Roundup
Centaurs roll to 1st win over Bacon Academy
The first game of the basketball season was an eye-opener for the Woodstock Academy boys’ basketball team. The second may have opened some eyes on the part of the opposition.
Due to the nature of the team’s composition – a mixture of high school players and the international club team from a year ago – it may take some time to gel.
“They play all over the world, they all have different games so we just have to work on chemistry,” sophomore Drake Abdullovski said.
But it is an exciting time for the newcomers to the varsity program.
“It’s awesome to be honest,” said Vuk Lisancic. “We have the fans, the community, everyone shows up to our games. I would just like to say ‘Thank you’ to everybody.”
But as the Centaurs showed against Bacon Academy, when they do get fully on the same page, the results could be pretty good.
Nine players got into the scoring column against the Bobcats in a 68-40 romp for Woodstock Thursday.
“We played our game of basketball from the beginning. We defended well, that led to transition points and transition points led to open 3’s and that’s exactly how we want to play – defense first and let our defense set up our offense,” coach Donte Adams said.
Abdullovski helped power the team offensively in the first half, scoring from all areas of the floor with a couple of 3-pointers, two field goals and a pair of free throws.
“He’s a matchup nightmare with his range and when he is playing well, he’s just a monster for other teams,” Adams said.
Abdullovski and Lisancic powered the Centaurs as each finished with 18 points.
Abdullovski had 12 in the first half; Lisancic had 10 in a 90-second span in the fourth quarter and equaled Abdullovski’s 18-point performance.
“Vuk is a good mid-range player also who can step out and hit 3’s and can help us down low as well. He had a good game (Thursday),” Adams said,
Lawrence Liu filled his role which will be to add spark off the bench. He added 11 points to the Centaurs effort.
“Lawrence did a great job (Thursday). He was really aggressive and used his body and athleticism and we’re so happy to have him on our team,” Lisancic said.
Woodstock (1-1) scored the first 11 points of the game and were up, 21-10, at the end of the first quarter.
The defense held the Bobcats to just 6-of-21 shooting in the first half while the Centaurs made 16-of-21 from the floor to build a 41-20 lead by half.
“This was big,” Abdullovski said of the win. “We dot down after the first game, but this will pick us up.”
Earlier in the week things did not go so well. Coventry used a strong third quarter to post a 65-51 win over its hosts.
The Patriots held a slim three-point lead at the half but held Woodstock Academy to six points in the third quarter while scoring 18 of its own and extended its lead to 15, 44-29, going into the final quarter.
"The guys came out a step slow and Coventry was a disciplined team. We were both missing shots so it came down to the first team that was going to start making shots and it was them. We cannot let our offense dictate our defense," Adams said.
As the shots didn't fall, the heads slumped a bit.
"The guys’ heads were down. We missed a lot of easy shots, shots that I know we're capable of making but we will get better. We're too athletic to give up straight-line drives and second-chance points. Once we get that out of the way, we will be fine," Adams added.
Abdullovski finished with a team-best 16 points while Lisancic added nine points for the Centaurs in the loss.
Girls’ Basketball
Three players finished in double figures for Woodstock as they recorded a 45-42 win over Fitch High School Friday.
The Centaurs improved to 2-1 overall and 2-0 in Div. I of the ECC with the win.
Kaylee Saucier finished with 16 points and both Isabel D'Alleva-Bochain and Elise Coyle added 12.
“That’s what this team is all about. It takes a group effort to get things done,” coach Will Fleeton said.
D’Alleva-Bochain scored 17 points as the Centaurs posted a rare win over New London on their home court, 42-33, earlier in the week.
“It was great. I think the kids really played well in the second half,” Fleeton said of the win over New London. “I think it’s been seven or eight years since we had a win on the road down there so that is very rewarding. I think we played a solid game and deserved to win considering how we played in the third quarter.”
D’Alleva-Bochain scored 11 of her points in the first half when the Centaurs rallied from a 10-7 deficit to lead, 19-17, at the break.
“I’m happy,” D’Alleva-Bochain said as she has averaged 14.7 points per game in her first three outings. ”My main goal is to just have fun with this last basketball season so stats, I like them but it doesn’t mean as much to me as the wins and having fun with my team.”
Fellow senior Vivian Bibeau added 12 points in the win.
