half against the Lancers.
“We have these spurts of fantastic, connected, well-organized play followed by the absence of such things. With the experience that we have, we’re just trying to find our way. We’re going to have these peaks and valleys. It’s exciting, but it’s frustrating too,” said coach Marty Hart.
Jackson Goetz paced the Centaurs versus the Bobcats with 16 points while Ethan Davis added 15 and Hamilton Barnes tossed in 12.
In the season opener two days before, the Centaurs battled but came upon hard times in the third quarter and fell to the two-time defending state champion, Waterford Lancers, 60-48.
The Centaurs hung tough in the first half and never let the Lancers build more than a 5-point lead in the season opener for both.
A basket by Brandon Nagle (11 points) brought Woodstock within one, 27-26, at the half.
Sean O’Connell, who led all scorers with 23 points for Waterford, buried a 3-pointer to open the second half for the Lancers.
Davis, who led Woodstock with 16 points, hit a two-pointer 24 seconds later. Unfortunately, it would be the last basket for the Centaurs for the next 4:16 when Davis would finally score again. In between, the Lancers scored 17 unanswered points to take an insurmountable 47-28 advantage.
Woodstock did cut the lead to 14 with a 10-2 run including the first 3-pointer for Davis in two years. The Centaurs worked it down to 10, 54-44, on a basket by Goetz with 2:58 to play.
Waterford hit four of six free throws to cancel out any Centaur hopes.
Hockey Team Shows Promise
At the beginning of any season, a team is hopeful that the defense is solid and the offense comes around.
The Woodstock girls’ hockey team got the first part down in its season opener but still has some work to do on the second part of the equation.
The Centaurs fell to the Burrillville (R.I.) cooperative team, 3-0.
“We thought it went pretty well,” said first-year head coach Eric Roy. “It was what we expected. We were getting our lines together, the older and newer players feeling each other out. It was the perfect example of a team that is young and learning and I thought we played pretty well against a pretty strong team.”
It was a 1-0 game for much of the contest. Rachel Palmer scored the goal for the Broncos in the first period and that’s the way it held until the third. Woodstock goalie Mia Dang was a big part of that as she made 33 saves.
“She held us in there. It could have been a lot worse. She made some great saves and made everything look easy,” Roy said. “If you were there watching the game and then saw the 33-save stat, you would have thought ‘no way.’ She just does everything so calm, cool, collected and easy.”
Burrillville got an insurance goal in the third period and then collected its third tally just before the final buzzer.
“Our practices (prior to the next game) will be focused on just shooting, shooting and shooting and getting to the net. The one thing I know we need work on, besides just the standard plays, is grit. We’re too nice. It’s time to turn up the intensity a little bit,” Roy said.
Roy said he was happy with the play of Ellary Sampson and Maci Corradi, two of his middle school players.
Prep Teams
The Woodstock Gold and Blue prep basketball teams didn’t exactly have an easy finish to the 2021 portion of the season.
Illness and early departures for the holiday break made it difficult for the Centaurs Gold prep team who participated in the Basketbull Tournament last week.
The Centaurs lost a close one in their opener against Bradford Christian Academy Dec. 15, but rebounded nicely Dec. 16 for a 71-55 win over First Love Christian.
Diovion Famakinde led the Centaurs with 13 points in the win while Dominic Strothers and Promise Opurum both added 12.
The Centaurs finished up Dec. 18 with an 83-53 loss to Wilbraham & Monson Academy.
Corey Jones scored 10 points and Strothers added eight.
The Centaurs take a 9-6 record into the 2022 portion of the season which begins at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 5 with a home game against Notre Dame-West Haven.
Jan-Viljam Homanen scored 21 points in the first half and 35 for the game to lead the Woodstock Blue team to an 81-64 win over Winchendon School Dec. 17. Craig Wilson contributed 18 points while Eddie Fisher tossed in 11.
The Centaurs’ Blue team heads into the holiday break with a 7-6 record. The Blue squad next plays host to Army Prep at 7 p.m. Jan. 5.
Marc Allard
Director of Sports Information
The Woodstock Academy
.