By JOE RYAN

DARIEN – On Saturday, the hockey team that chased the Blue Wave around Darien Ice Rink wearing purple and gold bore little resemblance to the Westhill team of earlier this year.

The Vikings outscored their opponents 54-25 while winning eight of their first 10 games but their current malaise has seen them score only eight goals in their last five games, all losses.

Westhill’s 4-1 loss to Darien has dropped them into 11th place in the FCIAC with only five games left.

Trinity's Stephen Klosz, left, gets off a shot against Wilton's goaltender during Saturday night's 6-3 win over the Warriors at Winter Garden Ice Arena. (Photo by John Nash/The Stamford Times)

Once upon a time just this winter, the Trinity Catholic hockey was team was 2-7 and it was starting to look like major graduation losses (14 players), Ryan Haggerty heading to the midwest to play with USA Hockey’s Developmental team, and the transfer of another key player to cross-city rival Stamford was simply going to be too much to overcome.

On Saturday night at the Winter Garden Ice Arena in Ridgefield, though, the Crusaders have shown that the ship has been righted and the team is sailing back toward another state tournament berth.

Trinity Catholic defeated Wilton, 6-3, moving them to 6-8-1 overall, but more importantly Chris Gerwig’s squad is 4-1-1 in their last six games.

“It’s nice to open up the gates a little bit and for these guys to get some offensive opportunities and some confidence,” Gerwig said after the game. “When you can put together a good effort like  we did aagainst Greenwich (4-4 tie) and then carry it over here, by scoring six against Wilton, which is always dangerous in the FCIAC, it’s a good job by our kids.”

Stephen Klosz and Chris Lambrinakos each scored two goals for the Crusaders while Ryan Doherty had a goal with two assists and Stephen Franze dished out a pair of assists. Jamie Shea added the other goal while Sean Dolan, CJ Delvaglio and Hayden Lowry added single assists.

Goaltender Kenny Eger made 16 saves, including a number of brilliant stops in the second period when Wilton out-played the Crusaders for the first 12 minutes while cutting the Trinity lead from 2-0 to 2-1.

Trinity plays against Westhill on Wednesday.

The Westhill and Stamford wrestling teams have had their ups and downs this season but are looking to go into the postseason on a high note.

The Vikings, who dealt with injuries and illness this season, dispatched Staples on Wednesday 54-21 to improve to 7-11.

“We wrestled really well. I’m happy,” said Westhill coach Tom Pereira, whose team is now starting to get healthy. “Hopefully we’re peaking at the right time. We’d like to make a run at FCIAC’s.”

Westhill has several wrestlers having outstanding seasons including Cosmo Iadanza at 189 pounds (29-2 record), Marquise Weaver-Hart at 285 (23-5) and Mike Blanco at 215 (21-4).

Iadanza has won three tournaments this season, including the always tough Ridgefield Challenge last week.

Stamford also has a 7-11 record following Tuesday’s tough loss to Greenwich (35-28).

The Black Knights have also dealt with the injury bug and have lost Tyler Kane (130) and Agil Aliyer (171) for the season due to elbow and shoulder injuries, respectively.

But captain Andrew Wallman (189) is back after missing time due to a knee injury and the team was bolstered by transfer student Cliff Magloire (112-119), who was a standout with Norwalk High before moving to Stamford recently.

“We put him in the lineup against Greenwich and he was a big help,” Stamford assistant coach Mike Battinelli said. “He gives us a boost in the lower weights.”

With Joey Battinelli (103) and Ben Pierre-Saint (119) entrenched at their respective weights, Magloire will battle Marland Robinson for time at 112, according to coach Battinelli.

Magloire is 21-2 this season while Robinson is 19-2 so whoever wrestles at 112 should provide the team with crucial points at FCIAC’s.

Joey Battinelli is having a solid sophomore campaign with a 26-6 record. Bryan Polonia (145), Stuart Thomas (160) and Mark Robinson (215) are also wrestling well recently, according to coach Battinelli.

Westhill wrestles in the annual Chacho Duals at Staples High on Saturday while Stamford is at the New Fairfield Duals, also on Saturday.

Trinity boys basketball coach Mike Walsh locked up his 500th career victory and King girls basketball player Briana Brown went over 2,000 points in her career Friday.

Walsh earned win No. 500 with a 56-46 victory at Fairfield Ludlowe. A shorthanded Crusaders’ squad, which was without R.J. Calo due to illness, was led by sophomores Aaron Spence and Tyler Alston, who scored 18 and 17 points, respectively.

Brown had 21 points in King’s 48-28 win over Kingsford-Oxford in West Hartford. She went over the 2,000-point mark on a reverse layup with eight minutes left in the first half.

To read Friday’s story on Brown and the George Albano feature on the career of Walsh, go to www.thestamfordtimes.com

Trinity Catholic boys basketball coach Mike Walsh and King girls basketball player Briana Brown are closing in on milestones.

Walsh is one win away from reaching 500 in his remarkable coaching career. The Hour’s assistant sports editor and columnist George Albano does a tremendous feature on Trinity’s longtime and highly successful coach.

Brown is four points away from reaching 2,000 in her stellar career. She was 31 points away from the mark going into last Saturday’s game against The Hun School. She managed to score 27 in the Vikings’ 57-54 victory.

The Trinity boys are also one win away from qualifying for the state tournament following the Crusaders’ 70-66 victory over Norwalk on Tuesday.

The Super Bowl is this Sunday and the city football coaches provide their picks on who will win. The Stamford Times staff also gives their take on the game.

King’s senior standout defensive back Eric Joyner signed with the University of New Hampshire on Wednesday and Trinity senior Kelly Palma, who led the Crusaders into the semifinals of the FCIAC and state tournament, plans to play volleyball at Seton Hall University.

