It seems like this will be the last news I break on the High School Sticking blog: After seven years at The Journal News, today was my last day.

In that time, I’ve been the beat writer for 10 high school sports (hockey, Rockland football, Rockland boys basketball, boys lacrosse, girls lacrosse, indoor track, outdoor track, boys tennis, girls tennis and my first-ever beat, bowling). And I can honestly say that hockey had the most passionate and knowledgeable fans out there. 

I’ve been told that I didn’t pick the best time to enter the newspaper business. But I couldn’t think of a more exciting time. Just think of all the innovations we’ve had in the past few years — a database of player stats and team records, a studio show, streaming games, and of course the High School Sticking blog. 

I would like to thank everyone out there for all your contributions. The information was invaluable, the criticism made me a better reporter, and some of the jokes made my day. And there is no denying the reach that this blog has. Look at the user locations from one day in February (a month where the blog received almost 43,000 visitors and more than 156,000 hits): Waterloo, Ontario; Waynesville, Missouri; Key Biscayne, Florida; Columbus, Ohio; Saugus, Massachusetts; Harvey, Illinois; Silver Spring, Maryland; Ollie, Iowa; Upperville, Virginia; and in New York: All five boroughs, Baldwin, Canton, Watertown, Ithaca and Massena. 

That said, sometimes it crossed the line. We’re talking about teenagers, and words can hurt. I got this e-mail last season from a friend of a player who was the subject of some critical comments: XXXX can’t sleep.  I don’t care if you shut down the blog, make them disappear. I don’t know who will take over the hockey beat, but whoever it is, I urge them to use the delete key more often and keep a positive tone.

I would like to thank the hockey community — parents, alumni, students, officials, scorers — who were gracious and helpful every step of the way. A special thanks to John Orlando, the most responsive and informed Section 1 coordinator I’ve ever dealt with. And, finally, thank you to the players and coaches. You talked to me after devastating defeats, you welcomed me into locker rooms and practices, and most of all, you gave me some incredible moments I’ll never forget.

Next year’s schedule is coming into focus. Suffern-Mamaroneck and Rye-Pelham will play each other twice, while Rye still plays Mamaroneck, Suffern will play White Plains and Mahopac will play Suffern, Mamaroneck and Pelham.

First, just to clarify, here are the league schedules:

Conference 1 (Brewster, Carmel, Kennedy/PV, Lakeland/Panas, Mahopac, Ossining, Pawling, Yorktown) will play a double round-robin. 

Conference 2 (ETB, Mamaroneck, New Rochelle, Scarsdale, Pelham, Sleepy Hollow/Irvington, White Plains) will play a single round-robin.

Conference 3 (Byram Hills, Greeley, Mount Pleasant, Rye, Rye Town/Harrison, Somers/North Salem, Fox Lane, John Jay) will play a double round-robin, with a few exceptions (Rye will play Greeley and Byram Hills once, John Jay will play Greeley and Byram Hills once)

Conference 4 (Suffern, Clarkstown North, Clarkstown South, North Rockland, Pearl River, Nyack/Tappan Zee) will play a double round-robin, except Suffern will only play everyone once, and there are a few more exceptions (North Rockland will play Pearl RIver and Nyack/TZ once, and Clarkstown North will play Nyack/TZ once).

Okay, now here are the crossovers, listed by HOME TEAM:

Brewster: Mount Pleasant
Byram Hills: Clarkstown South, Kennedy/PV, Lakeland/Panas, Nyack/TZ
Carmel: Nyack/TZ
Clarkstown North: Scarsdale
Clarkstown South: ETB, New Rochelle, Sleepy Hollow/Irvington
ETB: Clarkstown North, North Rockland, Ossining, Rye Town/Harrison, Sleepy Hollow/Irvington, White Plains
Fox Lane: Kennedy/PV
Greeley: Carmel, Pearl River
Kennedy/PV: Greeley, New Rochelle, Sleepy Hollow/Irvington
John Jay: Yorktown
Lakeland/Panas: Somers/North Salem
Mahopac: Pelham, Suffern
Mamaroneck: Mahopac, Rye Town/Harrison, Suffern
Mount Pleasant: Pawling
New Rochelle: Byram Hills, Clarkstown South, ETB, Fox Lane, Ossining, Pearl River, Scarsdale
North Rockland: New Rochelle, Scarsdale
Ossining: Clarkstown South, Pearl River, Sleepy Hollow/Irvington
Pawling: John Jay
Pearl River: Byram Hills, Scarsdale, Sleepy Hollow/Irvington, 
Pelham: Mamaroneck, Rye, Suffern
Rye: Mamaroneck, Pelham
Rye Town/Harrison: White Plains
Scarsdale: Brewster, ETB, Ossining, Sleepy Hollow/Irvington
Sleepy Hollow/Irvington: Byram Hills, Clarkstown South, New Rochelle, North Rockland, Nyack/TZ
Somers/North Salem: Kennedy/PV
Suffern: Pelham, White Plains, Mamaroneck
Nyack/TZ: ETB, Greeley, New Rochelle
White Plains: Clarkstown North, Clarkstown South, North Rockland
Yorktown: Mount Pleasant

