By Janet Schultz
The 14th season of the WNYGVIH Federation faced off at Cheektowaga with St. Mary’s of Lancaster hosting Hamburg/Eden/West Seneca/Holland. Just 55 seconds into the game and St. Mary’s Avery Szczesek got one past HEWS goaltender Ella Buczynski, assisted by Alana Pagano. It remained that way for two periods, with the only thing on the scoreboard in the second were penalties.
In the third HEWS Sophia Phillips scored to tie the game. Assisting were Samantha Miller and Brynn Holland with just over two minutes left in regulation. Tied and we go into the first overtime of the 2023-24 season. However, the game remained that way and the first game of the season ends in a 1-1 tie.
Buczynski stopped 10 of 11 sog and Avery Hall stopped 26 of 27 for St. Mary’s.
Reece Gall is wearing the “C” for St.Mary’s, assisted by Gabe Lowell and Riley Kumrow.
NYHOL headed to Dwyer Arena on Tuesday for the match-up between Niagara County and Williamsville. Three goals to start off the first period by Niagara County’s Madison Mallone, Marina Mansfield and Sam Draper. They added six more in the second and topped their score with two more in the third. The League has their first shut-out of the season, an 11-0 victory for Niagara County over Williamsville. Scoring for NiCo were Sam Latini, both her and Mallone had the first hat-tricks of the season; Mansfield with two goals, a goal each for Ashley Mainstone and Natalee Lawrence. Assists were credited to Mallone, Latini, Mainstone (2), Lawrence, Faith O’Connor, and Julia Hoffman.
Williamsville’s goaltender Olivia Lookman, a first-year seventh grader from Transit Middle stopped 45 SOG and NiCo’s Kennedy Ruest stopped 6 for the shutout.
Across town Kenmore/Grand Island/Lockport hosted Monsignor Martin at their new, but temporary facility at Brighton. It ended 6-4 for Monsignor Martin. Putting the goals in the net for MMAA were Alexandria Franke with a hattrick, an empty netter and the winning goal; Ryan Honadle and Avery McDonald. Assisting were McDonald on the first, along with Lena Hurley; Gabby Kasmark on the third with McDonald. The final two goals by Franke were unassisted. In goal Kate Kelley stopped 22 of 26 for the win.
For KGIPort it was Isabella Bourgeault, assisted by Isabella Burt; Burt from Isabella Jayme; then Jayme with two goals assisted by Burt and Bourgeault. Looks like we have a power line in Burt, Jayme and Bourgeault. Ella Johnston stopped 17 of 22 sog.
Frontier/Lakeshore/Orchard Park/Franklinville (FFLOP) headed to Northtowns on Tuesday to take on Clarence/Amherst/Sweet Home (CASH). FFLOP opened the scoring at 5:35 of the first with a goal off the stick of Maya Griffin, assisted by Lilah Cudney and Emily Patton. First ends 1-0. Second period, CASH opens the scoring when Jenny Wild scores to tie the game at 1-1. FFLOP answers back when Sophia Lestingi scores to goals to end the second 3-1 in favor of FFLOP. Cudney assisted on the first and Sara Himelein on the second, which turned out to be the game-winner.
FFLOP’s Patton drops in the first in the third, but CASH answers back with a goal off EllaVanDuuren, assisted by Tessa Kwiatowski. However at 6:51 FFLOP seals the game with a goal by Cudney, unassisted. The game ends 5-2 FFLOP. In goal for FFLOP, Kerrigan McCarthy, stopping 10 of 12 for the win and CASH’s Ella Celej, a rookie, stopping 49 of 54.
Williamsville headed to play Skaneateles on Wednesday evening. NYHOL has no stats but Skaneateles beat Williamsville 7-0. To jog everyone’s memory, Skaneateles is a NYS Champion and WNYGVIH has been at the opposite end of those wins.
