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Hockey Remains on USCHO Poll for 15th Straight Week

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Janet
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NIAGARA UNIV., N.Y. – The Niagara hockey team is the No. 15 team in the country, picking up 221 points in the USCHO.com Division I poll, released Monday.

This is the program-best 15th successive week the Purple Eagles have been on the top-20 poll, last week coming in at No. 14.

The USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine College Hockey Poll has Niagara receiving 25 votes after spending a program-best four consecutive weeks on the top-15 poll, while the NCAA Tournament PairWise Comparison Ratings, which helps determine the NCAA field of 16, has NU in 13th.

The squad wrapped up the regular season with a 21-8-5 overall record, and a 20-5-2 Atlantic Hockey mark after dropping a pair of contests at Air Force this past weekend.  The No. 1 seeded Purple Eagles will enjoy a weekend bye in the first round of the AHA playoffs before hosting a best-of-three quarterfinal series from March 15-17 at Dwyer Arena.

Tickets for all three games of the quarterfinal round are on sale so contact the Niagara Ticket Office (located inside Dwyer Arena) at 716-286-TIXX, visit www.PurpleEagles.com/Tickets or emailing [email protected] to reserve your seats today!

BUFFALO SABRES ACQUIRE BUFFALO REGALS TIER 1 ORGANIZATION

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Janet
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New organization to begin play in 2014-15 season

BUFFALO, N.Y. (March 7, 2013) — The Buffalo Sabres today announced they have acquired the Buffalo Regals Tier I youth hockey organization effective for the 2014-15 season. The Sabres new youth hockey association will play under the highly successful Buffalo Jr. Sabres organization and be housed at the HARBORcenter complex scheduled to open September 1, 2014. The Sabres will operate teams from the Mite Major level (8 years old) through Midget 18 U and continue to be members of the South-Central (Ontario) Triple A Hockey League and the Tier I Elite League.

 

“We are very excited to be making this announcement today,” said Michael Gilbert, Vice president of Public & Community Relations for the Buffalo Sabres. “The Buffalo Regals have operated for 60 years in Buffalo and are considered one of the best youth hockey organizations in the Northeast. We believe we can further elevate the level of development of youth hockey players in the Buffalo area and make our new HARBORcenter complex a destination that youth hockey players and parents from across the United States and Canada will want to come to play and train at.”

 

The Regals will continue to operate their Tier I organization for the 2013-14 season and their Tier II and House programs will continue to operate as they currently do in future years. Today’s announcement only affects the Tier I portion of the Regals organization. The Regals organization received no payment from the Buffalo Sabres and the Sabres will be responsible for all financial aspects of the Tier I organization after it begins play in 2014.

 

“The Regals Board of Directors are happy to announce this arrangement with the Buffalo Sabres,” saidMike Answeeney, Board President of the Buffalo Regals. “Our goal has always been to develop the best hockey talent that this area has to offer. After seeing the skill development model and resources the Sabres will have in place from the very first day, we feel very confident that the entire hockey community will benefit from the commitment that Mr. Pegula has made to this area.”

 

As part of the arrangement between the two groups, the Buffalo Sabres will work with the Buffalo Regals Tier II and House programs in future years both on and off the ice through youth clinics, coaching clinics and fan development.

 

WNY Girls Varsity Names Season-End Honors

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Janet
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First, Second Team and Honors were named for the WNY Girls Varsity Ice Hockey Federation.

Named to First Team were Forwards Erin Gehen, West Seneca; Rachel Lenard, Monsignor Martin; MIssy Mallon, Amherst/Sweet Home. Defensemen Julia Duquette, Monsignor Martin; Maddy Grisko, Amherst/Sweet Home and in Goal, Lauren Pray, Kenmore.

Second Team honorees are Bernadette O’Connell, Frontier/Orchard Park; Rachel Ziarnowski, Monsignor Martin and Cassandra Hopkins, Williamsville. On defense, Rachel Grampp, Williamsville and Caroline Soh, Williamsville. Goaltender: Theresa Meosky, Williamsville.

Honorable Mentions went to Jill Battista, Kenmore; Tatum Walber, Frontier/Orchard Park; Sarah Scolnick,Williamsville and McKenna Rushford, Amherst Sweethome as forwards. Megan Ruekauf, Lancaster; Kaeli Mathias, Kenmore; Katie Zimmer, West Seneca; Katie Page, Nadine Denijs and Alexa Ditonto, all from Frontier/Orchard Park and Amelia Gajewski, Monsignor Martin. Goaltenders with honorable mention were Courtney Wesolowski, Monsignor Martin; Madeline Norton, Lancaster; Kara Rea Amherst/Sweethome and Mikaela Ditonto, Frontier/Orchard Park.

This was the third season for the WNY Girl’s Varsity Ice Hockey Federation.

