Hornets Stand at 6 – 6

When you are a hockey team midway through the season playing at or below .500, every game is important to win in order to reach your goal to qualify for the state tournament. The Hornets are trying to attain their goal.

Last Wednesday, the Hornets defeated Hand 4 – 2. ​“That was a big win for us,” said Branford Coach Jim Dinapoli. ​“Hopefully it will give us momentum for our next game on Saturday [Feb. 4] with Cheshire.” Not quite. It was close but the Hornets lost 4 – 3 to Cheshire at the Wesleyan Rink.

The Hornets are now 6 – 6 including the Hand and Cheshire games. Their next game is at New Fairfield/Immaculate (Danbury) is on Wednesday Feb. 8 at 5:30 p.m. and their next home game is against Watertown-Pomperaug on Friday Feb. 10 at 7:30 p.m.

At their Jan. 28 match, Branford, with a 5 – 4 record, hosted nearby rival North Branford, with a 4 – 7 record, so winning was important to both clubs. The Eagle was there. Here Goalie Tyler Odice makes a stop on a shot by Scott Clinton (15) as Robert Lionetti (16) comes to help. Also shown is Chris DeFrancesco (3) of North Branford.

Branford entered the game with a three-game winning streak but injuries and other factors reduced their roster and the hungry Thunderbirds caught fire and scored nine goals on route to a 9 – 6 victory. One key injury was senior goalie Justin Edwards, who broke a bone in his hand.

Here North Branford goalie John Lovelace leaps to stop sophomore Ted Kirby’s shot, which eventually went in.

Branford sophomore Max Bunton {pictured}had a hat trick for the Hornets, but it was North Branford senior Brian McKee who lit up the scoreboard with seven points on four goals and three assists. Here Bunton skates up ice after scoring one of his three goals.

McKee scored the first goal at 0.19 of the first period, giving the Thunderbirds the early lead. Bunton tied it up with a goal at 6.05. After that, it was all North Branford. Bunting, a sophomore, jockeys for position with Jacob Neubig.

“I was proud of my guys,” said Dinapoli. ​“We had six players out and those that played worked very hard. We had good leadership on the ice and I was proud of them.” Here Coach encourages a couple of his players to keep playing hard.

North Branford led 3 – 1 after the first period and 7 – 2 after two. Here North Branford’s Brian McKee is taken down by a host of Branford players in front of the net. He scored four go als and had three assists in the game.

The Hornets outscored the Thunderbirds 4 – 2 in the third, but by then the game was out of reach. Here Robert Lionetti fires a slap shop. He scored Branford’s last goal of the game.

Things were quiet in the locker room between the second and third periods.

“When I went into the locker room between the second and third period I praised them for their hard work and effort. This was a growth step for them,” said Dinapoli. Here Dinapoli poses with captain Scott Klouda before the game.

Scorer ​“Bing’ Miller” (L); and clock operator Joe Rollo during a timeout.

Senior Scott Klouda had a goal and three assists for the Hornets with sophomores Theodore Kirby and Robert Lionetti having one apiece.

Here Coach Dinapoli (R) and assistant Mike Landino and the bench check out the action.

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