Fourth seeded Canisius win their second Atlantic Hockey Assosciation championship in program history with a 3-0 shutout over #7 Holy Cross Saturday night. They will find out their opponent for the first round of the NCAA tournament in Sunday.
Graduate student Nick Bowman broke up a scoreless tie with his tenth goal of the season over the glove hand after a perfect feed from junior defenseman Jackson Decker at 17:59 of the second period.
“Head down an just shoot as hard as I could,” Bowman said. ” it hasn’t set in; I can’t believe we just won–this is insane. “
The Golden Griffins for empty net goals from seniors Markus Boguslavsky and captain Keatob Mastrodonato when the Crusaders pulled their goaltender for the extra attacker in the final two minutes.
“We just wanted to get this spot (the title game) again; we knew we were capable of it, ” senior goaltender and tournament Most Valuable Player Jacob Barczewski said. He became the sixth goaltender in the conferences 20-year history to record 200 or more saves in the postseason.
“Thinking about lots of people who helped us along the way; current roster, staff, administrator, alumni, ” Canisius head coach Trevor Large said. “It took everybody and everything we had and it’s a very exciting time for the Griffs.
In addition to Barczewski, Decker, Mastrodonato and Bowman were named to the All-Tournament team.
Don’t forget that on Friday, March 24 the Battle of the Biscuit begins at the Cornerstone Arena in Lockport, NY. Proceeds will benefit the 2023 Empire State Ride and the Roswell Park Alliance Foundation.
The New York Raptors played a home game on february 26 2023 against to CT Storm.
The New York Raptors lost to the CT Storm seven to three. The Raptors now have three wins, six losses and two ties for the 2022-23 seasons.
The Raptors believe that it’s not about winning or losing but just about having fun. If you win then everybody are winners. If you lost and the other team wins it still the fact that everybody are winners.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – SUNYAC announces the 2023 men’s ice hockey top awards which are nominated and voted on by the conference coaches. The honors include the Herb Hammond Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Goaltender of the Year and Rookie of the Year.
Herb Hammond Player of the Year – Nikita Kozyrev, Buffalo State Kozyrev scored 14 goals and had 19 assists to lead the conference in points this season with 33. He scored a season high 2 goals against Potsdam and Hobart College. The junior forward had 1 goal and 1 assist in the SUNYAC first round match up against Cortland where he helped give the Bengals a three point lead in the first two periods. The Bengals beat Cortland 3-2 and advanced to the semifinal game where they faced top-seeded Oswego, but lost 4-1. Kozyrev has been named to the All-SUNYAC first team and was also named Athlete of the Week December 5. The Bengals finished the regular season 14-13 overall.
Herb Hammond coached at Oswego (1969-80) and Plattsburgh (1981-83), compiling a 176-122-5 mark for the Lakers and a 52-17-4 record for the Cardinals. He was named the 1982 Division III Coach of the Year. From 1983-88, Hammond coached at Division I Brown University before leaving coaching to become a National Hockey League scout for 11 seasons. Hammond passed away on July 22, 2009.
Defensive Player of the Year – Alex Monteleone, Brockport Monteleone had 9 blocks, 7 assists, 3 goals and totaled 10 points this season for the Golden Eagles. He had a season high 3 assists vs. Fredonia, February 10. Brockport finished the regular season 10-15 overall.
Goaltender of the Year – Matt Petizian, Geneseo Petizian, a senior from Mississauga Ontario had a season high 53 saves in a 4-3 win against Oswego, February 3. Petizian only allowed 39 goals in 22 games this season averaging 1.89 goals against per game and he had a career high .933 save percentage. The team earned a No. 3 seed going into post season and advanced to the semifinals, but lost to No. 2 Plattsburgh. Petizian finished the season with a 14-6-1 overall record. He was named to the All-Conference first team and was also the SUNYAC Goaltender of the Week twice this season.
Rookie of the Year –Colby Seitz, Cortland Seitz scored 8 goals and had 15 assists for a total of 23 points this season for the Red Dragons. The forward from Eden, NY played in all but one game and had a season high 2 goals in a win over Fredonia. The freshman scored 1 goal in the SUNYAC first round game against Buffalo State where they fell short 3-2. Cortland finished the 2022-23 season with a 16-9-1 overall record.