Monsignor Martin took the league championship for the second consecutive year and Kenmore took the Section VI championship and the first trip to the New York State Girls Final Four in Canton, where they faced and lost to the eventual NYS Champions, Beekmantown High School.

The unofficial stats for this season with 18 games played and not including playoffs/championships:

Monsignor Martin with 18 wins and no losses for 36 points

Kenmore: 12 wins, 5 losses, 1 tie for 25 points

Williamsville: 11 wins, 4 losses, 1 tie, 25 points

OP/Frontier 9 wins, 7 losses, 2 tie, 20 points

Amherst/Sweet Home: 6 wins, 10 losses, 14 points

West Seneca: 5 wins, 13 losses, 10 points

Lancaster: 0 wins, 18 losses, 0 points

Three Finalists Named for 2013 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award

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Janet
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16th Annual Award to be Presented March 23 in Minneapolis

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Senior defenseman Megan Bozek (Buffalo Grove, Ill.), junior forward Amanda Kessel (Madison, Wis.) and senior goaltender Noora Räty(Espoo, Finland), all of the University of Minnesota, have been named the Top-3 Finalists for the 2013 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award. It is the first time ever that the Top-3 Finalists all represent the same university.

The three players have helped the University of Minnesota women’s ice hockey team to a perfect 36-0-0 record this season. The Gophers are in the midst of an NCAA-record 44-game winning streak, dating back to last season.

2013 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award
Finalists

Megan Bozek • Univ. of Minnesota
Senior • Defenseman • 36GP, 18-34–52

Amanda Kessel • Univ. of Minnesota
Junior • Forward • 32GP, 43-51–94

Noora Räty • Univ. of Minnesota
Senior • Goaltender • 33-0-0; 0.93; .956

The 2013 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award will be awarded at a brunch ceremony on Sat., March 23, at the McNamara Alumni Center in Minneapolis, in conjunction with the NCAA Women’s Frozen Four. The award, which is in its 16th year, is given out annually by The USA Hockey Foundation to the top player in NCAA Division I women’s ice hockey.

The selection process began in late February, when NCAA Division I women’s ice hockey coaches were asked to nominate players for the award. Players who were nominated by two or more coaches were then placed on an official ballot, which was sent back to the coaches to vote for the Top-10 finalists.

The three finalists were then chosen by a 13-member selection committee comprised of NCAA Division I women’s ice hockey coaches, representatives of print and broadcast media, an at-large member and a representative of USA Hockey, the national governing body for the sport of ice hockey in the United States. The independent accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP, tabulated the ballots.

Tickets to the 2013 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award Ceremony and Brunch can be purchased at PattyKaz.com.

BozekMegan Bozek
As team captain for the Golden Gophers, Bozek anchors a defense that is first in the NCAA in goals allowed per game (0.81). She ranks seventh in the NCAA in assists with 34 and second among defensemen. Additionally, Bozek currently has 52 points (18G, 34A), second among the nation’s blueliners, and has 17 multi-point games to her credit in 36 games played. In Western Collegiate Hockey Association play, Bozek accumulated 20 power-play points (7G, 13A), second in the league. She also tied for seventh in the WCHA with 14 goals. A Hockey Humanitarian Award nominee, Bozek’s spends significant time volunteering in the community, with more than 200 hours logged to assist groups such as HopeKids, Feed My Starving Children, Amplatz Children’s Hospital and local elementary schools.

KesselAmanda Kessel
Kessel leads the NCAA in goals (43), assists (51), points (94), points per game (2.94), goals per game (1.34), assists per game (1.59), short-handed goals (5), and is second in game-winning goals (8). She has recorded a point in each of the 32 games she has played this season and has 28 multiple-point games, including 11 contests with at least four points and 20 games with at least three points. In addition, Kessel has been a key component in helping the Gophers to a 31.9% success rate on the power play this season, tops in the NCAA. Kessel is active in the local community and volunteers her time at places such as HopeKids, Feed My Starving Children, Amplatz Children’s Hospital and several local elementary schools.

RatyNoora Räty
Backstopping the University of Minnesota during its current 44-game winning streak, Räty has a perfect 33-0-0 record this season and has established a new NCAA single-season record with 15 shutouts to date. Räty also leads the nation in save percentage at .953 and is second in goals against average at 0.93. Thanks in part to Räty, Minnesota currently boasts the second-best penalty kill in the NCAA at .922. Räty is active with multiple community service and volunteering efforts, as she dedicates her free time to charities such as HopeKids and Feed My Starving Children while also participating in outreach to Amplatz Children’s Hospital and several local elementary schools.

NOTES: For more information on the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, visitPattyKaz.com.

