WNYGVIH GALLERY: ST. MARYS OF LANCASTER AT HEWS; NORTHTOWN, JANUARY 27, 2026
All photos by Janet Schultz© No photos can be copied, shared or printed without permission of Janet@nyhockeyonline.com.
WNYGVIH GALLERY: St. Marys of Lancaster at KenGiPort
All photos by Janet Schultz© NYHOL. Photos cannot be shared, copied or printed without permission of Janet@NYHockeyonline.com
WNYGVIH RECAP January 19-22, 2026
by Janet Schultz, NYHOL
Well it looks like snow was the winner this week with several games postponed.
The HEWS vs MonMar game has been moved to February 4 at 3:30 at the North Town Center; KGIPort will play LIDA at Holiday on February 3 at 3:30 p.m. MonMar will travel to Williamsville on January 27 at 4:30 p.m. and FOP will host HEWS at the Nike Arena on January 29 at 4:30 p.m.
CASH remains in first place with a 10-2 record in 12 games and 30 points. Behind them are LIDA and St. Mary’s with 24 points each followed by KGIPort, FOP, HEWC, Williamsville, MonMar and NICO.
Leah Dowling of LIDA still heads the leader board in scoring with 17 goals and 14 assists for 31 points. Closely behind her and all sitting in second place are Peyton Forcucci (LIDA) with 13 goals/13 assists, Sabrina Basamania (LIDA) 9 goals/17 assists and Teagan Willates (KGIP) with 12 goals and 14 assists.
In goal CASH’s Ella Celej heads the netminders with 278 saves on 297 shots with a .936 save percentage and 539.42 minutes in net. Betsy Accurso has had three shutouts for St. Mary’s and Lila Jones has spent the most time between the pipes for NICO with 549.95 minutes.
With no games on Monday and Tuesday we headed right to Wednesday with St., Mary’s beating Monsignor Martin 2-1. This was a game originally scheduled for January 15. Lily Sampson had the only goal for MonMar, unassisted and Grace Elliott served in goal stopping 46 or 48 shots. For St. Mary’s it was Meghan Donnelly with assists from Tessa Kwiatowski and Shea Hall and the game winner came off the stick of Lauren Gilano, assisted by Olivia Salamone and Brooklyn Vitez. Betsy Accurso stopped 13 of 14 shots for the shut-out win.
FOP took Williamsville 10-0 with Keira Keatan stopping 8 shots for the “W.” Hannah Favata has returned to FOP and scored an unassisted goal. Others scorers included Peyton Forcucci with two plus assisted her sister on a goal; Kayli Tefft has two goals, Chloe Gearhart had two goals and an assist, Sabrina Basamania dropped in a power-play goal plus two assists, and Brooklyn Forcucci had two goals and to assists. Assists also went to Lila Bell, Jocelyn Smaczniak, Elizabeth Hollander, and Kamryn Filighera. In other words, the whole team worked together for this win. Williamsville’s Anna Bacon faced 32 shots.
The weather didn’t stop CASH and LIDA from facing off at Riverworks with CASH skating away with a 5-3 victory. CASH’s Captain Jenny Wild had an outstanding evening with four goals–the game winner, two unassisted and an empty netter. Cece Watson had the fifth goal of the game. Assists went to Kiley Breeze, Emma Elnicky (2) and Ventura. For LIDA it was Dowling, assisted by Caitlin Sinclair and Brynn Cafferty; Lucia Lawrence assisted by Sinclair and Dowling and Cafferty, assisted by Dowling and Hailey Muff. Celej was in net for CASH and Iris Schimenti for LIDA. Celej stopped 37 of 40 and Schimenti, 14 of 15.
KenGiPort beat NICO 9-1 at Cornerstone Arena with Ella MacKey getting the goal for NICO and Goalie Jones facing 46 shots. KenGiPort’s scorers included Madelyn Princess (2), Erin Krawczyk (2)(the game winner), Sheridan Jagow, Kiley Burke, Maddie Jagow, Willats, and MacKenzie Kumrow. Assists came from Allyson Wager, Savannah Shaft, M. Jagow, Willats, Kumrow and Demery Colwell. Hadley Dahlgren stopped 11/12 for the “W.”
Thursday night was supposed to see all nine teams on the ice with Webster coming in to make the tenth team, a historical first. But Mother Nature had a hand in that and the HEWS/FOP and Webster/St. Mary’s games had to be postponed due to weather. Webster traveled to Paddock to play KenGiPort so St. Mary’s could play NICO, a game rescheduled from December 16 and January 15.
Webster beat KenGiPort in a non-league matchup, 3-0. Smith had two goals for Webster, including the game-winner and Nappi had the third. Wambach made a 11 goal save for the SO victory. In goal for KenGiPort Johnston stopped 20 of 23.
MonMar lost 5-2 to CASH at Northtown with Avery McDonald and Lilly Sampson scoring, Sampson’s was a short-handed, unassisted goal and McDonald’s was unassisted. Kate Kelley stopped 21 of 26. Celej stopped 12/14 for the win with Addie Bizub scoring first, assisted by her sister Penny. Then it was Wild unassisted; a second goal, the game-winner, unassisted, Polina Streiakova, assisted by both Bizubs and Elnick, assisted by Mila Dominik and Gabby Lindell.