“Viv is just Viv, she knows what she needs to do. She is our top defender and has a boatload of tricks in her bag and whatever we need at the time, she seems to show,” Fleeton said.
Bibeau, who had a big second half in the season-opening loss to Coventry, did the same against New London as she poured in nine points in the last 16 minutes.
“I think I’m just going with the flow of play really. It’s just when the shots seem to be open and if it’s a close game, I put them up to try and help the team,” Bibeau said.
Bibeau also had a team-best six 3-pointers in the first two games.
“Feeling pretty good,” Bibeau said. “I’m pretty confident. My shots have felt really good in the games so I’m happy about that.”
Junior guard Jaidelis Rivera led the Whalers with 16 points including four 3-pointers.
Gymnastics
Woodstock and Killingly opened their seasons against one another Friday with the Centaurs picking up the 129.65-66.2 victory. The victory was pre-determined as Killingly has only two gymnasts on its team.
Rhea DeSota led the Centaurs with a 33.85 All-Around total while Emma Long finished with a 33.15 score.
Jessie Williams led Killingly with a 34.0 All-Around total.
Ellis Tech's Ava Pereira, competing as a team-of-one, led all gymnasts with a 36.7 finish.
Girls’ Hockey
The girls’ hockey co-op team may have lost only two players to graduation from a year ago. But one of them was Sophia Gouveia, the team’s leading scorer. Her absence has been felt early this season.
“At the beginning of the season, I would have said ‘no,’ because if you were in practice with us, you can see that they can all shoot,” coach Eric Roy said when asked if he thought the team would miss their former player as much as they have early. ”I think it’s just the confidence thing. I think it will be the ‘avalanche effect.’ Once one goes in, I think there will be a lot more.”
But putting the puck into the net has proven difficult. In the first three games, the Centaurs have just one goal.
“I feel like we’re there, we just have to take advantage of the chances that we have,” said junior wing Zi Qing Biondo from Stonington. “I think we just have to start shooting quicker because our like one-second delay is allowing the other team to get on us and take the puck.”
The Centaurs were in the game on Saturday with the Southwest United Co-Op but a power-play goal late in the second period lifted the visitors to a 1-0 win.
The loss dropped Woodstock to 0-3.
“We stepped up in the third period, the chances were there, but the puck wasn’t going in. The hockey gods are just not on our side,” Roy said.
Southwest United, a co-op of players from the Southwest Conference, improved to 3-0 when Allison Leonard took a pass from Kira Bryant and brought it down to corner to the left of Woodstock goalie Josie Hatch.
She faked a pass to Hannah Newman which allowed Newman to make a move inside two Centaurs defenseman and left her open for a through pass from Leonard that she took and poked past Hatch with 1 minute, 31 seconds left in the second period.
“They snuck one in at the end of the power play. It was unlucky,” Roy said.
The Centaurs were more aggressive in the third period when they took eight shots at Southwest United keeper Jennifer Velky but she was up to the task and denied the equalizer.
“As a coach, I have no complaints. The effort was there, defensively we were solid but you have to put the puck in the net,” Roy said.
Roy said it was something the team would work on in practice.
When next they can have one.
The Centaurs start off the winter break at school with games on Monday and Tuesday, have Christmas Eve and Christmas Day off and have another game scheduled for Saturday.
“Hopefully, the shots will come and we will get some goals for Christmas,” Roy said.
The Centaurs were not hanging their heads despite the loss as the Centaurs are still having fun.
“I think the team chemistry has been a lot better this year. In the locker room, especially, we talk, make jokes. It’s a great environment to be around and I think that is showing on the ice,” said Hatch.
Earlier in the week, Lucy Trudeau scored her first high school career goal for the hockey co-op team earlier in the week but it wasn’t enough to give the Centaurs the win. Amity Regional scored two goals in the first period and one each in the second and third to record the 4-1 victory on their home ice.
Boys’ Hockey
It may have been a combination of things that helped sink the boys’ hockey team in their home opener on Wednesday.
The Centaurs were coming off a game against Pilgrim High School the day before and a tough scrimmage against the Pomfret School JV just two days before that.
It took its toll. “I think the legs are a little heavy and it took them the whole first period to wake up a bit. I also think we were a little frantic; home opener, some nerves,” said coach Drew Beaupre.