ABOUT THE PATTY KAZMAIER MEMORIAL AWARD
An award of The USA Hockey Foundation, the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award is annually presented to the top player in NCAA Division I women’s ice hockey. Selection criteria includes outstanding individual and team skills, sportsmanship, performance in the clutch, personal character, competitiveness and a love of hockey. Consideration is also given to academic achievement and civic involvement.

ABOUT PATTY KAZMAIER
The Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award is named in honor of the late Patty Kazmaier, who was a four-year varsity letter-winner and All-Ivy League defenseman at Princeton University from 1981-86. An accomplished athlete who helped lead the Tigers to the Ivy League Championship in three consecutive seasons (1981-84), Patty Kazmaier-Sandt died on Feb. 15, 1990, at the age of 28 following a long struggle with a rare blood disease.

Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award Winners

Year
Name
School
2012 Brianna Decker University of Wisconsin
2011 Meghan Duggan University of Wisconsin
2010 Vicki Bendus Mercyhurst College
2009 Jessie Vetter University of Wisconsin
2008 Sarah Vaillancourt Harvard University
2007 Julie Chu Harvard University
2006 Sara Bauer University of Wisconsin
2005 Krissy Wendall University of Minnesota
2004 Angela Ruggiero Harvard University
2003 Jennifer Botterill Harvard University
2002 Brooke Whitney Northeastern University
2001 Jennifer Botterill Harvard University
2000 Ali Brewer Brown University
1999 A.J. Mleczko Harvard University
1998 Brandy Fisher University of New Hampshire

Bowman Showcase April 15

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Janet
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 The Buffalo Sabres today announced that the 9th Annual Scotty Bowman Showcase will take place on Monday, April 15th at First Niagara Center. The 2013 Scotty Bowman Showcase consists of three all-star hockey games between players from Buffalo, NY and their rivals from Rochester, NY. Admission for the games is $5.

 

The first game will begin at 6 p.m. with high school juniors from the two cities facing off against one another for the Tim Horton Memorial Cup. In 2012, the Buffalo juniors won the inaugural Tim Horton Memorial Cup.

 

The next game will take place at 7:30 p.m. between high school seniors from each city. The winner of the second game will be awarded the Scotty Bowman Cup. This award and the event are named after the legendary Scotty Bowman, the winningest coach in NHL history. Bowman will be in attendance to present the Bowman Cup to the victorious senior team. The Rochester seniors won last year’s Bowman Cup, improving to 2-6 in the event’s eight-year history.

 

The third game will feature players from Buffalo and Rochester who play prep school or junior hockey, either locally or elsewhere. The junior and senior-year high school-aged players will face off for the Rick Martin Memorial Cup at 9 p.m. All three games will consist of two 22-minute halves. Buffalo won the first ever Rick Martin Memorial Cup at last year’s event.

 

Players will be individually nominated and rated by a group of area high school, midget and junior coaches from both cities based on their play this past season. For more information, or to nominate a player for consideration, please contact Sabres Youth Hockey Manager Ed Grudzinski by phone at 716-855-4174 or via email at [email protected].

 

Several players have furthered their careers following their participation in the Scotty Bowman Showcase, with the most high-profile player being Phil Lane of Rochester. Lane was drafted by the Phoenix Coyotes in the second round (52nd overall) of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, after competing in both the 2008 and 2009 events.

 

The final selection of each team will be completed by the Buffalo Sabres based on the ratings of the nominating committee. The participants for each game will be announced at a later date.

Women’s College Playoff News

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Janet
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Women’s College playoff information for NYS Colleges:

 

First, Marissa Maugeri( #19 in photo), RIT, was named CHA Co-Player of the Week for March 4.

Maugeri scored a goal and added an assist in a two game sweep of Penn State in the CHA First Round. On Friday, Maugeri scored the lone goal for the Tigers in the first period, leading them to a 1-0 win. The next day, she assisted on Jess Paton’s goal in a 3-2 overtime win over the Nittany Lions. Maugeri now has three game-winners this season and has 11 points on nine goals and two assists in 35 games.

Named to the Honor Roll with New York State connections were:

Al Binnington, RIT – (Sophomore, Goaltender, Oakville, Ontario) – Binnington made 33 saves on 35 shots in a weekend sweep over Penn State in the CHA First Round. On Friday, Binnington stopped all 16 shots she faced to record her sixth shutout of the season in a 1-0 win. The next day, she stopped 17 shots in a 3-2 overtime win. Binnington is now 11-9-4 with a 1.94 goals against average and .926 save percentage this season.