St. Mary’s beat NICO. No stats have been provided.
The final game of the week was LIDA playing Williamsville in a rescheduled game from January 15. LIDA beat Williamsville 9-4. Scoring for LIDA were Lawrence, Dowling Hauser and Sinclair. Dowling had four goals, Hauser had a hattrick. Assists went to Emily Lysiak, Claire Whiteford, Alivia Sparfeld, Caitlin Sinclair, Emily Rodriguez and Lucia Lawrence, as well as Dowling. Schimenti stopped 11/15 for the win. For Williamsville it was Madailein Schmidt, assisted by Scarlet Canna and Jaylee Kochan getting on the board first; then Kochan, assisted by Canna for the second goal; Alison Besancon had a power-play goal, assisted by Alena Lombardo and Lombardo had Williamsville’s final goal, assisted by Megan Loretz and Genevieve Illios. Bacon faced 44 shots on goal.
Snow is in the forecast for the coming week as well. All Monday, January 26 games have been postponed due to travel conditions and snow, as of this writing.
These games have been added to the end of the schedule as make-up dates:
Mon. Feb. 2, 3:30 p.m. KenGiPort at LIDA at Holiday
Wed. Feb. 4, 3:30 p.m. MonMar at HEWS at Northtowns
Thur. Feb. 5, 3:30 p.m. HEWS at NICO at Paddock
Please watch https://wnygirlshockey.com as well as WNY Girls Varsity Ice Hockey on Facebook; Instagram and “X” for schedule updates. NY Hockey Online will also carry that information on our Facebook page.
Plattsburgh Women Fall to Oswego
The Plattsburgh State women’s ice hockey team remained in town Saturday afternoon as SUNYAC play continued, hosting the Oswego State Lakers at Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena. The Cardinals, winners of a tight 1–0 battle Friday against Canton, looked to extend their win streak to six games and remain unbeaten in conference action. Entering the matchup, Plattsburgh held the historical advantage in the series, leading Oswego State 50–3–2 all-time between the two rivals.
Despite early opportunities, the game remained scoreless through the opening period before Plattsburgh struck first in the second. Just under eight minutes into the frame, first-year Bailey MacKellar(Hamburg, N.Y.) collected a pass from senior Emily Kasprzak(Niagara Falls, N.Y.) and junior Maeghan Forsyth (Billings, Mont.)and fired home the lone goal of the period to give the Cardinals a 1–0 edge.
In the third period, the Lakers turned the tide. Georgia Cunliffe tied the game at one apiece, assisted by Julia Power and Jenna Majewski, before Kayla Doerre put Oswego State in front with helpers from Erika Parenti and Alexandra O’Brien. The two unanswered goals proved decisive, as Oswego held on for a 2–1 victory over Plattsburgh.
Oswego State’s Mia Devivo earned the win with 30 saves on 31 shots, while Plattsburgh’s Maddy Stetson made 19 stops in the loss. With the result, the Cardinals fell to 10–6 overall and 5–1 in SUNYAC play on the season. Plattsburgh will return to action Friday afternoon, remaining in conference competition when they host Potsdam with a 4 p.m. puck dropat Ronald B. Stafford Arena.
Colgate Women Beat Princeton
Alexis Petford fired home a cross-ice pass from Emma Beauchamp halfway through the overtime period to secure a 3-2 victory for Colgate over No. 7 Princeton on Saturday at Hobey Baker Rink.
COACH DECOSSE’S COMMENTS
“A resilient and gritty team effort tonight against a well coached and strong opponent. It was great to strike first and was pleased with how the group stayed steady during some tough moments in a hostile environment.”
HOW IT HAPPENED
Colgate took early control in the first period, with Emma Beauchamp scoring the opening goal at 1:11, assisted by Casey Borgiel. A subsequent power play opportunity allowed Sara Stewart to capitalize, netting a goal at 10:03, with assists from Alexis Petford and Borgiel, extending the lead.
Throughout the period, Colgate maintained offensive pressure and successfully defended against Princeton’s attempts, with Brooke Davis standing firm in goal. As the period closed, Colgate held a 2-0 advantage over the Tigers.
Colgate’s defense was tested early in the second period, with Davis making crucial saves against the Tigers’ offensive pressure. Despite a series of shots from the Tigers, Davis remained solid in net. Colgate’s Stewart and Elyssa Biederman faced blocked attempts from the Tigers’ defense but maintained pressure in the offensive zone.
Colgate endured two penalty kills, with Petford and Taylor Senecal serving time for tripping. The team successfully defended both power plays, with Davis and the penalty-killing unit preventing any goals. Colgate ended the period without conceding, keeping the lead at 2-0 as they headed into the third period.
The third period began with Colgate holding a narrow lead. Despite early pressure from the Tigers, including multiple blocked and missed attempts, Davis provided crucial saves to maintain the advantage. Colgate’s defense, led by Stewart and Beauchamp, successfully halted several of the Tigers’ offensive pushes. However, at 12:30, the Tigers’ Mackenzie Alexander broke through with an even-strength goal.
