WNYGVIH Recap for December 16-21, 2024
By Janet Schultz
Maya Griffin (FFLOP) has broken the Most Points in a Game record with 9 pts on 4 goals and 4 assists. Griffin did it in a 10-1 victory over Williamsville. In goal, MonMar’s Kate Kelley stopped 70 of 87 shots on goal in a 8-0 loss to KenGiPort.
The first part of this season has found KenGiPort in the lead with a 5 wins; 2 loss record in 7 games played. They are followed by St. Mary’s of Lancaster (3-1-1-1-0) and FFLOP (3-1-1-0-0) in overall League play.
HEWS is tied with FFLOP, each having 10.5 points. Next is LIDA, CASH, NiCo, Williamsville and Monsignor Martin.
But as we always say, on any given day these standings could change.
Sitting on top of the leader board is Griffin followed by teammates Gabby Sojda (8 goals and 6 assists) and Peyton Forcucci (5 goals and 7 assists). After that it’s Sophia Phillips (HEWS) (6/6=12 pts), Jenny Wild (CASH) (6/4-10 pts) and Avery Szczesek (St. Marys) (7/3=10 pts) rounding out the top five.
Goaltenders leading the league include Kate Kelley with 275 minutes in net has made 270 saves on 298 shots. Ella Buczynski has had 2 shutouts this season. Jillian Hager played 45 minutes and made 3 saves on 3 shots for a 1.00 save percentage. Rachel Fix is next after 228.50 minutes stopping 108 of 116 for a .931 save percentage.
Other top goaltenders, who have played regularly, are Buczynski stopping 86 of 93 overall; Ella Celej, facing 141 and stopping 129; Ella Johnston, stopping 103 of 113; Oliva Lookman, stopping 111 of 132 and Anna Bacon facing 133 and stopping 106. It seems are goaltenders are working extremely hard this season.
Now how did all of this happen.
This week opened with a non-league game with visiting Webster playing at Hockey Outlet against KenGiPort. KenGiPort comes out on top 6-0 with Johnston making 10 saves for the shut-out. Goal scorers included Isabelle Bourgeault, Savannah Samplinski, Ava Pasceri, Erin Krawczyk, Isabella Burt. Assisting were Isabella Jayme, Burt, Natalie Kopf, Isabella Shaft, Madeline Jagow, Teagan Willats, Bourgeault and Burt. In goal stopping 20 of 26 was Mia Wambach for Webster.
Williamsville beat Monsignor Martin 6-1 in the other game that evening. Scarlet Canna had the game-winner, assisted by Jaylee Kochan and Quinn Wolf. Also scoring were Addison Stachura, assisted by Besancon; Sophia DePrima, assisted by Canna; Stachura on the power-play, assisted by Allison Besancon and Anna Meyer; Besancon with a second goal, assisted by Genevieve Illos and the last goal of the evening by Alena Lombardo on the power-play, assisted by Meyer and Megan Loretz. Anna Bacon was in goal stopping 20 of 21 for the W. The lone goal for MonMar came from Gabby Kazmark, assisted by Addison Cherry. Kelley stopped 24 of 30 shots.
FFLOP and St. Mary’s of Lancaster played to a 1-1 overtime tie. Sojda had a goal for FFLOP, assisted by Peyton Forcucci and Maya Griffin and Szczesek had an unassisted goal for St. Mary’s. Rachel fixed stopped 35 of 36 and Betsy Accurso stopped 24/25.
Three games on tap for Tuesday including a 5-4 victory for LIDA over St. Mary’s. LIDA’s Claire Whiteford had the game-winner, unassisted, her second goal of the night as she also had the first goal. Brynn Cafferty, Leah Dowling, and Mia Hauser added to the scoreboard. Assisting were Emily Lysiak (3 assists), Layla Osinski and Lucia Lawrence. In goal, Iris Schimenti stopped 24/28 for the W. Lauren Gilano, Gabe Lowell, Szczesek and Alanah Pagano put St. Mary’s on the board with Emma Babcock assisting on two, Lowell and Gilano on the other two goals. Accurso stopped 24/29.
Next up was HHEWS at NiCo with HHEWS coming out on top with a 7-1 victory. Allie Schmirl had the first goal, unassisted. Adding the game-winner was MacKenzie Benker, assisted by Brynn Holland. Schmirl added another, Morgan Cooper, Ellie Grabowski (2) and Holland finished out the game with goals. Assisting were Brooke Vetter, Sophia Phillips (3), Clare Sokolowski, Sophia Sokolowski (2), Kelsey Barrett and Mea Foster. In goal Buczynski stopped 16/17 for the W. Natalee Lawrence had the lone goal for NiCo with Myla Chopyak assisted. In goal Jaylin Beaver stopped 23 of 30.