 

Some Team Notes from the CHA:

Team notes

RIT: The Tigers (16-15-5) have clinched at least a .500 record in their first season at the Division I level. This weekend, the Tigers won their first playoff games at the Division I level, sweeping Penn State by scores of 1-0 and 3-2 in overtime in the CHA First Round series at Ritter Arena. On Friday, Marissa Maugeri scored midway through the first period and RIT’s defense held Penn State to just 16 shots in the 1-0 win. Ali Binnington made 16 stops to record her sixth shutout of the season. On Saturday, Kim Schlattman scored 47 seconds into overtime to lift RIT to the 3-2 win and sweep the best of three series. Celeste Brown and Jess Paton also scored for the Tigers, who out-shot Penn State, 57-19. Brown’s goal was her first in 10 games. RIT finished the season 5-0-1 against Penn State, out-scoring the Nittany Lions, 17-6. This weekend, the Tigers will wrap up their first season at the Division I level by traveling to Erie, Pa. to compete in the CHA Semifinals vs. Syracuse on Friday and if they win, face the winner of Mercyhurst vs. Robert Morris in the CHA Championship on Saturday. RIT is 0-3-1 against Syracuse this season, losing all three games by identical 2-1 scores. RIT is 3-0-1 against Robert Morris and 0-4-0 against Mercyhurst. Mercyhurst outscored the Tigers, 22-5 in the four meetings. RIT is 0-6 against nationally-ranked teams this season. Tenecia Hiller leads the team in scoring with 14 goals and 26 points. Ariane Yokoyama has 89 assists, second most in program history, just two shy of the school mark held by 2011 Laura Hurd Award Winner Sarah Dagg. RIT has had four players reach 100 career points this season (Kim Schlattman, Kourtney Kunuchika, Hiller, and Yokoyama). Schlattman has a team-best 15 goals, while Yokoyama and Kunichika have 24 points apiece. Senior defenseman Ellesha Fortuna leads the team with a plus-20 rating. Since McDonald took over in 2006, RIT is 13-6 in the postseason, including 13-3 mark at Ritter Arena. The Tigers are 12-1 at home in the postseason at home over the last three seasons, including a 5-0 mark last year en route to winning the 2012 NCAA Division III National Championship. Goaltender Ali Binnington is tied for third in the nation with six shutouts. As a team, RIT has eight in 2012-13. Thirteen Tigers have at least 10 or points this season. RIT won its first game this season on Friday when held to one or fewer goals in a game. RIT was previously 0-8-2 in those contests. The Tigers are 18th nationally in scoring, averaging 2.64 goals per game, and 11th defensively, allowing 2.14 per contest. The Tigers power-play is 11th nationally, converting at 19.9 percent (32-for-161). RIT’s 32 power-play goals are  seventh in Division I. RIT Head Coach Scott McDonald recorded his 150th career win on Friday against Penn State. He is 151-37-15 in his seventh season with the Tigers.

 

SYRACUSE:Notes: It was a memorable night at Tennity Ice Pavilion during the Syracuse ice hockey (19-14-1, 13-6-1 CHA) team’s 4-1 victory against Lindenwood …  Head coach Paul Flanagan captured his 300th career win while both seniors, Jacquie Greco and Holly Carrie-Mattimoe, netted a goal each on their Senior Night… The win snapped a three-game losing skid for the Orange … With his monumental win, Flanagan is 300-168-38 in his career … The victory is also his 70th at SU, where he is 70-85-14 in his five years at the helm of the Orange … Flanagan is the sixth active women’s ice hockey coach to reach the milestone of 300 career wins …  Along with Greco and Carrie-Mattimoe, Sadie St. Germain and Shiann Darkangelo tallied goals for SU … Junior goaltender Kallie Billadeau recorded 34 saves in her 15th win of the season … he Orange outshot Lindenwood, 40-35 while holding the Lions to 0-for-3 on the power play. SU was 1-for-3 on the power play … The Orange fell in overtime on Tuesday, 2-1, to Lindenwood …Greco scored the game-tying goal in the third period … Overall, the Orange outshot Lindenwood, 43-36 … Both teams were scoreless on the power play, with SU going 0-for-4 and Lindenwood going 0-for-3 … The Orange is now 1-2-1 in overtime this season … SU finished the 2012-13 campaign with a 10-8-0 record at Tennity Ice Pavilion … The Orange will face RIT in the semifinals of the CHA tournament on Friday, March 8th.

 

In the ECAC DI hockey:

St. Lawrence will take on Cornell at 1 p.m. March 9 and Harvard will play Clarkson at 4 p.m. Both games will be held at Lynah Arena in Ithaca.

The winners of those two games will face each other to determine who will travel to the Frozen Four in Minnesota on March 22-24.

Tickets for the Semi-finals are available through Cornell. They are $6 adults; $5 seniors; $4 Cornell staff and children ages 5-12 and $3 for students with ID.