BUFFALO, NY — Mention the term “All-Star Game” these days and fans of the NHL, NBA and NFL get visions of non-contact, high scoring affairs. And in some cases they have been boring.
But the inaugural Section VI Boys Federation Hockey Senior All-Star Game was anything but that. It was a Northtowns team taking on the Southtowns team, with 26 players on each squad, with Northtowns defeating Southtowns, 7-4 at the LECOM HarborCenter.
Logistically, players’ benches were crowded, to say the least, with 26 players, three coaches and a trainer or two for each team trying to stand or sit throughout the game.
Northtown players wore their team’s white or home jersey while Southtown players wore their team’s dark of away jersey.
Although there were 11 total goals scored for the game, the first period was scoreless, with each of the goalies in net for their respective teams turning in All-Star performances.
It was the South breaking the scoreless tie early in the second period on a goal by Loic Fisher of Amherst at the 1:50 mark. It would be the only lead South would have for the game.
Less than a minute later Anthony LaGreca from Niagara Wheatfield tied the game, 1-1, at the 2:05 mark. A little over six minutes later William Mainstone of Starpoint put North up, 2-1.
A few minutes later North increased their lead to two goals when Ian Wirth of Kenmore West scored. Orchard Park’s Presley Schiltz closed the North’s lead to one goal at 14:37.
But it was the North closing out the scoring for the period just before the end of the second stanza with Max Methien of Canisius sliding one in to increase his team’s lead to 4-2.
Scoring goals was far from over for either team as they entered the third period. Niagara Wheatfield’s LaGreca tallied his second goal of the game early in the period to increase North’s lead, 5-2.
Within 30 seconds of that goal, Niagara Wheatfield’s Roman Adamschick scored to increase North’s lead again, 6-2.
South would come back with two more goals, the first by Frank Neeson of Orchard Park and the second by Lancaster’s Andrew Usinski to close the North’s lead to 6-4.
But a final empty net goal by North sealed their victory, 7-4.
What started out as an idea generated from the Section VI committee, is now a reality that should last for years to come.
The brackets for the 2023 NCAA Division III college hockey playoffs were announced Monday morning and nationally top-ranked Utica earned the top seed while second-ranked Hobart slotted into the second seed with both earning first round byes into the quarterfinal round.
SUNY Plattsburgh finished with a 20-5-2 record and upset top-ranked Oswego in the State University of New York (SUNYAC) championship game.
Utica lost their first two games of the season to then top-ranked Adrian, but haven’t lost again on their way to a 25-2-1 record and the United Collegiate Hockey Association championship. They will host the winner of Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MSCAC) champion Plymouth State and the University of New England, one of three at-large selections, on March 18th.
Hobart won the New England Hockey Conference with a 26-2-0 record and are ranked second in the nation by USCHO.com. The Statesmen will faceoff against the winner of at-large selection Curry vs. New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) title winner Bowdoin also on March 18th.
Plattsburgh, ranked fifth in the March 6th USCHO.com poll, will host at-large selection and ninth-ranked Norwich Saturday night.
The Buffalo Beauts will travel to take on the Metropolitan Riveters this weekend, the last two games of the regular season.
Sitting in last place in the league, the Beauts lost back-to-back games against the Connecticut Whale this past weekend.
It was a 2-1 overtime loss on Saturday (March 4) after going 0-0 in the First, the Whales hit the net in the second to make it 1-0. Buffalo answers back when Claudia Kepler drops one in and ties the game.
Going into overtime the Whale hit the net at 2:45 to win the game.
Sunday’s first period was a repeat of Saturday, ending 0-0. Buffalo scores first in the second at 19 seconds in with Kepler hitting the net, assisted by Dominquie Kremer and the Beauts are up by one. But only for seven minutes and Connecticut drops in a goal and its a tied game. A powerplay goal by the Whale and its 2-1 for the Whale at the end of two. In the third period two more goals by the Whale and it ends 4-2 for the visiting team.