It took a few more months, but after losing in the final minutes of the Division I state championship in hockey, Mamaroneck’s Luke and Christian Glaser, Sean Hagan and coach Mike Chiapparelli got that second state title in baseball (I think that’s one of the Glasers hugging Hagan on the right).

We also had Mike Miller of Brewster win the Federation golf title, Joe Marasco led Somers to the Class B sectional boys lacrosse title, and Mike Bonitatibus was the goalie for Yorktown, who made the state semis in Class A. Congratulations to all the hockey players out there for their success in the spring.

Of course, this is the hockey blog so here’s another tidbit for the offseason — the Section 1 championships will again be held as a Sunday doubleheader at Tate Rink. However, West Point was unavailable the following weekend (it needed to be held open in case Army was hosting a tournament game), so the regional games at Section 1 will be hosted by the local teams.

Sorry I couldn’t get to this until now but I was at a lacrosse tripleheader yesterday. The conferences have met to determine scheduling for next season.

Each conference held a seperate meeting to vote on the procedures they wanted, which is why some are playing each other twice, some are playing each other once, and some are playing each other twice but only counting it once. Remember, the leagues also had different rules last year (Leagues 3/4 crossed over and had 19 league games, while Leagues 1 and 2 didn’t), so it’s not precedent-setting.

Here is the updated setup:

Conferences I and III: Teams will play everyone in their league home and away. There are no mandatory crossovers with other conferences, and no other games will count in the league standings.

Conference II: Teams will play everyone in their league one time. Also no mandatory crossovers.

Conference IV: Teams will play everyone in their league once, and those five games will count toward the league championship. All teams except Suffern will then go through the league again.

Some more tidbits: Teams must have a winning percentage of 25 to qualify, so more schools should make the postseason (based on last year, Clarkstown South, Byram Hills and Nyack/Tappan Zee and possibly Greeley would have qualified instead of missing out). However, it hasn’t yet been determined whether the winning percentage includes all games, league games, division games or some combination.

The other big issue is seeding. Apparently there’s a formula that all sports in Section 1 will be using. I don’t have the details yet, but I know that Section 1 coordinator John Orlando, New Rochelle coach Jim Tozzo, and an AD from each conference will form the seeding committee.

Unfortunately I have to take another furlough (unpaid leave) this quarter, so I will be out from June 1-7. Same rules as last time: no blogging, no e-mails, no phone calls. I look forward to posting more about next season when I return.

Division II just got a little deeper. Sleepy Hollow/Irvington has declined in enrollment (not sure which school is at fault) and are now in Division II. Goalie Dylan Lacey and top defenseman Craig Halpin are gone, but barring transfers, pretty much everyone else will return to the Legends, who went 16-4-2 and tied White Plains last season.

Here’s the official enrollment numbers for the upcoming year. Remember, even if the state votes to standardize division alignments state-wide (right now each section can do it however they want), it wouldn’t take effect until the 2010-11 season.

Division I (15 teams)
New Rochelle 2558
North Rockland 2159
Mount Pleasant 1829
White Plains 1737
Lakeland/Panas 1561
Nyack/Tappan Zee 1494
Rye Town/Harrison 1349
Mahopac 1298
Eastchester/Tuckahoe/Bronxville 1216
Carmel 1160
Clarkstown South 1155
Clarkstown North 1150
Suffern 1139
Scarsdale 1090
Mamaroneck 1088

Division II (14 teams)
Somers/North Salem 1055
Sleepy Hollow/Irvington 1053
Ossining 1046
Yorktown 1033
Fox Lane 988
Greeley 981
John Jay 964
Kennedy/Putnam Valley 913
Brewster 905
Pawling/Dover 765
Rye 646
Pearl River 638
Byram Hills 604
Pelham 568

Also, here are the tentative tournament dates. (update 5/29: The dates have been moved back one day, and Saturday is now a make-up day)

First round
DI Sunday 2/21
DII Monday 2/22

Quarterfinals
DI Tuesday 2/23
DII Wednesday 2/24

Semifinals
DI Thursday 2/25
DII Friday 2/26

Finals
DI and DII Sunday 2/28

Regionals
DI and DII Saturday 3/6 at Section 1

State semifinals and finals
Saturday 3/13-Sunday 3/14

I hope to post later this week after the scheduling committee meets and determines what they’re doing about league play this year (how many times around the league, and whether there will be mandatory crossovers).

