East Catholic co-op beats Southington co-op for first CCC championship

Southington co-op’s Emily Schneider, left, tries to slow East Catholic co-op’s Charlotte Laramee during Friday night’s CCC Tournament championship game in Hartford. East Catholic won, 5-2. More game photos

HARTFORD, Feb. 23, 2024 – The East Catholic co-op girls hockey team fell behind early in Friday night’s Central Connecticut Conference championship game when Maya Fanelli popped in a goal off a pass from teammate Kalyn Reynolds.

The Storm, consisting of players from East Catholic, Glastonbury, South Windsor, Rockville and Tolland, didn’t panic. Using their speed and skill, the Storm wore down Southington co-op to win their first CCC championship with a 5-2 win on Friday night at Trinity College.

Five different players scored goals for the Storm, who didn’t drop a game in the CCC this winter, going 10-0.

“I thought they were fantastic from start to finish,” Storm head coach Frank Usseglio said. “Even when we fell behind, there was no panic on the bench. I thought we dominated the first period We carried the second period.

“True to form, we haven’t let up the whole season in the third period and we came out put a great performance on,” Usseglio said. “I was really proud of the girls to cap off a real nice season with a great effort.”

Southington, which is comprised of players from Southington, Avon, Wethersfield, Newington, RHAM, Coventry, Berlin, Watertown, Lewis Mills and Farmington, took an early 1-0 lead with just 1:20 gone in the game. The Nighthawks had a few other chances but Storm goalie Lola Espirito-Santo was up to the task.

East Catholic co-op tied the game at 1-1 with 10:18 left in the second period on a nice goal from freshman Leah Martineau after a period of Southington co-op pressure. With three minutes left in the period, the Storm’s Tessa Roberts tipped in a rebound off the pads of Southington keeper Sophia Ojala on a hard shot from Liliana Ficaro, the CCC player of the league, for a 2-1 lead.

East Catholic co-op’s Mallory Pierz moves up the ice during Friday’s CCC championship game at Trinity College. More game photos

In the third period, Southington committed a body checking penalty with just seven seconds gone in the period. The Nighthawks didn’t allow a goal but seconds after the power play was complete, it was Charlotte Laramee with a goal to give the Storm a 3-1 lead.

East Catholic co-op made it 4-1 on a shorthanded goal from Lexi Pacheco, who was named the tournament MVP. Teammate Deirdre McKiernan was behind the net and passed it out in front to Pacheco, who swiftly swung and scored for the Storm with 5:03 left in the game.

Avon sophomore Maeve Walsh scored a goal with 1:48 remaining for the Nighthawks but Ficaro added an empty net goal with 1:25 to secure the victory.

“The reality is that we’re loaded with talent,” Usseglio said. “We’re loaded with speed. Sometimes, the only times we lose are when we beat ourselves. Honestly, it’s quite a group.”

East Catholic co-op (18-4, 10-0 CCC) is expected to be a No. 3 seed when the Connecticut High School Girls Hockey Association playoffs begin.

Southington (12-10) was looking for their third straight CCC championship. The Nighthawks had a five-game winning streak snapped with the loss.

East Catholic co-op 5, Southington co-op 2
At Hartford
Southington co-op (12-10)           1  0  1  — 2
East Catholic co-op (18-4)            0  2  3  — 5
Goals: Maya Fanelli (S), Maeve Walsh (S); Leah Martineau (EC), Tessa Roberts (EC), Charlotte Laramee (EC), Lexi Pacheco (EC), Liliana Ficarco (EC); Assists: Kalyn Reynolds (S), Ficaro (EC), Deirdre McKiernan (EC); Goalies: Sophia Ojala (S), Lola Espirito-Santo (EC)