Colgate fought back with attempts from Biederman and Sydney Sawyer, but the Tigers’ defense stood firm. At 16:14, Riley Sorokan scored for the Tigers, aided by assists from Katherine Khramtsov and Ellie Dimatos, tying the game at two. The period closed with the score tied at 2-2.
Colgate took advantage of a delayed penalty and created multiple chances until Petford broke through with a one-timer, assisted by Beauchamp and Senecal, securing the game-winning goal at 2:19.
GAME NOTES
- Brooke Davis made 41 saves in between the pipes for the Raiders. Her second consecutive 40+ save game.
- Alexis Petford netted her first career overtime goal and fourth game-winning goal for the Raiders.
- Emma Beauchamp posted her second career multi-point game, her last coming against Brown on Oct. 31, 2025.
- Casey Borgiel logged her third two-plus assist game of the season. The blueliner has 15 assists on the year, leading all defenders on the team.
Plattsburgh Falls to Oswego
The Plattsburgh State men’s ice hockey team remained at home Saturday night for SUNYAC action, looking to rebound from a tough 7–0 setback to No. 1 Hobart the night before. In one of the most storied rivalries in Division III hockey, the Cardinals battled No. 4 Oswego State in a dramatic contest that lived up to expectations before the Lakers came from behind to earn a 5–4 decision.
Plattsburgh struck early and often, jumping out to a 2–0 lead less than three minutes into the game. First-year Alexandro Moliner(Delson, Quebec) opened the scoring at 0:54 of the first period, assisted by junior Vladislav Pshenichnikov (Moscow, Russia), and senior Spencer Bellina (Medina, Ohio) followed less than two minutes later with a goal set up by senior Joshua Belgrave(Burlington, Ontario) and senior Colin Callanan (Stony Point, N.Y.). Oswego kept the Cardinals honest with a goal midway through the first, but Plattsburgh extended the advantage to 4–1 in the second period on tallies from sophomore Quinn Tavares (Mississauga, Ontario) and first-year Felix-Antoine Parenteau (St-Augustin-de-Desmaures, Quebec).
Oswego, however, mounted a furious comeback. The Lakers responded with four unanswered goals in the second period, capped by a late power-play strike from Matt McQuade to complete the rally. Oswego’s depth showed through as multiple scorers chipped in during the comeback. Despite a late push from the Cardinals in the final minutes, Plattsburgh could not regain the lead.
With the loss, the Cardinals fall to 8–10 overall and 4–7 in SUNYAC play. Plattsburgh will look to bounce back Friday night at SUNYAC rival Cortland, with puck drop scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
Colgate Tops Dartmouth
Simon Labelle and Max Nagel each logged three points, lifting Colgate to an upset 5-2 win over No. 10 Dartmouth on Saturday night at the Class of 1965 Arena.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Dartmouth came out firing in the early moments of Saturday’s matchup, but several saves by first-year goaltender Reid Dyck kept the score level. Dyck’s early stops allowed the game to settle into a defensive battle as the opening period progressed.
It was Colgate who struck first though, when Jacob Napier, assisted by Jack Brandt and Robby Newton, scored from long range at 12:17 to make it 1-0.
The Raiders refused to let up from there, doubling their lead at 17:42 when Max Nagel scored from an assist by Simon Labelle and Ryan Sullivan. The score would remain 2-0 until the end of the first period.
Looking to cut into the lead, Dartmouth pushed forward in the opening minutes of the second period, and finally got on the board at 4:38, when Ryan Schelling, off of assists by Alex Krause and CJ Foley, made it a 2-1 game.
Colgate responded right away, when Labelle scored a power play goal at 7:13, assisted by Isaiah Norlin and Nagel, to make it 3-1. From there, the Raiders continued to punish the Big Green, getting a fourth when Newton, assisted by Owen Neuharth and goaltender Reid Dyck, scored at 17:14.
The third period began with a flurry of Dartmouth action, as the Big Green attempted to pull off a three-goal comeback, but Dyck and the rest of the Raider defense held strong as the minutes ticked down in the game. This allowed Colgate to put the game to bed with an emphatic Sullivan goal at 7:49, assisted by Nagel and Labelle, to make it 5-1.
Dartmouth refused to give up however, and continued to pressure the Colgate defense, cutting the lead to three at 15:05 when Cooper Cleaves scored from assists by Nikita Nikora and Eric Charpentier.
From there, Dyck was untroubled in net, and Colgate skated out the remainder of an exceptional 5-2 win.
GAME NOTES
- Simon Labelle jumped into the top 100 in career points with a three-point performance against Dartmouth.
- Max Nagel’s first period goal was the 13th in his career, and gave him his 13th point of the season. He also registered two assists.
- First-year Reid Dyck turned 22 this week, logged 41 saves and got his second assist of the season in the win.
- Robby Newton registered his first assist of the season and his first multi-point game of the season.
- Ryan Sullivan recorded his 13th assist of the season in the Colgate victory.
- The Raiders five goals equals their season-high in a single game.
UP NEXT
The Raiders (9-13-2, 6-5-1 ECAC) get back on the ice next Friday, visiting Brown at 7 p.m. in Providence, R.I. The game will air on ESPN+.