Thursday’s will be busy for all of us involved with WNYGVIH with four games on tap this opening week. NYHOL headed to Northtown for the KGIport at Williamsville game.
KGIport opens the scoring just 16 seconds in with a goal by Isabella Jayme, assisted by Madeline Marzec. The close out the second with one more goal by Alexa Denning, assisted by Alberalla and Isabella Shaft. This turns out to be the game-winner. It is 2-0 as the games heads into not only the second period but the third as well. In the third it’s Bourgeault, assisted by Jayme and Samatha Horne; I. Shaft, assisted by Teagan Willats and Madelyn Jagow. (Yes, she is with KENGIport after moving to Grand Island this summer) and finally a Willats goal, assisted by Jagow for a 5-1 KENGIport victory over Williamsville.
Scoring on the power-play for Williamsville in the third was Scarlet Canna, assisted by Captain Shannon Pogorzala.
S. Horne stopped 14 of 15 for KENGIport and Olivia Lookman stopped 39 of 44 for Williamsville.
It was HHEWS topping CASH 5-0 with scoring from Kayla Pelc, H. Barrett (2), Phillips and Meghan Waszkielewicz. Assisting Barrett on her two goals were Pelc and Phillips. MacKenzie Benker and Holland assisted Waszkielewicz on hers. In goal stopping 3/3 sog was Gigi Rakoski and Buczynski 8 of 8 for the win.
In goal for CASH was Ella Celej who stopped 45 of 50.
FFLOP continued on a winning path with a 2-0 shutout over Lancaster/Iroquois/Depew/Alden (LIDA) at Hamburg. Griffin and Brooklyn Forcucci had unassisted goals and McCarthy stopped 29 SOG for the shutout win. LIDA’s Carly Irzycki stopped 21 of 23 sog.
It was a shutout victory for St. Mary’s of Lancaster when they beat Monsignor Martin 1-0 on Thursday. The winning goal shot in by Gabby Bellacose, assisted by Lauren Gilano. Avery Hall stopped 18 shots on goal for the shutout. In net for MMAA was Kate Kelly who stopped 20 of 21.
Leading the scoring in the League is Isabella Jayme with two games played and 3 goals and 2 assists for 5 points. Tallying four points were Madison Mallone, Sam Latini, Isabella Burt and Isabelle Bourgeault. Alex Franke has four goals in two games.
Kennedy Ruest and Avery Hall have each logged a shut out, with Hall leading the number of minutes in net a 95. Lookout and McCarthy have been in net for 90 minutes each.
FFLOP leads the League with two games played and a 2-0 record. They are followed by HHEWS and St. Mary’s each having a win and a tie.
Week 2 coming up.
Monday, December 4: Williamsville at St. Mary’s at Cheektowaga, 4 pm
Tuesday, December 5: St. Mary’s at NiCo, NU’s Dwyer Arena, 5:05 pm
Tuesday, December 5: HHEWS at LIDA at Holiday, 4:15 pm
Wednesday, December 6: Monsignor Martin at Williamsville, Northtowns Center, 4:30 pm
Thursday, December 7: NiCo at CASH, Northtowns, 4:30 pm
Thursday, December 7: LIDA at Monsignor Martin,North Buffalo, 4:40 pm
Thursday, December 7: St. Mary’s at FFLOP, Hamburg, 4:30 pm
Thursday, December 7: KENGIport at HHEWS, West Seneca, 8:40 pm
Remember, there is no admission charge to these games.
Photo Galleries are available for viewing at https://janetschultz.smugmug.com
Just click on the game you want to view, double click on first photo and an enlarged photo will appear; use arrow on right to scroll through. This site also gives you an option to purchase photos. You do not have to do that to view. Also, some photos may appear fuzzy, due to the glass I have to shoot through. I suggest not using those if you want to print. Also SmugMug does have options for purchasing gift-type items. I haven’t used this feature so cannot give you an assessment of the quality. No photos may be published elsewhere without permission of NYHOL/Janet Schultz.