Boston sits in first place going into this weekend, followed by Toronto, Connecticut, Minnesota, Metro and Montreal ahead of Buffalo.
The top four teams will head into a playoff round March 16 through 20 with the Championship game being played on March 26 at 9 p.m. ET at Mullett Arena on the campus of Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona. They will be broadcast live on ESPN2 and TSN.
The Isobel Cup Championship game will follow the NHL Arizona Coyotes game against the NHL Colorado Avalanche game. This will be the first time the Isobel Cup has been played on official NHL game ice.
Buffalo’s games this weekend are at 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 10 and 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 11.
Around the League:
…Kennedy Marchment was named first star of the week by the PHF. She added to her point record to 16 straight games with a pair of two-point performances against Buffalo last weekend. She has 16 goals and 17 assists for 33 points. Her OT goal against Buffalo, the Whale’s first OT win since January 11, 2020.
…Sarah Bujold was named second star after she record 3 points, including two game-winners against Montreal that secured the Riveters with their first weekend sweep in three seasons.
…Third Star Jillian Dempsey helped Boston reclaim first place overall with three points including two goals in a weekend series against Minnesota.
…For the first time in PHF history this past weekend produced three weekend sweeps with the Whale over Buffalo, Boston over Minnesota and the Metropolitan Riveters over the Montreal Force.
Prior to leaving the Rochester Americans for Team Czechia’s camp leading up to the IIHF U-20 World Junior Championships, Buffalo Sabres 2022 first round draft pick (28th overall) Jiri Kulich had six goals with ten assists over 24 games.
After leading Team Czechia in scoring, including the overtime winner in the semi-finals against Sweden that ultimately led to his team winning a Silver Medal, he returned Jan. 11 and managed just one goal and four assists in January.
But he has rebounded nicely since with seven goals and two assists during nine games in February with two remaining. Oh, and he was moved from the wing to center in February as well.
The normal ups and downs of an 18-year-old (19 in mid-April) playing his first North American professional season.
“I actually think his game in January was very good, he just wasn’t always on the scoresheet,” Rochester head coach Seth Appert said about his rookie forward. “What we’re seeing now in February is the product of the work he was putting in in January; his defensive habits are better and he’s competing harder and hunting pucks more and winning more puck battles.”
As for the move to center in his fifth month in North America?
“I think it’s tough for young players to play center here,” Kulich said in late-February. “I just learned how to win faceoffs because in Czech it is different—here you can kick the puck. I think, if I’m at center, it helps me in the D-zone.”
“We believe your ability to play multiple positions is important,” Appert said. “Part of development is learning how to be a great defensive player and how to check and have great defensive habits. As a center you just have to; as a wing you can cheat a little.
“So, him being at center some nights is messy, some nights it’s very, very good. Offensively I think it’s been very good; he get’s the puck with speed a little more often instead of being stuck on the wall. Defensively sometimes it’s been an adventure and sometimes it’s been really good.
“He’s getting better at those things and I think him playing center is going to make him check better no matter what position he plays going forward…because he’ll have a greater appreciation for it.”
Kulich and Rosen were allowed to leave Rochester in December to participate in the World Junior tournament with and against their peer age group, an experience that Kulich felt was good for his development.
“I felt so much better (there) than in August because I think I’m now better mentally and better in the physical game, so that was my weapon since I played with same-age guys. It helped me so much to play men’s hockey.
“Afterwards I felt so great mentally, but the first game I played (back) here was so tough. I think World Juniors was easier than this…and I was so surprised because I thought I would be a better player than before World Juniors, but I wasn’t. So, I tried to work hard…the first seven games afterward were tough. I felt comfortable, but this league is tough.
With his recent offensive numbers, the 5’11”, 172 lb. Kulich has jumped into the top-15 in the AHL among rookies in goals and top-20 in points. And before he was drafted, he was the highest scoring junior player in the Czech men’s league, so this shouldn’t be a surprise.
