Centaurs hopeful state
title is in their future
After making a Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) Div. II state championship game the year before and falling just short, 2-1 in overtime to North Haven, the Woodstock Academy boys’ hockey team has one goal in mind: Bring home a Division II state title in 2024.
To that end coach Mark Smolak scheduled a majority of CIAC Div. I teams. The Centaurs finished 23-2 last season.
The Centaurs return their top line of Noah Sampson (21 goals, 37 assists), Sousa (29, 28) and Maxx Corradi (43, 23).
The Centaurs will be without Jacob Jurnovoy (6, 14), Max Larkin (9, 15) and the physicality of Andrew Newton up front.
Senior Jared Nielsen (5, 7) and junior Jayden Fuller (10, 11) will back up that front line with senior Troy Daviau.
The Centaurs also have freshman newcomer Cameron Perrault who will pair with Brady O’Brien and Keegan Covello.
Three defenseman and two goalies have departed, so the offense may have to be a bit more conscious of what is going on in the defensive end.
Freshman Brady Hebert will be the starting goalie for the first 10 games until junior Devlin Mansolf, a transfer from Burrillville (R.I.) High School, is eligible. Alex Gessner and Sam Lescault will be the senior defensemen with freshmen Landon Murdock and Kieran Shepherd being added to the mix.
The team will have to come together quickly. In the first three weeks, they have seven games scheduled including the highly competitive Mt. St. Charles tournament.
“That’s a lot. Three weeks into the season, we’re going to have half of our schedule completed,” Smolak said. “We’re going to get the bulk of our schedule out of the way, going to review the films, determine where we can do better and drill in practice because we will have plenty of practice time toward the end (of the season)," the coach added. Woodstock will not play its first home game at the Jahn Ice Rink until Jan. 2.
Marc Allard
Director of Sports Information
The Woodstock Academy

.