The hockey ADs met at BOCES today and made it official — hockey will be using the new conferences, without any changes. Here they are again:

Conference I (8 teams): Yorktown, Lakeland/Panas, Carmel, Mahopac, Kennedy/Putnam Valley, Pawling/Dover, Brewster, Ossining

Conference II (7 teams): White Plains, Scarsdale, Mamaroneck, New Rochelle, Sleepy Hollow/Irvington, Pelham, E/T/B

Conference III (8 teams): Greeley, Fox Lane, John Jay, Somers/North Salem, Byram Hills, Rye Town/Harrison, Rye, Mount Pleasant

Conference IV (6 teams): Clarkstown North, Clarkstown South, Nyack/Tappan Zee, North Rockland, Pearl River, Suffern

Somers and North Salem are actually in different conferences, but the team was put with Somers since it had more representation on the team.

Before today’s meeting, the coaches voted 100 percent against the new alignment. The ADs met today to decide whether to ask the athletic counsel — which actually has the power to change things — to leave hockey alone. But the ADs voted “a lot to a little,” in the words of chairman John Orlando, not to pass it along.

“They said all the arguments were good and academically sound — competition, safety, travel,” Orlando said. “They said, ‘We can pass it but it’s not going to pass (the athletic counsel). We’ve been told that for a fact.’ They felt it was like beating a dead horse.”

Apparently the counsel, which consists of superintendents and principals, was worried it would open up a Pandora’s box, since every other sport would then ask for exemptions.

Here’s what’s next: The conferences will meet on May 4 to determine whether teams in each league will play each other once or twice (round-robin). I would be shocked if the ADs vote to only play once, since having only five league games on a 20-game schedule would defeat the supposed purpose of realigning in the first place. 

During the meeting they will also determine crossover scheduling. If it’s anything like girls lacrosse (which I’m currently covering), the teams in each league will be seeded, with the top teams from each league playing each other (for example, Suffern-Mamaroneck-Mahopac-Rye) and on down the line.

Next, a seeding committee will determine how postseason seeding will work for all sports next year. There will not be a hockey-only system. Again, in girls lacrosse seeding is only done by league record and assigned crossovers (yes, a team in an easier league could have a better record and will be seeded above a better team from a harder league).

Some more notes — as of now, the 29 Section 1 teams will all stay the same for next year. No new programs or mergers. Also, the Division I sectional champion will host Section 6 (Buffalo area), while the Division II champion will host Section 2 (Albany area).

Also, the Division I and Division II alignment will stay the same as last year. Same 16 teams in Division I and 13 teams in Division II. There is a state meeting later this week, and there’s a proposal to have uniformity across the state — any programs over 1,000 in Division I, under 1,000 in Division II. But even if this is passed, it won’t take affect until the 2010-11 season. The numbers will change before then, but programs that could be affected include Somers/North Salem (1,049), Yorktown (1,029), Greeley (1,021) and Ossining (1,001), who would all move from DII to DI.

The suspense has been building for long enough. Congratulations to Matt Willows, the Rockland athlete of the season, and Marc Flory, theWestchester/Putnam hockey player of the year. And here’s the “all-star” team for Westchester/Putnam and the “all-county” team for Rockland. 

There were only six programs in Rockland, so I held a coaches meeting and we selected the team democratically. There wasn’t a big enough conference table in Westchester, so I called all the League 1 coaches and a selection of coaches from Leagues 2, 3, 4 and the CHSHL and compiled the results.

One quick disclaimer — the teams are selected based on the 2008-09 hockey season. Not career or travel accomplishments. With the unprecedented success of Section 1 this year — two state finalists, 14 all-state selections, and lots of parity throughout the leagues — it was a very difficult process, but that’s good — it means there were a lot of outstanding seasons to consider.

New Rochelle native Kevin Shattenkirk will be representing the Hudson Valley Thursday in the NCAA Division I Frozen Four. The Boston U. defenseman will face Vermont at 8:30 p.m. in Washington D.C., and the winner will play either Bemidji State or Miami (Ohio) in Saturday’s championship.

