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It was a long ride to the opposite corner of the state Feb. 23 for The Woodstock Academy boys’ hockey team.
The late night was worth it.
The Centaurs downed the Housatonic-Northwestern-Wamogo cooperative 5-3 to raise their record to 8-10 on the season and guarantee themselves a Division II state tournament berth.
“It was a big one,” Centaurs coach Mike Starr said. “It was important to get to that milestone. I don’t think a lot of people realize how young our team is this year and to see them compete with teams that are loaded with seniors makes the coaches very happy.”
The game-winner came off the stick of Jake Starr in the third period.
Jake Starr positioned himself in front of the Mountaineers net and got the puck that he was looking for. Defenseman Ryan Wojciechowski rifled one in from the blue line and Starr was able to re-direct it into the net for his seventh goal of the season to put the Centaurs ahead to stay.
Avery Riva added the insurance goal later in the period, his eighth of the season, and second of the game.
“It was great to see Avery get his scoring touch back. I think he had been a little snakebit,” Mike Starr said.
According to the Centaurs coach, the second tally by Riva was the nicer of the two. Jake Black made a long outlet pass that found Riva’s stick for the breakaway goal.
Matt Odom scored the first goal for the Centaurs who found themselves down, 2-1, at the end of the first period.
The Centaurs forged ahead in the second on goals by Guerin Favreau, his eighth of the season, and Riva’s first tally.
Dylan Shea made 20 saves in net.
Centaurs fall short
Tom Catsam had only scored one goal this season coming into the Centaurs boys’ hockey game Feb. 20 against the East Haven-Old Saybrook-Old Lyme-East Hampton cooperative.
The junior doubled his season output against the Yellowjackets.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to carry the Centaurs to the victory.
The East Haven cooperative scored their second win over the Centaurs in less than a week, 4-2, at the Jahn Ice Rink in Pomfret.
“It was really fun,” Catsam said of his two goals in a varsity contest. “I don’t get much playing time so I was trying to make the most out of what I get.”
Mike Starr had seen Catsam play very well in a junior varsity game against Auburn, Mass. the week before and, with a couple of players out, decided to give him some more ice time.
It was a sound decision.
East Haven took the early lead when Joe Consiglio put a shot from the point just under the left blocker of Shea just 52 seconds into the game.
“We saw them a week earlier and we scored kind of a long goal there at home against them so we came in with the game plan of putting everything to the net and play for some rebounds if they didn’t go in,” East Haven coach Lou Pane said.
Catsam tied the game up with 2:17 left in the first period when he converted a pass from Favreau from behind the net. Goalie Matt Twarowski went to his knees when the puck came out front and Catsam flicked it over the top.
But East Haven regained the lead 5 ½ minutes into the second period when Joe Pappacoda popped one in from long range.
With just 55 seconds left in the period, Catsam tied the game again.
Favreau sent the puck in from the point where it found the stick of Connor Starr. His shot was blocked by Twarowski but the rebound came out to Catsam who poked it home.
But Consiglio’s second goal of the game with 9:32 left put the Yellowjackets (8-6-1) up 3-2.
The Academy was forced to pull Shea with just over a minute left in the game to try and get the tying goal.
On the Centaurs first shot with the 6-on-5 advantage, the puck bounced out to center ice where East Haven’s Zach Paquin put his stick out and guided it down the ice into the empty net to account for the final.
The Centaurs finished up the regular season with a game on Monday (which finished too late for this edition). The conference and state tournaments beckon.
“I would match us up with just about anybody in the first round. If we play our game, 45 minutes of hockey, we can beat just about anybody in Division II. Unfortunately, I don’t think we will get into the top eight so we’re going to be on the road for the first round. That’s fine,” Mike Starr said.
Marc Allard
Sports Information Director