Big Top Top Harvard
Linemates Jonathan Castagna and Aiden Long each had a goal and an assist to lead the 12th-ranked Cornell men’s hockey team to a 4-1 victory over Harvard before an over-capacity crowd at Lynah Rink on Saturday night.
Junior forward Jake Kraft and junior defenseman George Fegaras joined Castagna and Long in the goal-scoring column, scoring 26 seconds apart to give the Big Red (14-5-0, 9-3-0 ECAC Hockey) a 2-0 lead following a scoreless first period.
“I talked to our guys, that’s close to 120 minutes of our identity, of how we want to play, that we’ve seen this year,” said Casey Jones ’90, the Jay R. Bloom ’77 Head Coach of Cornell Men’s Ice Hockey. “Last Saturday put us in our place. We had a really nice week of practice and they carried it into the weekend. I thought we executed pretty well tonight.”
After a relatively even first period, which featured no scoring and Harvard having a slight 21-20 edge in shot attempts with both teams registering nine shots on goal, Cornell had a considerable jump coming out of the dressing room from the first intermission. The Big Red dominated the period, owning advantages in shot attempts, 27-6, and shots on goal, 12-4.
The Big Red’s second-period surge was a product of relentless pressure and sustained offensive zone time.
“We sustained so much offense in their zone. That was exciting for me,” Jones said. “I thought it was as close to 120 minutes [of our identity] that we’ve had all year long. In a big weekend, you’d kind of expect that. But just the physicality, our intensity on pucks and in terms of managing the game, it was one of our best weekends.”
Picking up where he left off from Friday night’s win against Dartmouth, Kraft netted the first goal of the night at 11:27 of the second period before Fegaras added a marker 26 seconds later, pouncing on a loose rebound at the right faceoff circle.
Long capped Cornell’s three-goal second period with a tally with 1:05 left in the frame. An indirect clearing attempt out of Harvard’s defensive zone was corralled by freshman defenseman Xavier Veilleux in the neutral zone and Long squeezed between a Harvard defender and the boards to gain separation. Once at the bottom of the faceoff circle, he wristed a shot that beat Harvard goaltender Ben Charette to his five-hole.
For Long, a freshman experiencing his first Cornell-Harvard game at Lynah Rink, the goal — his fifth of the season — capped a memorable evening.
“I just kind of saw their D was tired — we’d had them in [the zone] for a while,” Long said. “Next [Veilleux] gave me a pass up the wall. I thought I could beat the D and did and I thought I’d try to take it to the net and kind of just put it on net. I saw Jonny [Castagna] go in there and luckily it snuck in.”
The atmosphere wasn’t lost on the freshman forward.
“Obviously, being a freshman and my first taste of the Harvard rivalry at home, it definitely didn’t disappoint,” Long said. “The energy in the building was awesome and to come out with the win is huge.”
Long, who had never played before a crowd like Saturday’s, fed off the Lynah Faithful’s energy.
“Obviously, MSG was probably close to that, but I’ve never been in an environment like that,” Long said. “To have the Lynah Faithful behind us is huge and we build off that energy.”
Harvard thwarted Cornell freshman goaltender Alexis Cournoyer‘s bid at his first collegiate shutout early in the third period, beating him to his high blocker side after Lucas St. Louis fanned on a pass from the top of the blue line just two seconds after the expiration of a Big Red penalty. Cournoyer finished the night with 17 saves.
Cornell retook its three-goal lead just 47 seconds later as a battle for the puck in front of Cornell’s bench resulted in freshman forward Reegan Hiscock playing the puck to Castagna, setting up a 2-on-1 scoring chance with senior forward Nick DeSantis. Slowly entering the offensive zone, Castagna lasered a shot that beat Charette to his short side to restore the three-goal lead.
Castagna, who has been on fire lately with points in 11 of his last 14 games, savored the moment of scoring against Harvard at Lynah.
“Everyone’s dream is to score a goal in the Harvard game, so it’s nice to finally get to do that at home,” Castagna said. “It was a 2-on-1, so I just tried to stay calm and slow it down a little and take what was given.”
Harvard appeared to have scored a goal with an extra attacker with under three minutes left, but Cornell challenged for a potential missed offside call, which the Big Red won.
The Big Red had a pair of chances to score into a Harvard empty net, but both went wide of the goal.
GAME NOTES
• Cornell concluded its eight-game homestand with a 7-1-0 record, with its lone blemish coming in last Saturday’s loss to No. 7 Quinnipiac. The Big Red are 11-1-0 at Lynah Rink this season and its 11 home wins are tied with Augustana, Dartmouth and Penn State for the national lead.
MOST WINS AT HOME THIS SEASON
Division I Hockey
• 11-1-3, Augustana
• 11-1-0, Cornell
• 11-1-1, Dartmouth
• 11-2-0, Penn State
• 10-2-0, Michigan
• 10-4-0, North Dakota
• 10-0-2, Quinnipiac
• Saturday was the 170th meeting between the bitter ECAC Hockey and Ivy League rivals. Cornell increased its lead in the series, 85-71-14, and is unbeaten in its last seven games (6-0-1) against the Crimson. It is the longest unbeaten streak over the Crimson since going 9-0-1 between Nov. 11, 1995, and Nov. 13, 1998 — the first 10 games of the rivalry under Cornell Athletics Hall of Fame head coach Mike Schafer ’86.
