An era that spanned more than 75 years is now over. West Haven hockey is moving down to division II starting for the 2023/24 season.
Last season marked the first time in the program’s history that it would be a co-op team, allowing players from Shelton, Seymour and Oxford, to join the team.
3-17 would mark the 2022/23 season in what was filled by multiple shutouts. West
Haven’s lone win against a division I opponent came when the Blue Devils crushed St. Dominic Regional (Maine), 7-2.
The team struggled heavily against their DI counterparts, but performed solidly against lower opponents. Two out of West Haven’s three wins came against DII teams, East Haven and Amity.
Blue Devils hockey stood 1-12 against DI last season and 2-5 against DII, to have that 3-17 record.
West Haven Athletic Director and former Blue Devils’ Head Coach, Joe Morrell, said “We can be competitive and we can make a run at a championship.”
- You can view the view the full interview and audio version below or by clicking here.
The move down will mark the first time in Blue Devils hockey history that the team will compete a full season at the DII level. They are eight-time state champions, but have not won a championship since the 1994 season.
As of now the schedule has not been released for the upcoming season, but West Haven will lose their rivalry game against Notre Dame-West Haven, according to NDWH Head Coach Larry Vieira.
West Haven is one of, if not the most well known and overall successful high school hockey program in the state of Connecticut. Seeing the team move down is sad, but it is something that is needed to stay competitive.
Comments