Recapping Week 4
By Janet Schultz, NYHOL
The Niagara County Lady Warriors are ending 2023 on top in the League standings. However, HHEWS is following closely behind and KenGiPort will also be a threat to that top lineup.
NiCo has an undefeated record at 7-0-0 with 7 games played and 21 points. HHEWS is 6-2-1 with 19.5 points and KenGiPort is 6-2-0 with 18 points.
With that said, other teams could move up as we look at some very good goaltending and scorers. FFLOP sits in fourth with a 4-3-0 record; St Marys, 3-5-1; Monsignor Martin, 3-3-0 and LIDA, 2-5-0. CASH and Willamsville sit with 3 points each and very young teams. CASH is 1-6-0 and WMSL 1-7-0.
The top scorers are coming from NiCo and KenGiPort with Madison Mallone sitting first with 11 goals and 7 assists and 18 points; Isabelle Bourgeault, 5 goals, 9 assists; Isabella Jayme, 8 goals 5 assists and Marina Mansfield, 9 goals 3 assists. Abbey Zimmerman, Sam Latini and Sophia Phillips are tied at fifth with 11 points each. Mallone, Latini and Zimmerman are “on the radar” for the All-Time Scoring list.
Goalies have been the key as we head into the second half of the season. Kennedy Ruest of NiCo has 405 minutes in the net and a .932 save percentage. Ruest, Betsy Accurso and Ella Buczynski have two shutouts each. Other noteable goaltenders include Rachel Fix, Irzycki and Avery Hall. All who have .920 save percentages or better. Olivia Lookman of Williamsville has payed 403.22 minutes in goal.
Opening Week Four was NiCo at St. Mary’s and that proved to be a close game ending 3-2 i favor of Niagara County. Scoring for NiCo: Mallone, Zimmerman and Mansfield with Zimmerman, O’Connor, Mallone and Draper all having assists. Ruest was in the net stopping 21 of 23. St. Mary’s Avery Szczesek and Gabe Lowell scored with assists from Brooklyn Vitez and Danielle Cottrell. Avery Hall stopped 21 of 24.
NiCo had a return performance the following night facing HHews. Once again the Lady Warriors came out on top 6-1. Mallone had the game-winner plus the first goal of the night. Other scoring came from Frankie Williamson, assisted by Latini and O’Connor; Natalee Lawrence, unassisted; Marina Mansfield, unassisted and finally one from Lawrence, assisted by Zimmerman and O’Connor. Ruest takes the win making 25 of 26.
For HHEWS it was Lillian Drzazgowski assisted by Sophia Phillips and Kelsey Barrett.
KenGiPort beat CASH 3-0 with scoring from Savannah Samplinski, Jayme, Teagan Willats, assisted by Bourgeault and Marzec. Samantha Horne was in net for the 15 save shutout. CASH’s Celej made 45 of 48 sog.
FFLOP took LIDA in a close 3-2 at Holiday. Scoring were Kayli Tefft, two from Lilah Cudney with assists coming from Cudney, Campbell Rutz and Griffin. For LIDA it was Brynn Cafferty, unassisted and Emily Lysiak assisted by Caitlin Sinclair. McCarthy gets the shutout win stopping 27 of 29 and in goal stopping 25 of 28 for LIDA was Irzycki.
HHEWS was at Williamsville and topped them 3-2. HHEWS’s Kennedy Reiford had the game-winner plus the first goal of the night and Phillips had a goal. Assists coming from Drzazgowski, Hailey Cooper, K. Barrett, Samantha Miller, Kayla Pelc and Charlotte Rak. Gigi Rakoski stopped 15 of 17 SOG. For Williamsville it was Scarlette Canna, assisted by Sophia DePrima and Alena Lombardo; Allison Besancon, assisted by DePrima. Lookman stopped 18 of 20.
In non-league action Webster came to Cheektowaga to play St. Mary’s of Lancaster. It was a 5-0 shut-out for the host team with Riley Kumrow getting the game-winning, first goal of the night on the powerplay. Brooklyn Vitez assisted. Other scoring came from Captain Reece Gall, unassisted; Alanah Pagano, unassisted; Samantha Hatt, assisted by Gall and the final from Pagano assisted by Szczesek. Betsy Accurso was in net and made 25 stops for the shut-out victory. In goal for Webster was Maddie Strelick, stopping 7 of 12.
The final games of the week found Williamsville at CASH, both playing on their home ice at Northtowns. Williamsville comes away with their first victory of the season. It was 2-1 with Addison Stachura scoring both goals, one unassisted and one assisted by Besancon. CASH’s goal was scored by Tessa Kwiatowski, unassisted. Goalie Lookman stopped 20/21 for Williamsville and Celej stopped 19/21 for CASH. This was also Lookman’s first Varsity win in goal for Williamsville. We also thank Bill Pavone for filling in for commentator Randy Schultz on WNY Athletics NFHS broadcast.
FFLOP beat Monsignor Martin 1-0 in overtime. Game was tied through three periods bedore Emily Patton dropped i the game-winner, assisted by Dalton and Griffin. Rachel Fix in goal for FFLOP made 25 saves for the win. Kelley stopped 39/40 for Monsignor Martin.
Another single goal victory and this from the KenGiPort at LIDA game. Madelyn Jagow scored for KGIP, assisted by Alexa Denning and Willats. Willats had the game-winning-goal, unassisted. Horne in for KGIP stopping 28 of 29 for the win. LIDA’s Miller scored their single goal, assisted by Claire Whiteford and Emily Lysiak. Irzycki stopping 26 of 28. Both goalies were named Players of the Game by their respective teams.
Another shut-out this week with HHEWS beating St. Mary’s 3-0. Scoring were Phillips, the game-winner on the powerplay; assisted by H. Barrett and M. Cooper; Holland on the powerplay, assisted by Reiford and M. Cooper and Phillips scoring an empty-netter, assisted by the Barrett girls. Buczynski in net for HHEWS and Hall for St. Mary’s. (Scorers did not keep track of SOG).
There is a game rescheduled from January for NiCo and Monsignor Martin. It is scheduled for December 28 at 4:40 p.m. at North Buffalo.