• The victory upped Cornell’s home win streak over Harvard to four games, the longest such streak since a four-game stretch from Nov. 21, 2008, to March 13, 2010.
• Jones became the third Cornell coach to sweep Harvard in the regular season of his first season coaching the Big Red, accompanied by Dick Bertrand ’70 (1970-71) and Schafer (1995-96).
• Veilleux has points in 10 of his last 13 games, accruing 13 points (3-10—13) during the span, while Castagna has logged at least one point in 11 of his last 14 games, posting 18 points (8-10—18) over that stretch.
• Under Jones this season, Cornell is 10-0-0 when scoring the first goal of the game, 11-0-0 when it scores at least three goals and 9-0-0 when allowing one goal or fewer.
• Cournoyer earned his 11th career victory in his 15th career appearance, becoming the fastest netminder to reach that threshold since Matthew Galajda, who also posted 11 wins in his first 15 outings during the 2017-18 season. He is one of seven Big Red goaltenders to accomplish the feat.
MOST WINS THROUGH FIRST 14 CAREER APPEARANCES
Cornell Program History — Since 1957-58
• 14, Ken Dryden (1966-67)
• 12, Brian Cropper (1968-70)
• 12, Dave LeNeveu (2001-02)
• 11, Brian Hayward (1978-79)
• 11, Corrie D’Alessio (1987-88)
• 11, Matthew Galajda (2017-18)
• 11, Alexis Cournoyer (2025-26)
• Among active Division I goaltenders, Cournoyer is one of five netminders to amass at least 11 victories in his first 15 appearances, joining North Dakota’s Jan Špunar (13 wins in first 15 games), Michigan’s Jack Ivankovic (12 wins in first 15) and Minnesota’s Nathan Airey and Wisconsin’s Daniel Hauser (both with 11 wins in first 15).
MOST WINS THROUGH FIRST 15 CAREER APPEARANCES
Active Division I Goaltenders
• 13 wins, Jan Špunar, North Dakota (2025-26)
• 12 wins, Jack Ivankovic, Michigan (2025-26)
• 11 wins, Nathan Airey, Minnesota (2023-25)
• 11 wins, Alexis Cournoyer, Cornell (2025-26)
• 11 wins, Daniel Hauser, Wisconsin (2025-26)
• 10 wins, Luca Di Pasquo, Michigan State & Minnesota (2023-26)
• 10 wins, Ajeet Gundarah, Sacred Heart (2024-25)
• 10 wins, Louka Cloutier, Boston College (2025-26)
• 10 wins, Matteo Drobac, Miami (2025-26)
• 10 wins, Quentin Miller, Denver (2025-26)
HOBEY BAKER MEMORIAL AWARD VOTING
Cornell fans are encouraged to support junior forwards Ryan Walsh and Jonathan Castagna, both of whom have been nominated for the 2026 Hobey Baker Memorial Award. Fan voting for college hockey’s top player runs through midnight on Sunday, March 8.
Fans can vote online at hobeybaker.com/vote or text their vote to 844-623-9688 (text “26089” for Walsh or “26090” for Castagna). Fans may vote for one player per day.
The Hobey Baker Memorial Award winner will be announced on Friday, April 10, in Las Vegas during the NCAA Frozen Four.
UP NEXT
Cornell begins a stretch of seven road games in its next eight contests next weekend when it travels to face ECAC Hockey and Ivy League rivals Yale (7-13-0, 6-6-0) and Brown (4-16-0, 3-9-0). Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday at Ingalls Rink against Yale and 5 p.m. Saturday at Meehan Auditorium against Brown. Both games will be streamed live on ESPN+.
The Big Red swept both teams at Lynah Rink earlier this season, defeating Brown 4-1 on Nov. 14 and Yale 5-2 on Nov. 15.
WNY Collegiate Women’s Ice Hockey Update
By Janet Schultz, NYHOL
After a brief winter break the women’s ice hockey schedule is running fulling in WNY.
Buffalo State is 9-5-0 over all as they look toward a full SUNYAC schedule in the coming weeks.
Dakota Carlson leads the scoring with 10 goals and 8 assists followed by WNY’s Vanessa Willick who has 8 goals and 6 assists on the season. Goaltender Casey Horrigan has spent 60 minutes in goal with a shutout. Alexa Todd has been the go-to goalie with 484.30 minutes between the pipes and logging a .934 save percentage with a 4-3-0 record, including a shutout.
Carlson and Todd received Buffalo State Athlete of the Week awards in December while Todd took SUNYAC Goaltender of the Week on January 20 for her 42 saves in a 1-1 tie with #5 Nazareth College.
Across town Hilbert College is 1-13-1 overall with rival UCHC Elmira up next this weekend (Jan. 23). Victoria Battaglia has played in 15 games and scored 5 goals and 7 assists to lead the Hawks scoring chart. Jacqueline Alaburda is second with 3 goals and 3 assists and in third is Rome’s Kelsey Fuller with 2 goals and 7 assists. Goaltender Brook Thompson has played 381.32 minutes with a 0-5-1 record and .942 save percentage. Both Goaltenders Jewel Monford and Tia Card have seen action this season, with Card getting the “W” for the Hawks.
