
Jack Petronio had the lone goal for the Newington co-op ice hockey team in Thursday’s CCC game with Farmington Valley at Avon Old Farms. Farmington Valley prevailed, 3-1. (Photo courtesy Kevin Guilmartin)
AVON, Dec. 26, 2024 – Brendan McLaughlin’s power-play goal with 11:28 left in the game and an empty-net goal in the final 10 seconds helped lift the Farmington Valley co-op ice hockey team to a 3-1 win over Newington co-op on Thursday night at Avon Old Farms in a Central Connecticut Conference contest.
McLaughlin’s two goals helped Farmington Valley (1-2), a co-op program with Farmington, Avon, Lewis Mills and Windsor, secure their first victory of the season.
Goalie Gavin Lubinsky made 17 saves in net to earn the win. Tucker LaBreque also scored for the Generals, who play in the CCC North division.
Jack Petronio scored in the first period off an an assist from Casey McKinley for Newington co-op (1-2). Goalie Anderson Claffey made 29 saves in net for the Nor’easters.
The Newington co-op program is comprised of players from Newington, Canton, Berlin, Manchester and Cromwell.
There are eight Canton players in the program this season led by seniors Ethan Lindquist, Mason Buckley and Dan Robison. Other Warriors in the program are juniors David Andrews, Caden Gendreau, Connor Blais and Billy Ryan along with sophomore James Slavin.
This is the sixth year that Canton has been part of the co-op program with Newington. The 2022 co-op team won the CIAC Division III state championship with a 3-1 win over Conard and the 2023 co-op squad lost in the Division III finals to Masuk, 6-3.
Newington co-op plays in the CCC South division.
Farmington Valley returns to action on Saturday when they host South Windsor at 4 p.m. at Avon Old Farm’s Jennings Rink. Newington co-op travels to Storrs to face the E.O. Smith program in a game that begins at 1:45 p.m. on the UConn campus.
Farmington Valley 3, Newington co-op 1
At Avon
Newington co-op (1-2) 1 0 0 — 1
Farmington Valley (1-2) 0 1 2 — 3
Goals: Jack Petronio (N), Brenden McLaughlin (FV) 2, Tucker LaBreque (FV); Assists: Josh Beaudoin (N), Blake Gordon (N), McKinley Casey (FV); Saves: Gavin Lubinsky (FV) 17, Anderson Claffey (N) 29; Shots: Farmington Valley 32-18
Gerry deSimas, Jr., is the editor and founder of The Collinsville Press. He is an award-winning writer and has been covering sports in Connecticut and New England for more than 40 years. He was inducted into the New England High School Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2018.


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