Colleague Josh Thomson has the details in Monday’s paper. I believe no area player has won a DI title since Suffern’s Jon Foster and Denver won back-to-back in ‘04-’05.

Shattenkirk, a sophomore who was drafted 14th overall by the Avalanche in the 2007 NHL draft, was recently dubbed “The Six-Million Dollar Man” by BU’s student newspaper. 

He has seven goals and 19 assists for 26 points, and his plus-26 rating is second on the team. The Hockey East coaches recently picked the 5-foot-11, 190-pound righty as second-team all-conference. 

(Photo of Shattenkirk on the U20 national team courtesy of Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Pelham’s Marc Flory earned another honor last night, this time from the Westchester Ice Hockey Officials Association. The first-team all-state forward won the Horton R. Shaw Memorial Scholarship, which goes to a college-bound senior who is also a referee and displays scholarship, athleticism and leadership in school and on the ice.

Flory is the fifth recipient to receive the award, which began in ‘06. Previous winners are Mike Tarnow (White Plains), Matt LoConte (Mount Pleasant), Greg Losee (John Jay) and Michael Messer (New Rochelle).

Flory has been a member of the WIHOA for four years and has refereed youth games throughout the county.

“I told him last night, he has all the tools and ability to go as far as he wants to go,” said referee in chief Larry Scapperotti, who has worked with Flory. “He’s confident, looks good on the ice, he skates, he’s big. He definitely has no problem doing college and if he’s really serious and interested he could probably go on his way to nationals, and depending on how hungry he is, the NHL.”

Another story I wasn’t able to get to during the season was the ongoing saga of the 2009 Empire State Games. It was originally scheduled for July in the mid-Hudson Valley (Poughkeepsie and Newburgh), and then cancelled after state pulled all $3 million in funding and threatened to charge participants $285 each.

There is still no official word on whether the games would be played elsewhere in the state, but time is clearly running out. This e-mail was sent to Hudson Valley coaches from regional director Frank Intervallo this morning:

Dear friends:

Many of you have been calling asking for information on this year’s Games.  I have not received any official word regarding the status of the 2009 Games, but in view of the fact that the time has passed to start the process, and no direction has come from State Parks on the prospects of holding a viable program this year, the thought that we will have Games for 2009 fades away further and further each day. 

After analyzing every possible scenario, a strong dose of reality has begun to set in.  It is unfair to you to ask you to wait any longer on your decisions for summer plans, as it is to ask venues to hold dates for us for tryouts that may never occur.  At this point, I am releasing you from any obligation to coach at the Games in 2009, and you are free to pursue other opportunities that may come your way for this summer.  If, of course, through some miracle, we are able to hold a program, and you wish to participate, I will certainly welcome your participation, as I will also welcome you back for the 2010 Games.   Also, if you  have made any arrangements with venues for tryouts, I would ask that you please cancel them and release the facility to pursue other options that may be available to them, as well. 

This is a message that I am sure we all hoped would never be sent, but I feel that our only option left at this point is to re-group and begin preparing for the 2010 Games in Buffalo.  While I share your disappointment, I thank you all for your hard work and dedication that you have consistently given to the program, and look forward to working with you again next year.

Regretfully,

Frank

A lot of people know about Rob Fine’s theatrics in the postseason (five straight games with a goal, including the winner against White Plains in the sectional final and in double-OT against Massena in the state quarters). That’s what likely earned the Mamaroneck senior forward his all-section honors. But perhaps more remarkable was his play in the regular season, considering the circumstances.

There was a lot of talk about injuries and illnesses this season. One that didn’t go reported, until someone referenced it in the comments this week, was that Fine broke the left thumb on his shooting hand early in the season.

When Mamaroneck went upstate for its first tournament at Saratoga in December, Rob Fine was slashed in the final game against Liverpool. The doctor confirmed it was a severe break and his left hand was put into a full cast up to his forearm. Being that it was his final season at Mamaroneck, Fine begged the doctor to clear him (which he did), and he cut his left glove open to accomodate the cast.

Fine played the next five weeks with a full cast on his left (shooting) hand. His teammates kept it quiet so opponents wouldn’t be gunning for it, and he continued to play on the first line and the power play unit. He finished fourth in League 1 in goals, assists and points, and it’s interesting to think what would have happened if he was completely healthy.

I purposely stayed away from travel hockey during the high school season, but now that it’s over it’s time to congratulate some local players.