Not a bad return as he was selected with the draft pick acquired along with goaltending prospect Devon Levi, now at Northeastern University, as part of the trade sending Sam Reinhardt to Florida.
“I’m so happy to be here and I know it’s the right step to be a better player.”
(Photo provided by the Rochester Americans Hockey Club)
In the New York Raptors last game of the tournament held in Binghamton, NY (Feb. 19) the Raptors played the Philly Freeze, a new team that was just formed this year.
The Raptors tied the Freeze, 3-3. The Raptors now have a record of three wins, five losses and two ties for the 2022-23 seasons.
The Girls Tier I and II 14U, 16U and 19U’s took to the ice Friday through Sunday at Cornerstone Arena in Lockport and at Northtowns in Amherst to determine who will go on to the USA Nationals.
Up first, the Girls Tier I, 14U’s will have the Rochester Jr. Americans representing NYS. They beat the Valley Eagles 4-3 in the finals and finished with a 4-1 record. Valley opened the scoring in the first period with Lily Kennedy and Quinn Dodds scoring and closing out the first 2-0 in Valley’s favor. At 13:21 of the second Andie Ipen Van Zeilen scored, assisted by Maddie Olsen. Valley’s Heather Gao answered back but Rochester’s Isabella Gionta scored ending the period 3-2 in favor of Rochester. It was all Rochester in the third with Cassidy Crogan and Catherine Crowley adding the final two goals. The game ends 4-3 and Rochester heads off to the USA Nationals. Delaney Rivero was the winning goalie and Sarah Domin was in net for Valley.
Adirondack Youth beat Malone Minor 46ers 3-1 to head to the Nationals. Adleigh Normann had the only goal for Malone at 6:39 of the first period and that one ended 1-0 in Malone’s favor. Three goals by ADK in the second gave them the 3-1 win. Gianna Marcantonio had the winning goal, assisted by Madelyn Oliver and Alondra Webb. Also scoring were Emily MaCaulay and Morgan Oliver (unassisted). No scoring in the third. Aurora Graham-Hayes was the winning goal. Avery Marcil was in goal for Malone.
AT the 16U Tier I level Rochester Youth gook on hosts Amherst Knights. ROCO scored first at 6:58 of the first period and it ends 1-0 ROCO. In the second Amherst’ Callistra Printz dropped one in at 14:04, assisted by Camryn London to tie the game. That was answered by a powerplay goal by Megan Meola and second period ends 2-1 ROCO. Amherst struck again at 3:53 of the third, a powerplay goal by Riley Keller but ROCO’s Rhianna Mayer scored an unassisted game-winning goal to put ROCO up 3-2 for the win and a trip to the Nationals. This game also saw its share of penalties 11 in three periods.
Adirondack sends its second team to the Nationals at the 16U Tier II level after they shut out the Webster Cyclones 3-0. The first period end with no score. Bayley Duffy opened the scoring in the second and then the final two goals came in the third by Shoshana Lofstock and Katie Demers. Stopping all 17 shots of goal for Adirondack was Ava Reynolds for the win. In goal and facing 34 SOG for Wester was Lola Betancourt.
The Valley Eagles will head to the Nationals at the 19U level after defeating the NYC Cyclones 2-1. Drew Kopek opened the scoring for Valley at 8:08 of the first period and Jaylyn Castro had the winning goal at 1:10 of the first. NYC’s only goal came in the third period by Leila Nielsen, unassisted at 2:49. Abigail Seaman is the winning goaltender stopping 38 of 39 SOG. Note: Drew Kopeck was named Player of the Year for Section III of NYS High School Girls Varsity Ice Hockey.
The 14U Tier I
Rochester Jr. Americans took the Buffalo Regals to a shoot out in their game on Saturday. They went into the overtime period 3-3 and with no scoring on to the shootout. Scoring for the RJA in the SO was Isabella Gionta and Cassidy Crogan, for the Regals it was Maya Adimey. This game also saw its share of penalties–16 in the three regulation periods.
Final standings:
Girls Tier 1 14U: Rochester Jr. Americans, Valley Eagles, Buffalo Regals, Midstate Syracuse, Buffalo Bisons.