Nazareth College is recording a winning season so far with a 14-0-1 record. That 2-2 tie came against Buffalo State College as the New Year opened the second part of the season. They now face Chatham and Utica Colleges in the next two weeks.
Amy Laskowski has 16 goals and 10 assists for 26 points to lead the Hawks scoring with Meredith Boettcher, 9 goals, 8 assists and Brooke Judiewicz (East Concord) with 4 goals and 12 assists. New York natives MacKenzie Garrow (Akwesasne) and Natalya Garivodsky (Brooklyn) have also contributed to the Hawk’s winning streak.
In goal Mia Gonslaves was named Empire Goal of the Week for January 5, it was her third honor this season after making 17 saves against Salve Regina. She has the 14-0-1 record with 904.4 minutes in the net and a .924 save percentage.
The newest addition to women’s ice hockey in WNY is St. John Fisher. Under Coach Scott McDonald the team is 5-9-1 overall. Leading the scoring is Sophia Grant with 5 goals and 3 assists for 8 points, followed by Keira Reckley with 4 goals and 3 assists. New Yorker’s Cecelia Stewart (Buffalo/Nichols School) has 3 assists; Batavia’s Nicole Doeringer (Amherst Knights) has 3 goals and 1 assists; Erin Lantry (Massena) 2 goals/3assists; Maddie Southwick (Tupper Lake) 1 assist. In Goal Brynn Bacak (Williamsville/Nichols School) has played 840.5 minutes with a 5-8-1 record and .942 save percentage. Goalie Elizabeth Poole has had one start and logged 58.39 minutes with a loss.
RIT’s women’s team is 13-13-0 overall and 9-9-0 in the conference as they head into the second half of the season. Their five-game winning streak was broken with a double loss to Mercyhurst in the first games back after winter break. They now face Brown University, Lindenwood, Syracuse and Penn State to complete the season.
Rochester’s Addie Alvarez is leading the scoring with 9 goals/17 assists; but she is joined by Emma Pickering with 11 goals/15 assists. Brac Kelley follows with 10 goals and 9 assists.
In goal Sophia Bellina has logged 1245.22 minutes in 22 games played and is 11-11-0 with two shutouts. Brenna McNamara has played 307.59 minutes and is 2-2-0.
Pickering was named AHA Defender of the Week on December 6 as RIT celebrated with 50th year of ice hockey. Till Keranen was named AHA Rookie of the Week after she scored the game-winning goal with 57 seconds left in regulation to beat Delaware 3-2.
In ACHA action:
Niagara University’s D1 team (aboe file photo 2024-25) has played 16 games and is 7-7-0-2 with 16 points as an Independent. They will play Liberty,the University of Arizona and the University of Massachusetts in the upcoming weeks.
The D2 team, which plays in the CHE, is 3-4-0 after seven games and will play RIT, Mercyhurst, West Virginia and Robert Morris in the upcoming weeks.
Brockport University is 0-6-0; RIT is 5-2-0 and Oswego is 0-1-0.
There’s a lot of hockey action across WNY and games are open to the public. A great chance to see some fast-paced, skilled hockey locally. Go to the respective college website for ticket information. Many games are open free of charge.
WNYGVIH Weekly REcap and Schedule Changes
By Janet Schultz, NYHOL
WNYGVIH WEEKLY WRAP
January 12-16, 2026
Clarence/Amherst/Sweet Home has moved into first place in the Western New York Girls Varsity Ice Hockey Federation. After 10 games they are 8 wins/2 losses for 24 points. Closely behind is Lancaster/Iroquois/Depew/Alden with nine games played and 7 wins and 2 losses for 21 points
Then there is a tie with 10 games each in the books and its Kenmore/Grand Island/Lockport; Frontier/Orchard Park and St. Mary’s of Lancaster all with 6 wins, 4 losses for 18 points.
After that its Hamburg/Eden/West Seneca/Cheektowaga, Williamsville, Monsignor Martin and Niagara County.
Leah Dowling of LIDA leads the scoring list with 12 goals and 11 assists for 23 points in nine games but Sabrina Basamania is tied with her with 8 goals and 15 assists for 23 points in 10 games. KenGiPort’s Teagan Willats sits at third with 11 goals and 10 assists for 21 points followed by Brynn Cafferty of LIDA with 9 goals/10 assists and Brynn Holland, HEWSC with 11 goals and 5 assists.
Ella Celej is keeping the net protected for CASH with 445.42 minutes between the pipes, she hasa made 229 of 243 shots for a save percentage of .942 and logged one shut-out.
Next is KGIP’s Hadley Dahlgreen with 180 minutes she has stopped 66 of 72 for a .917 save% and has two shut-outs. KGIP has their second goalie on the list with Ella Johnson in the net for 267.28 minutes, stopping 116 or 127 for a .913 save%. Then its LIDA’s Anna Maki with 45 minutes, 10 of 11 saves and a .909 save%. Finally HEWS Ella Buczynski with 354.90 minutes has made 155 saves on 171 shot for a .900 save% and two shut-outs.
St. Mary’s of Lancaster’s Betsy Accurso and FOP’s Rachael Fix have each had two shut-outs. Most minutes in the net goes to NICO’s Lila Jones at 459.95.