Westhill/Stamford co-op boys swim team gave FCIAC and state power Greenwich all it could handle in last week’s meet of unbeatens at Greenwich High. Westhill/Stamford suffered a 103-83 setback to the Cardinals.

The Stamford boys basketball team has now lost two in a row after Tuesday’s 76-70 overtime loss to Staples.

The Westhill and Stamford wrestling teams competed in the 10th annual Ridgefield Challenge last weekend and two wrestlers from each squad reached the finals.

Driver Boris Said of Stamford and his teammates finished 15th at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona last weekend.

There’s also Stamford Youth Hockey results and indoor soccer scores and highlights.

Check out www.thestamfordtimes.com for a preview.

Norwalk basketball coach Bobby Trimboli, left, played one year under Trinity Catholic coach Mike Walsh. On Tuesday night, Walsh beat Trimboli for his 499th career victory. (Photo by John Nash/The Stamford Times).

During the one year he spent as a basketball player at Trinity Catholic High School, Bobby Trimboli figures he helped head coach Mike Walsh win 25 games for the Crusaders.

Plus, over the last three years as the boys head coach at Norwalk High, Trimboli has gone oh-for-three against Walsh.

The latest loss — a 70-66 Trinity victory over the Bears — on Tuesday night was the 499th career victory for the longtime Catholic coach.

Following the game, Trimboli spoke highly of her former coach.

“Anytime you can bring a program to that many wins, you’re successful in many ways,” Trimboli said. “I hope he gets his 500th. He’s earned it and he deserves it.”

Trimboli is honored to have had a hand in some of those wins, too.

“I played a year under him, so I figure I helped him get about two percent of those wins,” he laughed. “He’s a great guy, he’s a great coach. We still talk all the time and if I need anything, he’s always right there for me.”

Come Friday, after Trinity faces Ludlowe, perhaps Trimboli will talk to Walsh again — to congratulate him on getting his 500th victory.

Read more about Walsh as well as the game story from Trinity-Norwalk in this week’s edition of The Stamford Times.

The Stamford High ice hockey team will be playing at the home of Bridgeport Sound Tigers next week.

The Black Knights will visit The Arena at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport on Friday, Feb. 12, to take on the Fairfield Warde/Ludlowe co-op at 4:30 p.m.

The game was originally scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 13, at the Wonderland of Ice in Bridgeport, but, through the help of Ludlowe AD Dave Schulz, the opportunity arose to play the game at The Arena. The teams jumped at the chance to play on the ice of the New York Islanders farm team.

In addition, each team and its fans have the chance to stay and take in the Sound Tigers game against Worcester at 7 p.m. Admission to the high school game covers the cost of the Sound Tigers tilt.

“I think it’s great,” Stamford AD Pete Samperi said. “Hopefully we’ll get bigger crowds than what we’d get at Terry Conners or at Wonderland. It gives people the chance to see how the Sound Tigers are doing. It’s a win-win situation for everyone.”

Briana Brown fell four points short of 2,000 in her career but she did help lead the King girls basketball team to a 57-54 victory over the Hun School of Princeton, N.J., Saturday at King.

Read a teaser by Times correspondent Joe Ryan at www.thestamfordtimes.com.

King's Briana Brown (14) goes in for a layup during the Vikings' victory over Marianapolis Jan. 16. Brown needs 31 points to reach 2,000 in her stellar career. Photo by Erik Trautmann

This Saturday, King girls basketball player Briana Brown could hit a special milestone.

Brown is 31 points shy of reaching 2,000 career points and she’ll go for the mark when the Vikings host the Hun School at 1 p.m.

“We still have a lot of games left to be played so she’s not feeling any pressure,” said King co-coach and Briana’s mother Carol Brown. “She probably felt more pressure going for 1,000 points when she was a sophomore.”

Carol Brown said her daughter would like nothing better than to reach the milestone at home because King is at Kingsford-Oxford in West Hartford in its next game Friday, Feb. 5.

“We’ll try everything we can to see her get it at home but if she can’t, she can’t,” Carol Brown said. “It is what it is.”

Briana Brown has led the Vikings to a 12-1 overall record and they are undefeated in Fairchester Athletic Association play at 5-0. After dropping the season opener to Chase Collegiate, King has won 12 in a row.

“Things are going pretty well,” Carol Brown said. “Everybody is on point. Hopefully we’re peaking at the right time.”

Briana Brown scored 29 points in King’s latest win, a 43-35 victory at Rye Country Day last Tuesday.

“It was a big win,” Carol Brown said. “We knew it would be a battle going in and we usually don’t play well there. Briana stepped up and the defense did a good job holding their leading scorer to two points in the second half.”

So what’s already been a fantastic season for the Vikings could become even more memorable if Briana Brown can come through with another stellar performance at home on Saturday.

Regardless if she can reach the mark on Saturday, it’s not a matter of if she’ll get to 2,000, it’s when.

“We’ve got some time,” Carol Brown said with a laugh. “Even if she averages three or more points a game over the next 10 games, she’ll get it.”

We probably won’t have to wait that long.

Nick Hollendonner’s goal 18 seconds into overtime lifted the Stamford High ice hockey team to a 4-3 victory over Trinity Catholic Wednesday night at Terry Conners.

The Black Knights snapped a four-game losing streak and improved to 3-8 overall while the Crusaders had their modest two-game winning streak come to an end as they slipped to 4-8.

Trinity’s Ryan Doherty scored a goal to tie the score at 3-3 with 45 seconds left in the game to force overtime.

See thestamfordtimes.com on Thursday for more details.