 

Jacquie Greco, Syracuse (Senior, Defense, Buffalo, N.Y.) –  During her final two games at Tennity Ice Pavilion, senior Jacquie Greco scored two goals in back-to-back games against Lindenwood. The defenseman turned forward has 10 goals and two assists this season, which includes two power play tallies. Her first score of the week came at 10:09 in the third period on Tuesday night’s game, tying up the game 1-1. Against the Lions on Wednesday, Greco scored again in the third period, advancing SU’s lead to 3-1.

Holly Carrie-Mattimoe, Syracuse (Senior, Forward, Sherwood Park, Alberta) – Holly Carrie-Mattimoe tallied a goal and an assist on her Senior Night and final game at Tennity Ice Pavilion. Carrie-Mattimoe had the primary assist on Shiann Darkangelo’s power play game-winning goal in the second period. She then scored a highlight reel top shelf goal at 15:40 in the third period to extend SU’s lead to 4-1. Carrie-Mattimoe leads SU with 26 points off of 10 goals and a team-high 16 points.

Jess Paton, RIT, (Freshman, Forward, Woodstock, Ontario) -Paton scored her fourth goal of the season to give RIT a 2-1 win in an eventual 3-2 overtime victory over Penn State in game two of the CHA First Round series on Saturday. She now has four goals and seven points this season.

Stars Empire Juniors wrap up season

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Janet
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The Buffalo Stars Empire Junior team wrapped up the 2012-13 season yesterday with an exhibition game against the D’Youville ACHA team. The Stars came out on top with a 4-3 victory. Blake Germony and Justice Rogers each scored twice for the Stars.

Last weekend the Stars wrapped up the regular season as Long Islands SUFFOLK came to town. On Saturday the Stars fought hard but dropped a 5-2 decision. Leo Blore and Mike Harris scored for Buffalo.

On Sunday, the Stars came out determined to end the season the same way they entered it: with a victory. The sea-saw battle saw the Stars come from behind 4 times. Tyler States tied the game at 6 late in the 3rd period to force an overtime. Other scorers in regulation for Buffalo were: Blake Germony, Mike Harris, Leo Blore and Patrick Schmelzinger (2). The OT session remained tied and in the shootout, Captain Mike Harris scored the winner and the elated Buffalo team stormed the ice in celebration.

Buffalo Stars Pee Wee Minors Champs!

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Janet
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In the March Classic Tournament at Leisure Rinks this past weekend, the Pee Wee Minor team was named Champions!!  They came so close in all three of their previous tournaments, and through their hard work had an amazing weekend!

 Led by their current team captain, Michael Naples, the boys played 5 tough games.  Their games started Thursday night with a 4-2 win over the Southtowns Stars (Cione).  Friday night they faced Southtowns Stars (Bernard) and lost 3-2.  Saturday brought a 2-2 tie against Fredonia, and a long night waiting to find out where they placed.   On Sunday, the boys faced Southtowns (Cione) again, and won 4-2.  Later that day, they faced Southtowns Stars (Bernard) in the finals and won 3-2!! 

This is the first tournament the boys have won as a team, and were so excited to get their gold medals and trophy!

Michael Naples was named as MVP of the tournament due to his hard work, dedication and leadership! 

Congratulations to all the boys and coaches on a well-played tournament and a great end to the season!!

Visit the Buffalo Stars on line at: www.buffalostars.com

Buffalo Stars Squirt & Peewee Hockey Tryouts

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Janet
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(Cheektowaga, NY) –  The Buffalo Stars  will conduct ice hockey tryouts for the 2013-2014 season starting Monday, March 11th for birth year players 2004 through 2001.

 

Tryouts will take place as follows:

 

Monday, March 11th Holiday Rinks 7:30pm for 2004 and 2003 birth year and 8:30pm for 2002 and 2001 birth year.

 

Tuesday, March 12th at Hyde Park Ice Rink in Niagara Falls: 5pm for 2004 and 2003 birth year and 6pm for 2001 birth year.

 

Wednesday, March 13th at Holiday Rinks 5:15pm for 2002 birth year.  

 

Players attending the tryouts will need a release from their current organization to participate in the tryout. Tryout participants should arrive at least 30 minutes prior to the scheduled ice time.

 

For more information about the Buffalo Stars visit us on line at: www.buffalostars.com or contact us at 685-1122

 

Griff’s Gibbons Named Player of Week

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Janet
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After helping the Canisius College hockey team secure home ice for the Atlantic Hockey First Round, junior Kyle Gibbons (Westlake, Ohio) was recognized as the league’s Player of the Week on Monday.

 

Gibbons totaled five points, one goal and four assists as the Griffs swept a pair of games against RIT during the weekend. The junior totaled two assists in a 6-5 victory on Friday before matching a career high with three points on a goal and two assists in a 4-2 win on Saturday.