Alex Hagen and Brian McNamara of ETB, Ryan McGee of White Plains and Brad Pesce of Sleepy Hollow/Irvington will be playing in the Midget Tier 1 Hockey National Championships with the Long Island Gulls next weekend in St. Louis. This could be the second national championship for Hagen and McNamara, who won Peewees with the New Jersey Avalance in 2005 in Fairbanks, Alaska. And McGee and Pesce were on the Westchester Vipers team that made nationals last year.

Hopefully someone can update the blog with next weekend’s results. Also, please let me know if any other local hockey players are heading to nationals.

Hi everyone, thanks for hanging in there while I was on furlough. I’m just starting to go through four days of e-mail but here’s the rest of the postseason awards from the coaches. There a few awards remaining — Section 1 awards that will be given out at the all-section dinner Wednesday, and the Journal News all-stars teams which will be posted in a few weeks. If you want to play along, it’s a first team (three forwards, two defensemen and a goalie) from Rockland County and Westchester/Putnam Counties (including Stepinac/Iona/Fordham but not Pawling).

League 3 all-stars:

Scott Miele, Sr., Ossining
Joe Giordano, Sr., Ossining
Matt Annibale, Jr., Ossining
Ken Freitag, Sr., Ossining
Geoffrey Semmens, Jr., Somers/NS
Jesse Rome, Jr., Somers/NS
Joe Marasco, Sr., Somers/NS
Mike DeLaVergne, Jr., Pawling/Dover
Matt Burdick, Sr., Pawling/Dover
John Bellucci, Jr., Pawling/Dover
Danny Feliu, Sr., New Rochelle
Freddy Martignetti, Sr., New Rochelle
Richie Prunesti, So., New Rochelle
Eric Basmajian, So., Byram Hills
Eric Jacobs, Jr., Clarkstown South
Matt Suranko, Jr., Fox Lane

Honorable mention
F Ricky Mueller, Jr., Pawling/Dover
F Dan Johnson, Sr., Pawling/Dover
Malcolm Mfoula, Jr., New Rochelle
Pat Staropoli, Sr., New Rochelle
Brendan Meyers, Jr., Clarkstown South
Brian Gabay, Jr., Clarkstown South
Steve Aruilio, Jr., Somers/NS
Martin Sheehy, Jr., Somers/NS
Ryan Basmajian, Sr., Byram Hills
Kevin Lendhardt , Sr., Byram Hills
Joe Corsi, So., Fox Lane
Cody Williams, Jr., Fox Lane
Joe Riley, Jr., Ossining
Greg Robins, Sr., Ossining

Player of the year: Scott Miele, Ossining
Rasbeck Award (Scholarship):  Greg Robins, Ossining
Simon Award (Sportsmanship): Freddy Martignetti, New Rochelle
Team sportsmanship: New Rochelle
Coach of the year: Kevin Connelly, Ossining

League 4 all-stars
G Dylan Lacey, Sr., Sleepy Hollow/Irvington
D Brett Pesce, Fr., Sleepy Hollow/Irvington
F Brad Pesce, Jr., Sleepy Hollow/Irvington
D Craig Halpin, Sr., Sleepy Hollow/Irvington
F Frank Celentano, So., Lakeland/Panas
D Robert Belger, Jr., Lakeland/Panas
F Robert Caffrey, So., Lakeland/Panas
D Andrew Doria, Sr., Carmel
F James Oliver, Sr., Carmel
F Paul Moreau, Sr., Pearl River
F Tom Conway, Jr., Pearl River
F John Garcia, Sr., Nyack/Tappan Zee
F Nathan Quicke, Sr., Greeley
F Sean Sullivan, Sr., Kennedy/Putnam Valley

Honorable mention
F Paul Cho, Sr., Nyack/Tappan Zee
F Mike McGivney, Fr., Nyack/Tappan Zee
G Daniel Frankel, Sr., Greeley
F Sam Spar, Fr., Greeley
D Dylan Rooney, Jr., Kennedy/Putnam Valley
D Mike Tierney, So., Kennedy/Putnam Valley
F Nicky Belger, Fr., Lakeland/Panas
F Jackson Griggs, Sr., Lakeland/Panas
F Luke Brennan, Jr., Pearl River
G Pat Heraghty, Sr., Pearl River
G Marc Glaviano, Jr., Carmel
F Brianna Rossi, Sr., Carmel
F Josh Kaplan, Jr., Sleepy Hollow/Irvington
F Robert Logozio, Sr., Sleepy Hollow/Irvington