The week started with FOP at St. Mary’s of Lancaster ending with a 5-3 victory for FOP. Scoring the winning goal was Kamryn Filighera, unassisted. Basamania, Jocelyn Smaczniak, Brooklyn Forcucci, and Lila Bell each added a goal toward the victory. Assists came from Peyton Forcucci (2) and Chloe Gearhart. In goal Keira Keatan stopped 39 of 42. For St. Mary’s it was Gabe Lowell with two, and Meghan Donnelly, all unassisted. Accurso stopped 23 of 28 shots on goal.
The big announcement at that game was that Assistant Coach Chelsie Sereday had a baby girl and we want to congratulate the family and wish them well. Can’t wait to see a new hockey player in the arena.
It was an 11-1 LIDA victory over NICO in a make-up game from December. Scoring for LIDA were Natalie Domagola(2), Laela Osinski with the game winner, Leah Dowling (2), Mia Hauser, Georgia Kozell, Emily Lysiak (2), Skylar Patton and Brynn Cafferty. In goal Iris Schimenti stopped 5 of 6 shots for the win and for NICO Jones made 27 of 38. Sam Latini scored the only goal for NICO.
Down in West Seneca KenGiPort took HEWSC in a 2-0 shutout. Scoring both goals was Madelyn Jagow with assists from Erin Krawczyk and Willats on the first goal and Savanna Shaft on the second. Johnston stopped 29 shots for the shut-out victory. Buczynski stopped 19 of 21 shots for HEWSC.
At KenGiPort we want to congratulate Teagan Willats on her college commitment to Buffalo State College.
It was a busy Tuesday night
Over at Holiday Twin Rinks LIDA celebrated their Senior Night (more on that to come); however it was a 3-1 victory for CASH. They played to a 0-0 tie after the first and the with 2:11 left on the clock CASH’s Kiley Breeze scored in the second to go ahead 1-0. When they came back on the ice LIDA’s Claire Whiteford tied the game but CASH’s Mila Dominik takes the game-winner with 6:33 left. CASH then adds the final goal with 1:42 left in the third. Celej stopped 31 of 32 shots and LIDA’s Schimenti stopped 14 of 16 sog.
NICO faced another hard loss, this one a 13-0 to FOP. FOP’s scorers included Basamania, Tefft, B. Forcucci, Costano, Gearhart, Weber, Costanzo, Bell and Smaczniak. Assists came from P.Forcucci, Basamania, Matla, P. Forcucci, Weber, Filighera, Enis, Smaczniak and Tefft. B. Forcucci had a hattrick and Rachael Fix stopped 10 shots for the shutout victory. In net for NICO, Jones stopped 35 of 48.
HEWSC made up a game versus Monsignor Martin at Northtown with HEWSC winning 5-1. Scoring were Ellie Grabowski, Sophia Sokolowski, Brynn Holland with two goals and Sophia Phillips. Assists came from Phillips, Kylie Wegrzynowski, Morgan Cooper, Kelsey Barrett, and Clare Sokolowski. Katelyn Larson was in net making 6 saves on 7 shots for the W. Lilly Sampson scored the only goal, unassisted, for MonMar and Kate Kelley stopped 17 of 22 shots.
The final game of the night was at Paddock Arena with St. Mary’s visiting KenGiPort. KGIP gets on the board first when MacKenzie Kumrow scores, unassisted, at 4:43 of the first. Period ends with KGIP up 1-0. The score remains the same after the second. In the third it’s KGIP’s Willats, assisted by Krowczyk and M. Jagow and then Willats adds an empty netter for the 3-0 shutout. Goalie Dahlgreen stops 11/11 for the SO W. Accurso faced 18 SOG.
Wednesday night it was one game and that being at Northtown between NICO and Williamsville. Williamsville also celebrated their Seniors that night, and more on that to come. Williamsville got on the board first with a goal by Addison Stachura, assisted by Alison Besancon. NICO’s Latini answered back but then Williamsville added two more to end the first period 3-1. Besancon had an unassisted goal and Scarlet Canna had the final goal in the first, assisted by Jaylee Kochan. In the second period NICO started the scoring with a quick two goals. One by Ella Magnuson and the second by Latini. However Williamsville came back with Cadence Curran, Genevieve Illos, Stachura and Canna to end the second 7-3 in Williamsville’s favor. Williamsville opened the scoring in the third with a goal by Kochan. NICO tried by scoring two goals, both on the powerplay and both by Latini. The third ends and the final is 8-5 Williamsville.
The League can’t get away without some snow days and that was Thursday.
Schedule changes for this week include:
Monday, January 19, MonMar at HEWS, Postponed
Tuesday, January 20, HEWS at Niagara County, Dwyer, 4 p.m.
Tuesday, January 20, KengiPort at LIDA, Holiday, 4:15 p.m.
Tuesday, January 20, MonMar at Williamsville, Northtowns, 5:30 p.m.
Wednesday, January 21, St. Mary’s at MonMar, Cheektowaga, 3:30 p.m. (rescheduled from January 15)
Wednesday, January 21, FOP at Williamsville, Northtowns, 4:30 p.m.