 

The Westlake, Ohio native leads Canisius with 30 points, 16 goals and 14 assists this season. He currently ranks fourth in Atlantic Hockey with his 16 goals in addition to 35th nationally with 0.46 scores per game. Gibbons also leads the Griffs and is tied for seventh in Division I with seven power-play goals this season.

 

During his career, Gibbons has totaled 79 points, 37 goals and 42 assists. The junior currently ranks 13th in the program’s Division I history with his 79 career points and ninth with his 37 career tallies.

 

Gibbons and the Griffs now turn their attention toward the postseason where Canisius will host Bentley in a best 2-of-3 first-round series. The schools begin the series in Buffalo on Friday at 7:05 p.m.

“Michael Peca Named OJHL Executive-of-the-Year”

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Janet
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The Ontario Junior Hockey League today announced that Michael Peca of the Buffalo Jr. Sabres has been named the recipient of the 2012-13 OJHL Executive-of-the-Year Award.

Peca joined the Jr. Sabres as General Manager prior to the 2011-12 season, ultimately taking over the role as Head Coach when he replaced Grant Ledyard in early January and led the club to their best finish since the Niagara Scenic finished in second place in the Metro Junior ‘A’ Hockey League’s West Division in 1995-96. With expectations high, Peca continued to recruit and would make the summer’s most influential signing when Tyler Gjurich was brought on board from the Springfield Pics of the Eastern Junior Hockey League. Gjurich would not only lead the Sabres, but capture the OJHL scoring title during his rookie OJHL campaign. He would also swing a deal with the Hamilton Red Wings, bringing forward Nick Scamurra aboard in December. Scamurra would add more depth to the club, solidifying their quest for first place in the South-West Conference standings.

The Jr. Sabres regular season Conference title was garnered on the strength of a 38-12-5 record for 81 points and a .736 winning percentage, the best in franchise history since jumping to the Metro League in 1995-96 from the Eastern Junior Hockey League. Buffalo would also finish as runner-up for the OJHL regular season title, finishing four points behind the Trenton Golden Hawks for first place overall. A testament to the club’s leadership, the Sabres would tie for the league lead with 19 road wins

Known as a defensive specialist during his 14-year NHL career, twice winning the Selke Trophy as Best Defensive Forward; Peca’s influence on the club was clearly evident as they had the league’s top penalty killing unit, stopping the opposition with an 89.92% success rate. The club’s penalty kill would also lead the OJHL with 14 shorthanded goals throughout the season.

Led by Gjurich, and January South-West Conference Player-of-the-Month Ryan Schmelzer, the Sabres were also one of the top offensive forces in the OJHL, recording 249 goals for, more than any other OJHL squad and the most by the franchise since 1995-96 when they were led by Jeff Farkas. The clubs power play would enter the playoffs ranked fourth in the league on the strength of 65 power play goals in 309 man advantages for a 21.04% success rate.

The 38-year old native of Toronto, Ontario, played four seasons in the OHL with the Sudbury Wolves and Ottawa 67’s, while also winning the gold medal with Team Canada at the 1994 World Junior Championship held in Ostrava, Czech Republic. After being drafted by the Vancouver Canucks in the 2nd round, 40th overall, of the 1992 NHL Entry Draft, Peca embarked upon a 14-year NHL career with stops in Vancouver, Buffalo, New York (Islanders), Edmonton, Toronto and Columbus. He was also a member of Team Canada at the 2002 Winter Olympic Games held in Salt Lake City, Utah, ending the country’s 50 year gold medal drought when they defeated the United States 5-2 in the gold medal game.

The OJHL Executive-of-the-Year Award is awarded annually to the Executive that is adjudged to have 

exceeded expectations in his role with the club throughout the course of the regular season, including, but not 

limited to, President, Vice-President, General Manager, Assistant General Manager and Marketing Executives. 

Greg Walters of the Georgetown Raiders was named runner-up in the OJHL award balloting to Peca.

One year removed from the OJHL regular season title, and after losing numerous key players following the season, Walters was successful in re-tooling the Raiders to once again compete for the Conference lead, while finishing third overall in the league standings.

The Humanitarian-of-the-Year Award and the Trainer-of-the-Year Award recipients will be announced later this week.

2012-13 OJHL Award Winners 

Award Winner Runner-Up 

Top Scorer Tyler Gjurich (BUF) Jonah Renouf (OAK) 

Top Goaltender Charlie Finn (KIN) Joseph Pianta (TLP) 

Executive Michael Peca (BUF) Greg Walters (GEO) 

Press release courtesy OHL and Buffalo Jr. Sabres 

NCAA DIII Championship Bracket

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Janet
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INDIANAPOLIS – The No. 3/5 Oswego State men’s ice hockey team (23-4-0)  was one of eight teams to earn an automatic bid into the 2013 NCAA Division III Men’s Ice Hockey Tournament on Sunday night after claiming the SUNYAC Championship. The Lakers received a first-round bye into the quarterfinal round where they will travel to Adrian, Michigan to face the No. 6/6 Adrian Bulldogs (23-1-3) on Saturday, March 9 at a time to be announced.