Player of the year: Craig Halpin, Sleepy Hollow/Irvington
Rasbeck Award (Scholarship): Aaron Duffy, Nyack/Tappan Zee
Simon Award (Sportsmanship): James Oliver, Carmel
Team sportsmanship: Greeley
Coach of the year: Howie Weiner, Sleepy Hollow/Irvington

CHSHL A Division All-stars
Leading Scorer: Rocco Miano, Stepinac
Most Valuable Forward: Rocco Miano, Stepinac
Most Valuable Defenseman: Anthony Reagan, Stepinac
Most Valuable Goalie: Ian McBride, Farrell

First Team
F Rocco Miano, Stepinac
F Stephan Imbasciani, Farrell
F Chris Bruno, Chaminade
D Anthony Reagan, Stepinac
D James Pizzo, Farrell
G Ian McBride, Farrell

Second team
F Mickey Spillane, Fordham
F Frank Posillico, St. Anthony
F William Pascalli, St. Anthony
D Steve Yankowski, Stepinac
D Kenny Kaufman, Stepinac
G Joe Hutter, Chaminade

Third Team
F Michael Singer, Farrell
FNick Thorgersen, Farrell
F Mike Cambria, Iona
D Ryan Rueda, Stepinac
D Andrew Balzafiore, St. Anthony
G Mike Lanaro, Stepinac

Team Sportsmanship : Fordham Prep

Here is your League 1 all-star team:

Sean Hagan, Sr., Mamaroneck
Luke Glaser, Sr., Mamaroneck
Rob Fine, Sr., Mamaroneck
Brett Jackson, Sr., Mamaroneck
Zac Hiller, Sr., Suffern
Paul Gabriel, Sr., Suffern
Greg McCarron, Sr., Suffern
Kevin Norwin, Jr., Suffern
Steve McCarrick, Sr., White Plains
Ryan McGee, Jr., White Plains
Matt Benincasa, Sr., Rye
Marc Flory, Sr., Pelham
Victor Dzenis, Jr., Pelham
Mike Mamone, Sr., Pelham
Chris Mastrocola, Jr., Mahopac
Adam Urban, Sr., Rye Town/Harrison
Kyle Greenberg, Sr., John Jay

Honorable mention:
Harrison McCandless, Sr., White Plains
Matt Altieri, Sr., White Plains
Andrew Emerson, Sr., Pelham
Gavin Lambdin, Sr., Pelham
Matt O’Shea, Sr., Rye Town/Harrison
Matt Jacobson, Jr., Rye Town/Harrison
Tyler Perrelle, Sr., Mahopac
Bobby Fatone, Jr., Mahopac
David Rofofsky, Sr., John Jay
Louis Ricci, Sr., John Jay
Paul Mundinger, Jr., Rye
Taka Katsuta, Jr., Rye
Paul Sganga, Sr., Rye
Kris Talgo, Sr., Rye
Christian Glaser, Sr., Mamaroneck
Adam Zweig, Sr., Mamaroneck

Player of the year: Sean Hagan and Marc Flory
Rasbeck Award (Scholarship): Andrew Emerson, Pelham
Simon Award (Sportsmanship): Adam Zweig, Mamaroneck
Team sportsmanship: Rye
Coach of the year: Mike Chiapparelli and Ed Witz
Division I coach of the year: Mike Chiapparelli
Division II coach of the year: Ed Witz

League 2 all-star team:
Matt Willows, Sr., Clarkstown North
Jake Shuman, Sr., Clarkstown North
Mike Kapnick, Jr., Clarkstown North
Chris McIndoe, Sr., Clarkstown North
Ronny Sherding, Sr., ETB
Alex Hagen, Jr., ETB
Mike Ciotti, Jr., ETB
Sean O’Connor, Sr., North Rockland
Craig Meany, Sr., North Rockland
James Eberhardt, Sr., North Rockland
Jordan Gluck, Jr., Scarsdale
Matt Oliverio, Jr., Scarsdale
Chris Abramo, Sr., Mount Pleasant
Mike Bonitatibus, Sr., Yorktown
Mike Miller, Jr., Brewster

Honorable mention:
Chris Belotti, Jr., ETB
Brian McNamara, Jr., ETB
Spencer Cohen, Jr., Clarkstown North
Evan Byrnes, So., Clarkstown North
Ian Fleming, Jr., Brewster
Mike Daley, Sr., Brewster
Alex Nestle, Sr., North Rockland
Michael Meigh, Jr., North Rockland
Brett Cabriele, Sr., Yorktown
Joe Castelano, Jr., Yorktown
Matt Constantinides, Sr., Scarsdale
John Felix, Sr., Scarsdale
Brandon Jampol, So., Mount Pleasant
Brendan Marinelli, So., Mount Pleasant