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The Woodstock Academy boys’ basketball team advanced to the Eastern Connecticut Conference Division II tournament championship game with a 65-61 semifinal win over third-seeded Griswold Feb. 24 at Waterford High School.
The seventh-seeded Centaurs met No. 1 St. Bernard, a 70-53 winner over Lyman Memorial in the other semifinal on Feb. 24, Feb. 21 at Waterford High School.
“It’s fantastic to be in a championship game with no seniors (on the roster) and having started the season with a 2-8 record,” said Centaurs coach Marty Hart after the semifinal win over Griswold. “We gained experience, trust and togetherness along the way.”
The Centaurs’ recent unselfish play continued against the Wolverines.
All five starters finished in double figures with Chase Anderson leading the way with 14 points. Aaron Johnson added 13 while Cole Hackett, Luke Matthewson and Aidan Morin all chipped in with 12.
“Teamwork and execution helped us get the lead; balance and composure allowed us to maintain it,” Hart said.
The Centaurs (11-12) jumped out to a six-point first quarter lead and were still up by four at the half.
That lead extended to double digits, 47-37, at the end of three, but the Wolverines (13-9) gained back some ground in the final quarter when they put up 24 points.
Max Gregory, held scoreless in the first three quarters, scored all nine of his points in the fourth for Griswold while Pharaoh Curtis added seven of his 13.
“Hats off to a tough Griswold team which was a well-disciplined group that kept making runs at us. I appreciated our maturity and composure down the stretch,” Hart said.
The Centaurs earned themselves a semifinal berth with a 68-56 win over Plainfield on Feb. 22 in a quarterfinal game.
“What is big is seeing them play team ball, seeing the ball move to places where it should and see it go through the basket. We pride ourselves on defense and we had a tough task. (Plainfield) is pretty big inside and have some guys who can throw in some shots around them. It makes them tough to guard,” Hart said.
The Centaurs got a little help from the Panthers who made only 23 of 65 shots from the floor. One of their leading scorers, Connor Davis, didn’t make one. The Centaurs held the guard to just a pair of free throws.
“That’s very special,” Hart said. “His name was at the top of our board. We said we had to stop him and contain the other guys.”
Offensively, the Centaurs were conservative, but effective.
They took only 42 shots, but made 27 including 16-of-21 in the second half when they finally pulled away from the Panthers (15-6).
Hackett, while not as big as some of the Plainfield inside players, found he had a little more quickness than the Panther bigs.
“The inside wasn’t working so I decided to go outside where I was quicker than them and was able to drive,” Hackett said.
That played a large role in the third quarter when Hackett scored eight points and The Academy broke the game open.
Hackett’s first four points of the third quarter tied the game on both occasions as Plainfield had taken its only leads of the game.
Baskets by Jake Marsalisi and  Anderson (17 points) put the Centaurs ahead to stay and, after Zack Lewis scored for Plainfield, two more Hackett baskets gave The Academy a little cushion.
Hackett finished with a team-high 18 points.
“From Clark Kent to Superman,” Hart said of Hackett’s effort. “We said, ‘Cole, get out front and just go right by them. He put on his cape and went to work and the guys recognized it. They share the ball. They find the mismatch when they can and they’re happy to see each other score.”
Two baskets by Morin (10 points) put the Centaurs ahead by double digits, 47-37.
They led by eight at the end of the third quarter and Plainfield could not get any closer the remainder of the way.
The Academy was one of only four teams that also had to participate in a play-in game just to get into the tournament. That, combined with the final regular season game of the season last Monday against Ellington meant the Centaurs had to play four games in six days.
“They would rather play than practice anyway,” Hart said with a laugh.
Fortunately, the play-in game against 10th-seeded Wheeler wasn’t too strenuous as the Centaurs prevailed, 76-41.
Wheeler did make an early statement as the Lions put down four 3-pointers in the first eight minutes of play to take an 18-15 lead into the second quarter.
But the Centaurs took over in the middle quarters where they more than doubled Wheeler’s scoring, 38-16.
Hackett scored 15 of his 16 points in the second and third quarters to lead the Centaurs.
Nathan John, coming off an injury, was the only other player in double figures for The Academy with 13.
Ian Spracklin led the Lions, who finished their season with a 2-19 record, with 14.
Marc Allard
Sports Information Director

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Clippers
lose in
rematch
By Shawn Bates
The Clippers traveled to Killingly Feb. 24 to meet the old ECC foe in a rematch from the Clipper Classic but lost, 69-55. The Clippers came out shooting and had a one-point lead in the first. Killingly would regain their composure to grab a nine-point lead going into halftime.
Both teams would go basket to basket for the next two quarters but the Clippers would not be able to gain any ground. Killingly would get the 69-55 win.
Feb. 19 the Clippers traveled to Montville. The last meeting the Indians would put a 72-42 whooping on the Clippers where their press was key on a 30-point victory. This time the Clippers would play their game and it paid off in a 50-32 victory.
 Putnam would outscore on scrappy play in all four quarters of the game. Tyion Harris would lead the Clippers with 18 points, Sebastian Ramos 15 points  and Colby Livingston 13.
The Clippers ended the season Feb. 26  at home against Grasso Tech for senior night.