Ticket information will be released when it becomes available.

The last time both teams met was in a 2011 NCAA Division III Men’s Ice Hockey semifinal that saw Adrian prevail by the score of 5-3.

The winner of the Oswego State/Adrian game is in the same half of the bracket with Norwich. Norwich will host the winner of Babson/Wentworth.

On the other side of the bracket, St. Norbert will host the winner of Wisconsin-Eau Claire/Saint John’s (MN) and Utica will host the winner of Bowdoin/UMass-Dartmouth in the other quarterfinal rounds.

The semifinal and final games will be played March 15-16 in Lake Placid, N.Y. Ticket information for future rounds of the NCAA Division III Men’s Ice Hockey Tournament can be found at ncaa.com/tickets.

Manhattanville Women Advance to Finals

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Janet
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The No. 8 Manhattanville women’s hockey team knocked off the UMass Boston Beacons in the ECAC East Conference semifinals on Saturday afternoon by the score of 5-2. Senior Jessica Kehoe (Kemptville, Ontario/Nepean Wildcats (PWHL)) netted a pair of goals in the victory to send the Valiants to their third straight conference title game.
With the victory Manhattanville will play tomorrow afternoon against the No. 3 Norwich Cadets in the ECAC East Championship game with the winner earning the league’s automatic qualifying bid to the NCAA Tournament.

The Valiants got on the board first after both teams started out tentatively in the early portions of the first period. SophomoreSydney Asselstine (Hartington, Ontario/Nepean Wildcats (PWHL)) ripped a hard shot from the top of the right circle that tipped off the glove of Beacon netminder Casey Schaejbe and into the back of the net to put Manhattanville up 1-0, with freshmanBrighid Noone (Quincy, Mass./Milton Academy (Mass.)) earning the helper.

The final 4:39 of the first period ticked off the clock and the two teams skated to the dressing room with the Valiants leading 1-0. In the first period, the Beacons outshot the Valiants by a 7-4 margin, with junior Mary Evans (Detroit, Mich./Honeybaked (TOEHL)) making four saves on shots sent her way.

In the second period, Manhattanville capitalized quickly after winning the opening draw of the period, senior Katie Little(Victoria, British Columbia/Team British Columbia) skated down the lane and took a quick shot after splitting a pair of defenders, the rebound was picked up on the side of the net by Kehoe, who lifted it into the vacant cage just 54 seconds in to put the Valiants up by two.

After killing off a penalty with 12:54 gone by in the second period, UMass Boston gained some momentum and came storming down the left wing. A shot by Sarahanne Cavolo was taken from a sharp angle, but Cavolo followed the puck to the net and squeezed the puck between the pads of Evans and the left post to cut the lead in half at 2-1.

The Valiants took a one-goal lead into the third period, and about halfway through the final frame Manhattanville was awarded a power play, which was killed off by the Beacon penalty kill unit.

Manhattanville followed by bringing the puck down the right side of the ice, and after taking a pass from Little, Kehoe intended to return the favor and sent it back into the slot. On its way towards Little, the puck then deflected off the stick of a UMass Boston player as Kehoe tried crossing it, and went into the goal to give Manhattanville another two-goal edge.

Twenty-seven seconds later after a turnover in the neutral zone, freshman Chelsea Boucher (Gilford, N.H./Hebron Academy (Maine)) streaked down the left boards and took a shot right in front of the net that got past Schaejbe and the Valiants had its largest lead of the game at 5-1.

Not even a minute later and there was yet another goal scored, this time for the Beacons as the Valiants coughed the puck up in their own end of the ice that was taken away by Emily Howard at the top of the zone. After taking a few strides towards the net, Howard pulled the trigger and lifted the shot top-shelf to pull UMass Boston back within two.

The Valiants tacked on one more for good measure as sophomore Alla Traun (Edina, Minn./Minnesota Thoroughbreds (JWHL)) put one into the net with 2:06 left on the clock as sophomore Rachael Morrison (Ridgefield, Conn./Sound Shore Warriors (MAWHL)) and senior Erin Sidjak (Delta, British Columbia/Pacific Steelers (JWHL)) picked up assists on the final goal of the game.

Manhattanville finished the game outshooting UMass Boston 22-17, with the Valiants winning 33-of-54 faceoffs on the afternoon, with Kehoe winning 13 and classmate Lynsey Schill (Waterloo, Ontario/Kitchener Rangers (PWHL)) winning eight on her own.