Player of the year: Matt Willows, Clarkstown North
Rasbeck Award (Scholarship): Brett Cabriele, Yorktown
Simon Award (Sportsmanship): Alex Nestle, North Rockland
Team sportsmanship: Scarsdale
Coach of the year: Gary Dworkowitz, North Rockland

Update: I will be taking the rest of my furlough from Thursday-Sunday. Because of this I am legally barred from checking voice mail and e-mail or updating the blog. Please contact John Humenn (jhumenn@lohud.com) or Mark Teirstein (mteirste@lohud.com) if you need anything this week. Also, hopefully they can update the rest of the all-league teams in my absence.

The exceptional senior game is Sunday at 4 p.m. at the Ice Hutch. The all-section dinner is next Wednesday. When we’re talking about postseason honors, there’s two ways to make an argument — raising your player, or bashing the other player — so let’s focus on the first one and keep it positive. If you think someone crosses the line let John or Mark know. 

Thanks and I’ll be back on Monday. I’ll be checking in with all the top teams for next year and giving status reports and some early predictions, so stick around and we’ll get through the offseason together.

The all-section team was selected this afternoon in a coaches meeting at BOCES. After originally thinking it would be 14 spots, Section 1 reconfigured the formula (which involves number of leagues and number of starters) and allowed 17 players to be named. The coaches voted to put the 14 all-state players on automatically, and then voted individually on the final three selections. Here are the results:

Matt Burdick, Sr., Pawling, F
Victor Dzenis, Jr., Pelham, D
Marc Flory, Sr., Pelham, F
Rob Fine, Sr., Mamaroneck, F
Paul Gabriel, Sr., Suffern, G
Luke Glaser, Sr., Mamaroneck, G
Sean Hagan, Sr., Mamaroneck, D
Zac Hiller, Sr., Suffern, F
Brett Jackson, Sr., Mamaroneck, F
Mike Mamone, Sr., Pelham, F
Joe Marasco, Sr., Somers/North Salem, F
Steve McCarrick, Sr., White Plains, F
Ryan McGee, Jr., White Plains, D
Craig Meany, Sr., North Rockland, D
Kevin Norwin, Jr., Suffern, D
Jake Shuman, Sr., Clarkstown North, F
Matt Willows, Sr., Clarkstown North, F

The all-league players, league MVP, sportsmanship award winners and coaches awards were also selected at the meeting, but I’m waiting until the results are certified before I post them.

The final hockey edition of Varsity Central Live will be Wednesday at 7:30. You can watch it and ask questions by clicking here. Please join me and special guests Sean Hagan of Mamaroneck and Mike Mamone of Pelham as we look back on a historic final weekend in Utica, where two Section 1 teams made the finals for the first time.

In the meantime, you can win $100 million if you pick a perfect NCAA tournament bracket.

Here’s a look back at the top story lines from the past three months. Please use the comments section for anything I left out. 

1. Back 2 Back

 Brett Jackson (left) scored twice as Mamaroneck defeated White Plains 4-1 to win its second straight sectional title. After losing two of its first three league games, the Tigers went on a 22-game unbeaten streak, and in the final regular season game, Sean Hagan scored with 18 seconds left to defeat Suffern at Sport-O and clinch the League 1 title. 

2. Pelham overcomes Rye

 Rye defeated Pelham twice in the regular season, but Pelham got them back in the Division II final, defeating the two-time defending sectional champions thanks to outstanding defense and two goals from surprise senior Adrian Rivera. The Pelicans pre-season goal of getting back to Utica was about to be realized.

3. Dub Set

White Plains was this close to its first sectional title in 30 years, tied with eight minutes left in the sectional final. The Tigers beat three top-five teams in the state (Mamaroneck, Suffern and Clarkstown North) and finished a strong third in its first season in the power league. The wins against Suffern were its first against the Mounties in the program’s 40-year history, while the playoff win against North came after the team fell behind 4-0.

4. Record breaker

Matt Willows had 87 goals and 138 points this season, breaking the previous state records of 80 and 134 set by Byran Gitler of Scardale in the ‘03-’04 season. Teammate Jake Shuman also finished with 69 assists, the second-most in state history behind former North star Joe Herman, who had 80 in ‘03.

5. Twice as hard

 Responding to accusations that Stepinac was just “half a team,” defenseman Ken Kauffman said: “that just means we play twice as hard.” The Crusaders had just 12 players and were predicted by many to miss the playoffs, but Stepinac tied for the regular-season title and made it back to CHSHL finals.