Wednesday, January 21, NICO at KenGIPort, 8:20 p.m., Cornerstone
Thursday, January 22, Webster at KenGiPort, 3:30 p.m. Paddock
Thursday, January 22, HEWS at FOP, 4:30 p.m., Hamburg (FOP Senior Night)
Thursday, January 22, MonMar at CASH, 4:309 p.m. Northtowns
Thursday, January 22, St. Marys at NICO, 6:10 p.m., Cheektowaga (St. Marys Senior Night) rescheduled from December 16 and January 15
Thursday, January 22, LIDA at Williamsville, 8:15 p.m., Northtowns
Thursday, January 22, Webster at St. Mary’s canceled.
NOTE: All nine teams are playing Thursday, January 22.
Several games have been rescheduled for Thursday February 5.
In addition the WNYGVIH semi-final times have been changed to 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Thursday, February 12. Quarterfinal times remain as is.
Next week CASH will play FOP on Monday, January 26 at 4:20 p.m. at Northtowns, rescheduled from January 15.
Please watch the WNYGVIH Facebook page and NYHOL Facebook page for updates. There may be some.
WNYGVIH: NICO AT WILLIAMSVILLE
JANUARY 14, 2026
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Forcucci Twins Assist On and Off Ice
Story by Randy Schultz
Photos by Janet Schultz©
During a recent Western New York Girls Varsity Ice Hockey (WNYGVIH) game, the Frontier/Orchard Park (FOP) team scores a goal. When it is announced over the PA system the goal was scored by Brooklyn Forcucci.
Interestingly, the lone assist on the goal went to Peyton Forcucci, the goal scorer’s sister. But not only are they sisters; they are twin sisters.
Brooklyn and Peyton are ninth graders playing for FOP. Both attend Orchard Park High School.
While they are not identical twins, they are not alike on the ice either. Brooklyn plays defense while Peyton is a forward.
“I’ve been playing hockey since I was four,” said Peyton, who also plays travel hockey for Amherst. “I like hockey because it’s fun and it gives you something to do after school.
“It’s also a way to meet new friends. And I really enjoy playing for the high school team.”
It is much the same for Brooklyn.
“We both started out as forwards,” recalled Brooklyn. “But when we were playing on a boy’s team, a teammate got hurt and they moved me back to defense.
“And I’ve been there ever since.”
Like her sister, Brooklyn also enjoys playing high school hockey.
“I like seeing my friends after a game or getting a chance to see former teammates from other teams that I don’t play with any more.
“Plus, when we’re in school they will give the scores of our games over morning announcements. And sometimes our friends will stop us and ask how we did in a game.”
It’s not unusual for the Forcucci twins to be on the ice at the same time.
“If I have the puck I usually know the area where my sister is on the ice,” remarked Brooklyn.
“We always seemed to get paired together,” added Peyton. “And I will look for her on the ice and get her the puck.”
The guy who coaches them for FOP is Bob Klimowicz.
“They have all the tools they need to be good hockey players and to play at the next level,” commented Klimowicz. “I think that next level will be either D1 or DIII.
“They have the skill work, edge work, great skating. Their shots have improved.
“Bottom line is that they are very coachable players. They are a pleasure to have on the team.”
The twins are also aware of the historical background of their high school team, especially when it was known as FLOP (when LakeShore HS was a part of the team) and won a New York State championship.
Probably one of the most well-known players to play for FLOP was Brooke Becker, who now plays in the PWHL for Minnesota.
“We’ve skated with Brooke a few times,” commented Brooklyn. “We ‘ve skated a few times during summer skates.
“And it’s nice that we’re being coached now by the same coach who coached Brooke. It’s nice to have that personal connection to someone who is a professional.”
“She is also a great example to see how far she has come,” added Peyton. “Playing for our high school team and travel teams.
“She’s made it without having to go to a prep school like some other girls have gone to.”
Both girls ultimate goal is to play for a Division I college or university once they are done at Orchard Park.
And both players endorse the idea of playing girls high school hockey.
“You make a lot of friends playing high school hockey,” said Peyton. “It also helps with leadership skills.”
Brooklyn added, “I have good memories of last year (as an eighth grader playing on the girl’s high school team) with (senior teammate) Mya Griffin.
“Me, Peyton and a couple of other eighth graders found it was nice to have seniors to be friends with.”
Uniform number-wise, Peyton wears 18 while Brooklyn 11. Why?
“My dad wore 18 when e played hockey,” remarked Peyton.
“My dad’s favorite player was (the Buffalo Sabres) Gilbert Perreault,” added Brooklyn. “So I chose 11.”
WNYGVIH GALLERY: CASH AT LIDA
JANUARY 13, 2026
CASH 3; LIDA 1 on LIDA’s Senior Night
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NEW YORK RAPTORS REPORT
JANUARY 2026
BY MICHAEL MEYERS –
The New York Raptors played their first home game of the new 2026 year on January 11. They played the Long Island Blues at the Westchester Skating Academy in Elmsford, NY.
The puck dropped at 3:10 p.m. with the two teams going at it. In the end, following an intense battle and lots of goals scored, the Raptors lost to the Blues, 16-11.
The Raptors record now stands at 2-2-0. Their next game will be against the Connecticut Storm.