Girls Tier I 16U: Rochester Youth, Amherst Knights, Rome Grizzlies, Valley Eagles.
Girls Tier II 19UB: Valley Eagles, Mamaroneck Stateline, Webster Cyclones, Southtown Stars.
Top scorers this weekend include: Adirondack’s Bayley Duffy with 5 goals/7 assists and her teammate, Emily MCCauly with 7 goals and 4 assists.
Following are Leila Nielsen, NYC Cyclones, 8 goals/3 assists; Katie Demers, ADK, 5 goals/4 assists and Gianne Marcantonio, ADK, 6 goals 3 assists.
Top goaltenders, based on save percentage, were Rochester Youth Hockey’s Michaela Hesova and Ava McNaughton sitting in the top two positions followed by Nicole Stipe, ADK; Carolyn Bourgeault, Valley and Abigail Seaman, Albany-Troy.
The USA Nationals will be held, for girls, March 30 through April 3.
The Girls Tier I 14, 16 and 19’s will head to Dallas, Texas. Girls Tier II to Irvine, California.
NYHOL wishes all the teams the best.
Week Two Photo Album, all photos copyrighted by NYHOL. Photos are available for purchase and will be posted at Smug Mug shortly.
The five years Justin Allen has spent on the blueline for the Utica College men’s ice hockey team have flown by and now, the assistant captain has one final opportunity to with a Division III national title with the top-ranked Pioneers.
“I think we have a good mix of guys; a couple of us have been here for five years, we have a bunch of four-year seniors and a bunch of seniors that came in as transfers…but the chemistry that we’ve built both on and off the ice makes us a tight-knit group and I think it shows on the ice,” Allen said after the UCHC championship game.
Allen is in his fifth season with Utica College and earned All-UCHC First Team Defense honors despite missing seven games due to a broken collarbone. He still found a way to score four goals with 16 assists and was also another key factor in the Pioneers ranking ninth in defensive scoring.
Earlier this year, Allen also became the seventh player in program history to amass 100 career points—the first to do so as a defenseman. This is the fifth All-UCHC honor for Allen as he was named to the UCHC All-Rookie Team in 2018-19, All-UCHC First Team in 2020-21, the UCHC Defensive Player of the Year in 2021-22, and to the All-UCHC First Team in 2021-22.
After his final season with Hilton High School in 2014-15 where he netted 20 goals in 20 games with 27 assists, Allen split 2015-16 between Whitby in the Ontario Junior Hockey League and the Roc City Royals. Then he split the 2016-17 campaign with The Northeast Generals in the North American Hockey League and Charlotte Rush in the U.S. Premiere Hockey League-Elite. He then spent the 2017-18 campaign with the Rochester Monarchs junior team.
Nationally top-ranked heading into the postseason, the Pioneers earned a first round bye and await the winner of Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MSCAC) champion Plymouth State and the University of New England, one of three at-large selections, for a quarterfinal game on March 18th.
The Pioneers began the season with two losses, but ride a 26-game unbeaten streak into the NCAA playoffs.
“I think the belief in the room is so strong that…we feel like we can come back from anything. I honestly just think the seniority and the culture we built over time is just so high…it’s at an all-time high and belief in the team. Last year (after losing to the University of New England in the quarterfinals), all 12 of us said we have one more year no matter what, but now this is it for us and we gotta take it all the way. Take nothing for granted, live in the moment and leave it all on the ice. I think last year left a really bitter taste in our mouth and I think we’ve all matured from that moment.
“The covid year we made the tournament and never even got to play a game, so last year we had a bye week, none of us had ever played in the tournament and, although we outplayed them I thought, we just didn’t get the job done. After having that experience, we know what to expect and I think we’re going to take it all the way.”
Jordan Greenway has had a relatively stable hockey career spending three years at Shattuck St. Mary’s prep, two years with the U.S. National Team Development Program and three years at Boston University before turning pro with the Minnesota Wild.
Now he hopes to spend some time closer to home in a Buffalo Sabres uniform after being acquired at the trade deadline for a 2023 second-round pick and a 2024 fifth-round pick.