FFLOP headed to Northtowns to play CASH and came away with a 3-1 victory. Alyssa Starkey had the first goal of the evening, assisted by Sophia Quinn. Griffin had the game-winner, assisted by Adeline Weber and Brooklyn Forcucci. FFLOP’s Sojda added the third for security, assisted by P. Forcucci and Griffin. Fix stopped 21/22. Jenny Wild had a single, unassisted goal for CASH. Celej was in net stopping 31/34.
It was a 8-0 shutout for KenGiPort over MonMar, but it was MonMar’s Goalie making the news with her 79 saves on 87 shots. Scoring for KenGiPort was Bourgeault, Denning, Willats, Pasceri, Jagow, Burt, I. Shaft with two and Hager in goal making 3 saves for the shut-out victory.
In an unusual Wednesday game, a make-up from the snow day. KenGiPort headed to take on Williamsville and walked away with a 6-1 victory. Jayme had the game-winner, assisted by Burt and Kiley Burke. Other goals came from Marzec, Bourgeault, Kopf, I. Shaft and Pasceri. Assisting in the game were Dettbarn, Jayme and Pasceri; with Burt having 3 assists that evening. Hadley Dahlgren made 12 saves on 13 shots.
LIDA headed to Rochester to play a non-league game against Webster. It was a 8-1 victory for LIDA with Lysiak scoring an unassisted goal to open the game. Then adding two more that evening for a hattrick. Also scoring were Leah Sacco, unassisted; Cafferty on the powerplay, assisted by Dowling and Lawrence and a second by Cafferty, assisted by Dowling. In goal, Schimenti stopped 17 of 18. Webster’s Maddie Meyer had the single goal, assisted by Viv Kinkead. In goal, Sami Cullen stopped 14/20.
The final games of 2024, before we head into the New Year, on Thursday included Williamsville at CASH, NiCo at FFLOP, St. Mary’s at MonMar and KenGiPort at HEWS.
CASH took a 2-1 lead in the first period, continued with two more goals in the second and capped it with two more in the third for a 6-2 victory. CASH’s Celia Watson scored first, assisted by Kiley Breeze; Williamsville answered back when Illos tied the game, assisted by Besancon. Quickly CASH dropped in another off the stick of Polina Stremiakova, unassisted and CASH leaves the period ahead. Wild gets the game-winner in the second, assisted by Breeze; Watson adds a second, assisted by Stremiakova and Maya Adimey to go ahead 4-1. AT 2:14 of the third, Besancon adds a second goal for Williamsville, assisted by Illos. But the game goes to control by CASH when Breeze adds another, assisted by Watson and Wild and then Wild scores on the power-play to end the game 6-2. CASH’s Grace Elliott stopped 11 of 13 for the W and in goal for Williamsville Lookman stops 32 of 38.
FFLOP takes NiCo 10-2 on their home ice with scoring by Favata (unassisted), Bowen, Gearhart (the game-winner unassisted), Sojda (on the powerplay, four goals for a hattrick plus on and an unassisted goal) P. Forcucci (2) and Quinn. Assists that evening from Rutz, P. Forcucci(2), Griffin (2), Starkey, Tafft. Fix was in goal for FFLOP stopping 16/18. For NiCo it was Madelyn Martin scoring both goals and Draper and Latini each assisting on one. Beaver was in goal.
St. Mary’s beat MonMar 3-1. (We haven’t seen the stat sheet).
KenGiPort headed to HEWS for the final, late game. It was a 1-0 victory for HEWS. Sophia Phillips scored the unassisted, game-winner with Buczynski in goal stopping 19 for the shut-out victory. Johnston was in goal for KenGiPort stopping 17/18.
There is one game scheduled for the holiday period. FFLOP will play LIDA at Leisure Rinks on Monday, December 30 to make up the snow day from December 12. It’s a 12:15 p.m. puck drop.
The League will return to the ice with a non-league game on Thursday, January 2 when Webster comes to play FFLOP at 4:30 pm. at Nike Arena in Hamburg. Also on January 2, HEWS will play MonMar at Northtown at 4 p.m. to makeup for the December 5 game. There is also a Friday, January 3 game when St. Mary’s will travel to CASH at Northtown to make up a December 5 snow cancellation. Puck drop is 5 p.m.
Regular action begins Monday, January 6 when Niagara County plays St. Mary’s at Cheektowaga; LIDA is at HEWS.
On Tuesday, January 7 it will be FFLOP at Niagara County; St. Mary’s at Williamsville; MonMar at HEWS and LIDA at KenGiPort.
Thursday, January 9 will be CASH at FFLOP, NiCo at Williamsville and KenGiPort at MonMar.
Any updates to games will be at the WNYGVIH Facebook and website and at NYHOL’s Facebook page.
(NYHOL will post a photo gallery later this week; thank you for your patience. Still editing)
