by Janet Schultz
As we move into the fourth week of WNYGVIH play, three teams are vying for first place and a third is right behind them. Monsignor Martin (4-1-0), Williamsville (4-1-0) and Niagara County (4-2) all have 12 points, with Niagara County having played one additional game. Coming up close is Clarence/Amherst/Sweethome with a 3-1 record and 9 points. Lancaster/Iroquois/Depew and Hamburg/Eden/West Seneca could also move with six points each. Kenmore/Grand Island sits in the final spot.
With all that in place, the schedule did get a shake up with HEWS was put into a Covid-19 Ten Day Pause. Two of the three games have been rescheduled with HEWS playing CASH on Monday, March 15 at Northtowns at 4:40 p.m. and then HEWS will take on KGI on Tuesday, March 16 at Lincoln at 7:50 p.m. The originally scheduled HEWS/CASH game became a non-league game on Thursday with CASH playing KGI.
The week opened with FLOP taking on CASH at Northtowns. It was a zero-zero game right through to 7:13 of the third period when Emma Guzdek scored an unassisted winning goal, closing the game 1-0 in favor of CASH. FLOP’s Kerrigan McCarthy stopped 16 of 17 shots and Kylie Paige got the shutout with 12 saves.
In Niagara County KGI faced NiCo at Hyde Park. It was a 6-3 win for Niagara County with Natalie O’Brien getting a hattrick plus two assists. Helping her along was Marina Mansfield with a goal and assist; Julia Hoffman, goal; Missy Malone, goal and assist; Kayla Persinger, two assists and an assist each from Skylar Berube, Natalie Ponzi, Amanda Jackson and Natalee Lawrence. Goaltender Mariela Mulready had the win making 10 of 13 shots.
Scoring for Kenmore/Grand Island were McKenna Horne, Isabella Bourgeault and Isabella Jayme. Assists came from Emiliana Cassillo, Olivia Velarde and Carissa Buyea. Carolyn Bourgeault stopped 12 of 16 shots and Jordan Hofschneider stopped 9 of 11.
Monsignor Martin shut KGI out Tuesday evening, 7-0. The goals came quickly beginning in the first and then with a scoreless second period, MM jumped and put in five goals in the third. Lara Beecher had a hattrick scoring an unassisted goal in the first to start the game off, then an unassisted goal to start the third period. Other goals came from Cam Brownschidle, Mia Boyd and Abby Marion. Assists went to Beecher, Boyd, Luderman, Gall and Russo. The “B” line was “in the Room” for the entire game. Alena Desiderio got the shut out by stopping 13 shots.
In goal for KGI was C. Bourgeault who stopped 27 of 31 shots and Allison Hill, stopping 3/6 goals.
At Northtown it was Williamsville shutting out LID 4-0. Elizabeth Timby got the shutout win by stopping 11 of 11 shots. Scoring came from Aizah-Rose Thompson, who also had a assist; Vanessa Willick, Kiersten Smith, who had two assists; and Shannon Pogorzala, who also had two assists. Pogorzala had a empty net goal at :43 seconds.
Dylan Gorski stopped 31 of 34 shots for LID.
The Niagara County Warriors headed off to Hamburg to see if they could continue their winning streak by facing FLOP. They did, with a 3-0 shutout. The first two goals came in the first period with Amanda Jackson making her mark by scoring both, the second on the power play. Persinger, O’Brien and Berube got assists. A scoreless second period and Mansfield opens the scoring with a goal, assisted by Mallone, and the game ends 3-0. Mulready gets another shutout in her career stopping all 21 shots.
Kerrigan McCarthy stopped 19 of 22 shots for FLOP.
LID upset Monsignor Martin 7-3 at North Buffalo. Morganne Dee had a hattrick plus three assists to help her team. Sydney Radecki also had a hattrick and Hailey Keppner scored the other goal. Assists came from Keppner, Radecki, Sara O’Donnell, Maya Lasker. In goal Dylan Gorski stopped 27 of 30 shots.
Monsignor Martin’s Lara Beecher had two goals with Mia Provenzo getting MM’s first goal in the second period. Luderman, Popat and Boyd are credited with game goals. Desiderio was in goal for MM, stopping 25 of 32 sog.
In Non-League action at Northtowns it was CASH taking a 4-2 win over Kenmore/Grand Island. Emma Guzdek had an unassisted goal, as did Allison Greene. Alannah Pagano had the game-winning-goal, assisted by Isabella Zivis; Greene put in an empty-net goal, also assisted by Zivis. In goal Avery Hall stopped 11 of 11 sog and Melissa MacLeod stopped 4/6.
For KGI it was Cassillo with tow goals and Isabella Bourgeault with 2 assists. Samantha Horne stopped 18 of 19 sog and Jordan Hofschhneider stopped 8 of 10.
Kenmore/Grand Island celebrated Senior Night Tuesday and NYHOL congratulates Allison Hill, Olivia Velarde and McKenna Horne.
Senior Night was celebrated at Frontier/Lakeshore/Orchard Park on Thursday with Seniors Gabby Messing and Brinn Sworzydiak and a special appearance by Senior Keegan Shanahan, who missed her senior season due to the pandemic and graduated early. NYHOL wishes these young women a great future.
In related girl’s hockey news, former FLOP player Brooke Becker was named Hockey East Pro Ambitions Rookie of the Month. She is playing for Providence.
We also wish Section I the best as the Rockland Rockies opened their first-ever hockey season against East Girl’s Varsity Hockey this week. We also understand that Massena Varsity girls are playing and we wish Clinton and Ithaca seniors well as they also celebrated Senior Nights recently.