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Harry R. Hammond,
WWII vet
WALLINGFORD — Harry R. Hammond, 94, formerly of E. Killingly died Feb. 19, 2018, at the Masonic Home in Wallingford.
He was born Dec. 13, 1923, in E. Killingly, the son of the late Harold and Lucina (Smith) Hammond. Harry was the husband of the late Lorraine White Hammond.
He served in the U.S. Army during WWII, and worked as an engineer with AT&T for 38 years. Harry was an avid golfer.
He leaves his brother Roy Hammond of Browns Mills, N.J.; nieces and nephews.
A graveside service was Feb. 23 at Westfield Cemetery, Danielson. Tillinghast Funeral Home, Danielson.

Nellie Marie LaBonte
PUTNAM — Nellie M. (Zaklukiewicz) LaBonte, 93, of Kennedy Dr. died peacefully, Feb. 25, 2018. Nellie was born in 1924 in Putnam, the daughter of the late Jon and Zofia (Ukleja) Zaklukiewicz. She was the  wife of 73 years to her husband, the late Eugene LaBonte Sr.
Nellie was employed as a secretary and worked for the Rectory School of Pomfret.  She enjoyed flower gardening, traveling and fashion.
She leaves two sons Eugene LaBonte Jr. of Rochester, Mass., and Daniel LaBonte (Michelle) of Cape Coral, Fla.; five grandchildren Brandon, Sarah, Garrett, Maura and Joshua; and three great-grandchildren, Emma, Alexander and Maxwell. Nellie is predeceased by her five sisters Pauline Witkowski, Cecelia Zaklukiewicz, Helen Pempek, Catherina Zaklukiewicz and Victoria St. Jean.
Visitation is from 6 to 8 p.m. March 1 at the Gilman Funeral Home and Crematory, 104 Church St. Putnam.  A gathering will begin in the funeral home at 9 a.m. March 2, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10 a.m. in St. Mary Church of the Visitation, Putnam, with burial in St. Mary Cemetery. Donations: St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital P. O. Box 1000 Department 142, Memphis, TN 38101.

Barbara M. Hebert
ENFIELD —  Barbara (LaBonte) Hebert, 83, of Enfield St., formerly of Woodstock, died Feb. 19, 2018, at home.  She was the wife of John D. Hebert of Enfield and the late Russell Marcy who died in 1989.
Born in 1935 in Webster, she was the daughter of the late Freeman and Catherine (Jarosz) LaBonte.
Mrs. Hebert worked at Webster Shoe and Linemaster Switch.  She was a communicant of Most Holy Trinity Church and worked in the rectory in her retirement.
In addition to her husband John, she leaves her brothers, Donald LaBonte (Maria) of Navarre, Fla., Francis LaBonte of Webster, and David LaBonte (Susan) of Thompson;  nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews.
The Mass of Christian Burial was Feb. 23 in Most Holy Trinity Church, Pomfret, with burial in St. Joseph Cemetery, Webster. Donations: Most Holy Trinity Church.  Gilman Funeral Home & Crematory, 104 Church St., Putnam.

Thelma R. Barker
THOMPSON — Thelma R Barker, 82, of Thompson, died Feb. 23, 2018, at Vibra Hospital in Leicester, Mass., after a period of declining health due to a stroke she suffered in mid-December.  Thelma was born in Branford, the daughter of the late George E and the late Adeline (Tefft) Barker.  
She leaves one son: John Barker of Springfield, Ill.; one sister: Gay Choiniere  of Thompson; one brother: Richard Barker of Thompson; nieces, nephews and cousins.
Thelma was a dedicated educator for more than 30 years at the Rectory School in Pomfret, retiring in 2008
She was active at her parish, St.. Andrew Bobola Church, and was a teacher with the CCD program. Thelma enjoyed reading and was an avid bird watcher.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10 a.m. March 2 at St. Andrew Bobola Church on W. Main Street in Dudley with burial in St. Joseph Garden of Peace Cemetery, Webster Visitation is from 5 to 7 p.m. March 1 at Bartel Funeral Home & Chapel, Dudley.

Judith A. Couture
THOMPSON — Judith Ann Couture, 78, of Thornfield Hall, Thompson died Feb. 18, 2018, at Day Kimball Hospital in Putnam.
She was born Oct. 18, 1939, in Manchester, daughter of the late James W. and Edith (Elliott) Couture. Judy enjoyed a family-enriched home life at Thornfield Hall.
She leaves many relatives from Connecticut, New York and Florida.
A Service was held Feb. 23 in Tillinghast Funeral Home, Danielson. Burial will be held in the spring in Bartlett Cemetery, E. Killingly.

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