He played his first game in a Sabres uniform Mon. March 6th.
“It was good; it was good introduction game for myself and I think as a team we did a lot of good things,” Greenway said after his first game. “It was good to go out there and have fun. These guys have a lot of motivation, a lot of hunt…and it’s fun to be a part of for sure.”
“I think he can fit in different spots; he’s a very intelligent hockey player,” Buffalo head coach Don Granato said after the first game. “I think today there may have been some anxiety, but I think he’s going to get better and better as he gets more comfortable. He can play right side, left side in different situations and with skilled forwards or straight-on. He’s got some versatility and athleticism and skill, so we’ll get him a couple games and I think he’ll get into a rhythm for us.”
The second-round draft pick in 2015, whose brother James is on defense with Providence in the AHL this season, spent four-plus seasons in a Wild uniform playing 317 games with 119 points and 227 penalty minutes.
“It was more just go out and play, have fun, work hard, it was great. Being able to play free, go for offense with a bunch of guys who want to go out there and score and are so motivated is definitely a different style than what I came from and definitely a style I enjoy playing.”
(Photo by Janet Schultz Photography/NY Hockey OnLine) (Photo of Greenway Taken In 2015 at NHL Combine held in Buffalo, NY)
PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The second-ranked and top-seeded Plattsburgh State women’s ice hockey team captured its fifth straight Northeast Women’s Hockey League (NEWHL) title and its 10th consecutive conference championship overall dating back to the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) West, as the Cardinals blanked second-seeded SUNY Cortland, 2-0, in the NEWHL Tournament championship game on Saturday afternoon at the Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena. With the victory, Plattsburgh State extended its winning streak to 17 and earned the NEWHL’s automatic bid into the NCAA Division III Tournament.
Plattsburgh State is ranked at No. 2 in the DCU/USCHO.com Women’s Division III Top-15 Poll.
Graduate student forward Sara Krauseneck (Saginaw, Mich./Northern Cyclones) was named the Tournament MVP and was joined on the All-Tournament Team by junior forward Ciara Wall (Stoneham, Mass./University of New Hampshire) and senior defensemen Kendall Wasik (Novi, Mich./HoneyBaked) and Sierra Benjamin (Palm Coast, Fla./Northwood School) of Plattsburgh State and junior forward Jillian Hlasnick and sophomore goaltender Molly Goergen of Cortland.
The Cardinals finished with a 31-16 edge in shots on goal and went 1-for-4 on the power play. The Red Dragons were scoreless on two power-play opportunities.
Plattsburgh State rises to 25-2-0 overall with the win, while Cortland falls to 20-7-0 overall with the loss. The selection show revealing the full bracket for the NCAA Division III Tournament will occur at 8:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 5, on www.ncaa.com.
Cortland nearly scored on the power play midway through the first period. Senior forward Dany Donegan skated around the back of the goal and sent a pass out to senior forward Jayden Kelley in the slot, but Kelley’s one-time shot was denied by graduate student goaltender Ashley Davis (Winterville, N.C./Northwood School) with a save between her pads.
Wall came up with her biggest goal so far as a Cardinal 2:23 into the second period, as she put Plattsburgh State on the board. Wasik passed D-to-D to first-year forward Taya Balfour (Moorestown, N.J./Philadelphia Jr. Flyers) on the left point, and Balfour found Wall in the slot. Wall received the puck, went to the backhand then back to the forehand before scoring over Goergen’s blocker.
Krauseneck buried her team-leading 19th goal of the year 4:02 into the third, scoring on the power play. Benjamin passed down to senior forward Ivy Boric (Newport Beach, Calif./Anaheim Lady Ducks) on the left goal line extended, and Krauseneck one-timed a feed from Boric past the goalie glove side. Krauseneck’s goal extended her point streak to 10 games.
Cortland pulled its goalie with 1:39 left in regulation, and Davis kept the Red Dragons off the board with a pair of stops down the stretch.
Davis made 16 saves in the win for the Cardinals, white Goergen steered aside 29 shots in the loss for the Red Dragons.