Whatever the cause was, the Eastern Connecticut Eagles took advantage of the Centaurs less than stellar first period to put five goals in the net in the first 15 minutes and rolled to a 6-0 victory.
The Centaurs followed that up on Saturday taking on defending Div. II champion Yellowjackets.
The game left the Centaurs (0-3) still looking for their first win and first goal of the season as, despite 65 saves by goalie Brady Hebert, East Haven posted the 9-0 win.
Things were a bit better on Wednesday as the Centaurs did respond to the first period by playing much better in the second and third.
“I think it took us the whole first period to wake up a bit,” Beaupre said.
The damage had been done.
Eagles' senior Ryan Gravelin found the back of the net twice in the first 10 minutes of the game, both assisted by Shane Meyer.
Nick Rembish added a third goal for the Eagles, who were playing in their season opener, with 4 minutes, 17 seconds left in the first period.
Cooper Siragusa and Tommy Lyon then tallied in the last two minutes of the period.
But there was a silver lining.
The Centaurs shut out the Eagles in the second period.
“A lot of that came down to work; defensive coverage because everybody was doing their job in the defensive end and we had better offensive opportunities because of it," Beaupre said.
After getting outshot 15-5 in the first period, the Centaurs played more even in the second where they did get seven shots on goal.
That included some strong offensive play from youngsters like freshmen Anthony Malone and Bruce Walker.
“They were getting some shots on net. Bruce Walker was taking hits (Wednesday) to make plays. He gets the puck deep and I love to see that especially from some of these younger players,” Beaupre said.
Unfortunately, the first goal of the season eluded the Centaurs and Ethan Boardman added the final goal for the Eagles in the third period.
Despite losses in the first three games, Beaupre’s spirit is not waning.
“I’m having a great time,” he said. “I learned how to skate on this rink and skated here with Woodstock so just to be back in here and be behind the bench is fantastic.”
The Centaurs had been on the road just a little over 24 hours before their game with Eastern Connecticut and, just like it did on Wednesday, one period was the downfall.
In this case, it was the second. Pilgrim High School scored all four of its goals in that 15-minute span and dealt the Centaurs a 4-0 setback.
“This year is all about progress especially with this young a team,” Beaupre said. “We had one bad period. There are a lot of good things to take out of it.”
Hebert did make 51 saves for the Centaurs in net against Pilgrim and turned aside 48 against the Eagles the following night before the 65-save effort on Saturday.
Boys’ Wrestling
The Montville/Plainfield wrestling co-op took advantage of some early forfeits from Woodstock and rolled to a 51-23 win Wednesday.
The match was the season opener for both teams.
The Wolves captured the first 27 points of the night before Colby Deary picked up a win for the Centaurs by technical fall.
It was the only win on the mat for Woodstock which took the remainder of its points courtesy of forfeits from Montville/Plainfield.
The Centaurs met up with the Montville/Plainfield co-op again on Saturday at the Holiday Duals in Killingly and the result was a bit closer.
The Wolves still prevailed, 46-30, but the Centaurs did get victories by pin from both Deary and Aidan Soukaloun.
A.J. Landreville added a pin against Killingly in a 76-6 loss and Deary had a technical fall victory in a 70-5 loss to Stafford. The Centaurs also fell short to Shepherd Hill Regional, 71-12, in the four-match event.
Marc Allard
Director of Sports Information
The Woodstock Academy
Photo IDs:
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Isabel D’Alleva-Bochain puts up a jump shot against the Fitch Falcons. Photo by Joshua Hernandez / actionframe_media.
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Vivian Bibeau launches a jump shot against Fitch as teammate Kaylee Saucier (10) looks on. Photo by Joshua Hernandez / actionframe_media.
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Isabel D’Alleva-Bochain drives to the net for two of her 12 points. Photo by Joshua Hernandez / actionframe_media.
Drake Abdullovski unleashes a 3-pointer against Bacon Academy. Photo by Joshua Hernandez / actionframe_media.
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Xawier Matwiej drives to the basket for two of his seven points against the Bacon. Photo by Joshua Hernandez / actionframe_media.
2025 Kaylee Bundy:
Kaylee Bundy, left, with Woodstock Academy coach Adam Bottone, was recognized as a Class L All-State player at the CHSCA All-State banquet. Photo courtesy of Adam Bottone/Woodstock Academy.
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