By Janet Schultz
The NYS Girls Varsity Championship is in the books with Williamsville winning 5-4 in overtime over Skaneateles. However, the team has little time for relaxation as they gear up for the WNYGVIH Quarterfinals.
The puck drops Tuesday, Feb. 12 at 4 p.m. when #8 and this year’s Expansion Team Niagara County takes on #1 Frontier/LakeShore/Orchard Park. FLOP lost a heart-breaker in the Section VI Championship to Williamsville. That Section VI finale went into overtime tied at 3 when Erin Roland scored an unassisted goal at 1:40 of OT.
FLOP goes into the League playoffs seeded #1 with 12-1-1 overall record followed by #2 Monsignor Martin with an 11-2-1 record. Williamsville, in third, has a 11-3-0 record. FLOP’s only loss and the tie came at the hands of Monsignor Martin. A 1-1 overtime tie on December 13 and a 4-1 loss on FLOP’s home ice on January 17.
Monsignor Martin’s loss came at the hands of Williamsville early in the season (5-3 Williamsville) and then to Lancaster/Iroquois/Depew, a 4-1 loss on January 7.
Williamsvile’s losses were to FLOP twice and once to Monsignor Martin.
Strong goaltending seems to be predominate in the league.
While Niagara County may have ended #8 with no wins their only Goaltender Annie Riek deserves attention for spending 674.17 minutes in net, facing 519 shots and making 388 saves.
Clarence/Amherst/Sweethome’s Kylie Paige has seen 718.55 minutes of action and made 403 saves on 465 shots and LID’s Dylan Gorski has been in net for 591.02 minutes making 287 saves on 315 shots. While they don’t top the statistics list, their work between the pipes is commendable. Gorski has logged two shutouts.
Williamsville’s Elizabeth Timby not only has State experience behind her as she enters the League playoffs but she has logged 7 wins in the League including a shutout. She has a .921 save percentage and 1.79 GAA.
Other goalies to keep an eye on that can make those saves in amazing fashion are Monsignor Martin’s Sophie Will, Grace Harrington and Izzy Battaglia. Along with them we cannot forget Maggie Spyche and Tori Cottrell from FLOP and Sissy Harman from Hamburg/Eden/West Seneca. Actually, the entire group of goaltenders in this league have the skill to pull through when needed.
Looking at the scoring Wiliamsville’s Emma Roland currently holds first place in scoring with35 goals and 22 assists. Also in the top with 30 or more points are CASH’s Emma Faso, FLOP’s Brooke Becker and LID’s Jersey Phillips.
Others to watch for scoring include FLOP’s Keegan Shanahan and Mary Kromer; Monsignor Martin’s Emily Matthew and Izzy Friedman, Williamsville’s Vanessa Willick and Jenna Cavalieri and CASH’s Charleigh Rondeau. All having around 20 points on the season.
The matchups on Tuesday at 4 p.m. is #8 Niagara County taking on #1 FLOP; 5:30 p.m. #7 Kenmore/Grand Island facing off with #2 Monsignor Martin; 7 p.m.; 7 p.m. #6 HEWS against #3 Williamsville and finally at 8:30 p.m. #5 CASH facing off with #4 LID.
Semi-finals will be held on Thursday, February 14 at 3:30 p.m. with #4 facing #1 and at 5 p.m. when #3 faces off against #2 at Amherst Northtowns Center.
The winners of those two games face each other at 7 p.m. February 24 at HarborCenter as part of the Super Sunday series.
