WNYGVIH February 3-7, 2025
Story/Photos by Janet D Schultz
KenGIPort has taken the 2024-25 Federation League Championship after posting a 13-2-1 record and 40.5 points. Coming in second was last year’s Fed Champion, Niagara County with a 11-2-3 record for 37.5 points.
This also means the seeding for the Section VI Championship is set. KenGiPort gets a bye in the first round. The schedule for Tuesday, February 11 at Buffalo State College’s ice arena is #2 FFLOP takes on #7 Williamsville at 4 p.m.; #3 LIDA faces #6 Niagara County at 6 p.m. and #4 HEWS plays #5 CASH at 8 p.m.
Winners of those games move to the Semi-finals on Thursday February 13 with KenGIPort playing the fourth seed at 4:30 p.m. and the 2nd and 3rd seeded facing off at 6:30 p.m.
Finals for the private schools, St. Mary’s of Lancaster vs Monsignor Martin will be played Monday, February 17 at 6 p.m. and the Section VI finalists will play at 8 p.m.
With the addition of a team from Section V, Webster, there will be a Far West Regional to determine if a team from Section V or Section VI will present the West in the States. That game will be played in Webster on Wednesday, February 19 at 7 p.m.
A team from Section 5/6 will face a team from Section 3/4 at 4 p.m. on Friday, February 21 at the Utica Nexus Center. At 6 p.m. Section 1/2 will faceoff with Section 7/10. The winners of those two games will play for the NYS Championship at Noon on Saturday February 22.
This past week proved to be a very busy one, especially for LIDA, who played every night to make up some rescheduled games and play a scheduled one.
On Monday it was LIDA at MonMar with a 7-2 victory for LIDA. They played at Northtowns. LIDA scored in the first two periods but MonMar made a mark in the third with two goals, one from Captain Addison Cherry and the other from Claire Kloetzer. Cherry’s was unassisted and Ellie Black and Avery McDonald assisted on Kloetzers. For LIDA it was Claire Whiteford, Brynn Cafferty(2), Leah Dowling, Anna Maki, Caitlin Sinclair and Emily Lysiak scoring. Iris Schimenti faced 10 SOG, stopping 8, for the W. MonMar’s Kate Kelley faced 48SOG.
FFLOP played HEWS and took away a 3-1 victory with Jocelyn Smaczniak and Maya Griffin scoring. Griffin had the game-winner plus one and Smaczniak managed to assist on both Griffin goals. Rachael Fix stopped 22 of 23 for the W. Brynn Holland had a power-play goal for HEWS to put them on the boards. Ella Buczynski stopped 33 of 36.
CASH headed to Cheektowaga to play St. Mary’s of Lancaster and they ended in a 1-1 overtime tie. For CASH it was Cecilia Bizub, assisted by Georgia Mango and Polina Stremiakova and for St. Mary’s Danielle Cottrell on the power-play, assisted by Gabe Lowell. Stopping 46 of 47 for CASH was Ella Celej and for St. Mary’s Avery Hall stopped 25 of 26.
Tuesday KenGIPort headed to NiCo to solidify their League Championship. They did that with a 6-1 victory. Three goals in the first, three in the second and no scoring in the third and they brought home the trophy. NiCo’s single goal came in the second off the stick of Abbey Zimmerman, assisted by Myla Chopyak. For KenGiPort it was Isabella Jayme with two, including a power-play; Erin Krawczyk with the game-winner, Madelyn Jagow, Isabelle Bourgeault and Zoey Dettbarn. Ella Johnston stopped 16 of 17 and for NiCo, Jaylin Beaver stopped 13 of 19.
Williamsville beat Monsignor Martin in as 4-0 shutout with Anna Bacon stopping 18 shots. Putting the puck past Kate Kelley (22/26) were Genevieve Illos, Sophia DePrima and Allison Besancon with two.
A tight came between LIDA and HEWS and it was a LIDA 3-2 victory. LIDA’s Caitlin Sinclair had two goals, including the game-winner and Lysiak had the other. Schimenti stopped 17 of 19 for the W. For HEWS it was Holland scoring, along with Morgan Cooper; while Buczynski made 21 of 14 saves.
Webster and Williamsville braved the elements in a cold, windy day at Riverworks on Wednesday. The visitors took home the 4-1 victory with scoring from Fanale(2), Cullen, Maddie Meyer. In goal Wambach stopped 8 of 9 SOG. (Apologies for no first names, no roster). Besancon scored for Williamsville, assisted by Jaylea Kochan. Lookman made 30 saves on 34 SOG.
Across town, KengiPort faced NiCo for the second consecutive night and came out with a 4-0 shutout victory. Scoring were Bourgeault with the game-winner, shorthanded and unassisted. Alexa Denning, Isabella Burt, Teagan Willats. Hadley Dahlgren played 30 minutes and took the W stopping 9 SOG and Jillian Hager played 15 minutes stopping 5 SOG. Lila Jones was in for NiCo and faced 33 SOG, stopping 29.
Jayme moved to #2 in All Time Scoring in the WNYGVIH with her assist in this game.
CASH took a 2-0 win from LIDA with Mila Dominik scoring the game-winner, assisted by Celia Watson and then Watson scored an unassisted for the W. Celej made 31 saves for the shutout. Schimenti stopped 21/23.
CASH celebrated Georgia Mango on Senior Night but came away with a 5-2 loss to LIDA. CASH scored both goals in the third, one with 1:28 left and the final goal of the night with 9.2 seconds left, stopping LIDA from a shut-out. For LIDA it was Lysiak, unassisted; Lawrence, at 41 seconds of the second period; Cafferty with the game-winner and Whiteford and the last from Lysiak. Schimenti stopped 21 of 23 for the W. For CASH it was Jenny Wild, assisted by Watson and Maya Adimey; Adimey from Wild and Kiley Breeze. Celej faced 33 shots.
FFLOP shut out MonMar 8-0 with the game-winning goal scored by Favata, Griffin had two goals; Gabby Sojda had a hattrick and goals were added by Olivia Waterman and Peyton Forcucci. Fix stopped the two shots by MonMar. MonMar’s Kelley stopped 65 of 73 SOG.
HEWS took an 8-1 victory from NiCo with scoring by Holland (2, one on the power-play), Waszkielewicz (a hattrick), Sophia Phillips(2) and Ellie Grabowski on the power-play. Buczynski stopped 40 of 41 for the W. For NiCo it was A Lawrence scoring, assisted by Mainstone and Jones splitting goaltending with Beaver. Jones played 4 minutes stopping 3 of 6 and Beaver played 41 minutes, stopping 24 of 29.
In regular season play, FFLOP’s Griffin and Sojda sit at top of the Scoreboard with 48 and 41 points respectively. Griffin has 24 goals and 24 assists; Sojda, 19 goals and 22 assists. The top five are rounded out by NiCo’s Sam Latini, 20/15 for 35; NiCo’s A.Zimmerman with 23/11 and LIDA’s Lysiak with 17 goals and 14 assists.
KenGiPort’s Hager sits with a 1.00 save percentage after playing 105 minutes. KenGiPort also has Dahlgren on top in second with a .958 save% in 120 minutes of play. CASH’s Celej has a .931 save% with 555.90 minutes of play, stopping 326 of 350 shots. HHEWS Buczynski has played 733 minutes with a .925 save%, stopping 359 of 388.
In related WNYGVIH news, two of the alumni are now New York State Troopers. CASH’S Emma Faso and FFLOP’s Abbey Lillis just completed and graduated from the NYS Troopers Academy. We congratulate them and wish them well, as well as thank them for their service.
February 3-7 Photo Gallery