Earning the win was Evans to improve to 13-6-1 on the season, her 13 wins ties her for second on the single-season wins list and one behind the all-time Nicole Elliot’s 2002-03 season. Taking the loss was Schaejbe after making 17 saves on the afternoon.

Manhattanville (18-8-1) advances to the ECAC East Championship game against top-seeded Norwich, who defeated the Southern Maine Huskies earlier in the day by a 5-0 score. UMass Boston ends the year with a 9-14-4 record overall and will look ahead to the 2013-14.

Air Force Overpowers NU in Weekend Series

By
Janet
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0

Air Force Upends No. 13 Niagara, 6-1 to Sweep Weekend Series

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Air Force built a 3-0 lead on its way to a 6-1 win over the No. 13 Niagara Purple Eagles Saturday evening in Atlantic Hockey action at the Cadet Ice Arena to sweep the weekend series.  

Patrick Divjak was the lone Purple Eagle to get on the score board as Niagara wrapped up the regular season with a 21-8-5 overall record, and a 20-5-2 AHA mark. 

The Falcons (17-11-7; 15-7-5 AHA) peppered starting NU goaltender Cody Campbell with 15 shots in the opening 20 minutes, while limiting the Purps to just five looks on net.  Niagara ran into some penalty trouble, finding itself in the box three times which led to the first Air Force goal with 2:48 on the clock.   With 56 remaining on the Falcons’ third man-advantage, Chad Demers rang a shot off the post that dropped behind Campbell for the easy tap in by John Kruse.

Twelve seconds later the Falcons extended their lead to two off a Ben Persian slap shot from the top of the slot. 

Niagara fell into a 3-0 hole 3:40 into the second frame off the stick of Kyle De Laurell.  The senior picked up a rebound off his own shot, and backhanded his 18th goal of the year over the Campbell stick side.

The Purple Eagles were finally able to breakthrough on the scoreboard as Divjak netted his seventh goal of the season close to the midway point of the contest.  The left winger chopped the puck towards net right off the face off and saw it beat Air Force goalie Jason Torf with 11:36 on the clock. 

The deficit was stretched to three goals again though off a score from Chad Demers, sending the teams into the second break with AF up 4-1. 

Adam McKenzie added a power play goal 42 seconds into the final frame, and Ben Persian netted the Falcon’s sixth goal to hand the Purps their first back-to-back loss of the season. 

With his third start of the season, Campbell ended the contest with 39 saves.   

Niagara will enjoy a weekend bye in the opening round of the Atlantic Hockey playoffs before hosting a best-of-three quarterfinal series from March 15-17.

To purchase tickets, contact the Niagara Ticket Office (located inside Dwyer Arena) at 716-286-TIXX, visit www.PurpleEagles.com/Tickets or emailing [email protected] to reserve your seats today!

 

Air Force Thumps No. 13 Niagara, 5-2

 

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The No. 13 Niagara hockey team dropped a 5-2 decision to Air Force on Friday evening at the Cadet Ice Arena as the Falcons erased a two-goal deficit with five unanswered goals.

Despite being outshot 14-7 in the opening 20 minutes of play, the Purple Eagles went into the first intermission with a 2-1 lead off a pair of goals from Hugo Turcotte. 

The rookie started the scoring at the 11:15 mark with a short-handed tally on Niagara’s second shot of the game.  The Purple Eagle forecheck forced a turnover in the Air Force defensive end, which Turcotte picked up and slapped past AF goaltender Jason Torf for his sixth of the season. 

A little over two minutes later the centerman struck again to make it 2-0, this time ripping a rolling puck just inside the blue line over the shoulder of Torf for his first two-goal game as a Purple Eagle.  C.J. Chartrain and Sam Alfieri pocketed assists on the play.  

It did not take long for the Falcons to cut the lead in half as Scott Holm netted his eighth score of the year while on the power play.  Chad Demers passed the puck across the blue paint to Holm who barely snuck a shot under the pads of NU goalie out Carsen Chubak to make it 2-1.

Air Force continued to dictate play in a physical second period, as it heavily outshot the Purps 24-7 in the frame.  Niagara saw its two-goal cushion disappear at the midway point of the second as AF knotted the game at 2-2 off the stick of Stephen Carew.  

The Falcons broke the deadlock just 26 seconds in the final 20 minutes of the game.  The  goal was credited to Cole Gunner after his initial shot to the left of Chubak was saved, but the rebound bounced off an NU player and trickled over the goal line.  

Kyle De Laurell added an empty net tally and Mike McDonald solidified the victory with another score with just seven seconds left on the clock to hand the Purps their fourth conference loss of the season. 

Chubak wrapped up the game with a career-high 45 saves.   

Niagara looks to bounce back against Air Force when the two teams do battle again Saturday night in the regular-season finale at Cadet Ice Arena.  Puck drop is set for 9:05 p.m. ET.

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