Determined to record its first win of the season, the Greenwich High School boys ice hockey team certainly received the production offensively and the effort defensively, it was hoping for against Hamden last night.

The Cardinals relieved the pressure they have been feeling that comes with trying to enter the win column, as they gained victory No. 1 on the season – a long awaited triumph for the team.

Greenwich’s Lewis brothers played key roles in sparking the squad past Hamden, combining for three goals in a well-earned 6-3 win at Dorothy Hamill Skating Rink.

Joe Lewis, a sophomore forward, registered two goals and one assist, while Peter Lewis, a senior defenseman/captain, had a goal for the Cardinals, who improved their record to 1-5 overall and 1-2 in the FCIAC. The victory was a long time coming for the Cardinals, who were in the midst of a tough stretch. They lost the first five games this season and were defeated in their final nine games of their 2021-2022 campaign.

“It’s a big relief, we needed this, I thought the kids played well,” Greenwich coach Jack Duffy said. “It feels to get that first one in the win column, now we have to build off of it.”

Sophomore Graydon Raabe, senior Logan Carino and senior Derek D’Angelo tallied one goal apiece, while senior Cole Studwell got the victory in goal for the Cardinals, making a number of impressive saves.

“It feels great, our last win came through about halfway through last year, so it was great that we got here tonight and hopefully, we can get on the right track,” said Studwell, a team captain. “Hopefully we can get back to even and start from there.”

Greenwich scored just seven goals in its first five games, but lit the scoreboard six times last night against a Hamden team that has also had a slow start to its season. The Cardinals bolted out to a 4-0 first-period lead.

“The effort was consistent throughout the game and that’s what we were looking for,” Duffy said. “The boys came out and put it in their mind they were going to win the hockey game tonight and the first 10 minutes showed that and then it was just kind of managing the game there – making sure we were strong on defense, staying out of the penalty box and continuing to work hard for 45 minutes.”

Peter Lewis gave the Cards a 1-0 lead on the Green Dragons with 11:17 remaining in the first period. Receiving a pass from D’Angelo, Lewis, who was positioned between the circles, snapped a shot past Hamden junior goalie Brody Sargolini, giving the Cardinals an early advantage.

“It’s definitely good to get that first win off our back,” Peter Lewis said. “It takes a lot of pressure off the boys going forward and builds a lot of confidence. We scored a lot of goals, which was great to see.”

Duffy is pleased to see goals coming from his defensemen.

“Peter has had two goals in the last two games, getting some added offense from him is very helpful,” Duffy said. “We want to keep him going with that.”

The Cardinals quickly added on to its first-period lead. Sophomore forward Graydon Raabe scored off assists from linemates Joe Lewis and forward Will Duncan at the 8:34 mark of the opening period. Shortly after winning the ensuing faceoff the Cardinals struck again. This time, senior forward Logan Carino tallied 28 seconds later, making it 3-0. Linemates Derek D’Angelo, a senior, and Bailey Rozmus, a junior, were each credited with assists.

“That line with Carino with D’Angelo and Rozmus have been solid and that’s why they’ve been starting,” Duffy said.

Joe Lewis capped the Cardinals’ first period scoring spurt, converting a shot from close in with 6:21 still left in the frame. D’Angelo assisted on the goal.

“We have been driving to the net pretty hard and we had some good opportunities tonight,” Joe Lewis said. “On the goal, I caught it on the backhand on a 2-on-1 and it kind of trickled in, but we’ll take that.”

A goal from junior defenseman Bode Becker from just below the blue line on the left right wing, brought the Green Dragons to within 4-1 2:33 into the second period. However, the Cardinals regained the momentum, getting a goal off a rebound from D’Angelo at the 11:27 mark of the second period and another tally from Joe Lewis with 13 seconds left in the period, putting the GHS in front, 6-1.

Hamden notched a pair of third-period goals, but Greenwich closed the period strong defensively, behind Studwell, who turned away several shots.

“It’s all about putting your head down and working, that’s what we did tonight,” Studwell noted. “When you get six goals you have to work hard, going down low, getting in front of the net putting pucks in back of the net. We also played good defense.”

Said Peter Lewis, who captains the team, along with Studwell and senior forward Matthew Trimmer: “Some things weren’t perfect, but ultimately, it builds the confidence. We really wanted this one. They were struggling a little bit too, but we really came out ready to go and it showed.”

Greenwich is back in action Monday against St. Joseph at Dorothy Hamill Skating Rink. The puck is scheduled to drop at 4:30 p.m.

“Hopefully, we can keep it going,” Studwell said. “I think the defense played great tonight. I’m so proud of these guys, they’ve been working so hard this year.”