6. All-state honors

 Sean Hagan of Mamaroneck (left) became the first player in Section 1 history to win Player of the Year honors (the award was started in 1996). “I’m the luckiest defenseman in the whole state,” teammate Adam Zweig said. “I have the big guy right there to back me up.” Luke Glaser, Matt Willows and Marc Flory were also selected to the first team. In all, a record 14 area players were honored, six more than last year, a sign of the respect that local hockey is gathering around the state.

7. Rising programs

 Eastchester/Tuckahoe/Bronxville, a League 5 team just two years ago, finished a strong second in League 2. Sleepy Hollow/Irvington tied White Plains. Ossining never gave up more than three goals in a game (including a 3-2 loss to Mamaroneck). Lakeland/Panas, with basically one senior regular, with less than a minute from beating Mahopac in the sectional quarterfinals. White Plains broke the Mamaroneck-Suffern-Pelham-Rye stranglehold at the top this year. Who will be next?

 8. West Point

Section 1 went to a neutral site for the finals for the first time in 20 years. Though fans originally grumbled about the travel, and the planned doubleheader was snowed out, I think the final verdict was clear — Tate Rink is the premier facility in the area, and holding the championships there gave them a big-time feel similar to basketball week at the County Center.

9. The Aud

 Only four teams from Section 1 had ever made it to the state final before Pelham and Mamaroneck came to Utica and qualified this year. Mamaroneck avenged its OT loss to Massena last year by beating the Red Raiders in double OT this year, while Marc Flory scored five goals as Pelham avenged an earlier defeat to then-No. 2 Queensbury with a 6-2 win. Mamaroneck then blew past Niagara-Wheatfield while Pelham came back to defeat Burke Catholic in the semis. 

 Mamaroneck lost a heartbreaking game to Greece Athena/Odyssey in the state final — the Thunder were the first undefeated state champs since 1992 — while Pelham lost to No. 1 New Hartford, the best DII team the state has seen in years. That left Suffern’s 1992 champions (left, being inducted into the hall of fame) as Section 1’s only state champion.

10. Next year

No longer will Mamaroneck and Suffern battle it out for League 1 titles. For that matter, neither will Pelham and Rye. Or Mahopac and White Plains. There will likely be no more power league next year. Instead, budget cuts have forced the athletic directors to split the section into four geographically-based conferences. Hockey officials are trying to get arena-based leagues, but for now, here are your leagues next year. No matter what happens, there will be a totally different landscape from the power-league system we’ve enjoyed for years:

Conference I (8 teams): Yorktown, Lakeland/Panas, Carmel, Mahopac, Kennedy/Putnam Valley, Pawling/Dover, Brewster, Ossining

Conference II (7 teams): White Plains, Scarsdale, Mamaroneck, New Rochelle, Sleepy Hollow/Irvington, Pelham, E/T/B

Conference III (8 teams): Greeley, Fox Lane, John Jay, Somers/North Salem, Byram Hills, Rye Town/Harrison, Rye, Mount Pleasant

Conference IV (6 teams): Clarkstown North, Clarkstown South, Nyack/Tappan Zee, North Rockland, Pearl River, Suffern

That probably depressed some people, so I’ll leave you with two of the best hits I saw all year. One was Mike Meigh in North Rockland’s 2-2 tie against North at Sport-O. The other was Matt Marr in the Division I final (update: so we didn’t photograph that hit. Instead here’s a collision from earlier in the game).

”’Tis better to have loved and lost/ Than never to have loved at all.”

That saying (by Alfred Lord Tennyson) pretty much sums up the weekend in Utica for me — both teams are probably still hurting from coming so close to winning state championships (especially Mamaroneck, which held a 2-0 lead), but in the coming days they’ll appreciate going farther than any Westchester team had in 27 years. 

In the long run, through tournament titles, playoff wins and player honors, they also improved Section 1’s credibility and visibility at the state level.

Here’s the story from Mamaroneck, who was four minutes away from being the first team to take the ice (thanks to a midnight opening practice) and the last team to leave it. Remember, other than Suffern ‘92, the other five state finalists from our area (Rye ‘82, Nyack ‘82, Suffern ‘88, North ‘02 and Pelham ‘09) lost by a combined score of 38-2, but the Tigers proved they belonged with the best teams in the state.  

Meanwhile, Pelham held on as long as it could against a group that basically formed the Division II all-state team, and can console itself with the fact that it got farther than any sports team in school history.

And our columnist, Rick Carpiniello, joined me in Utica and wrote a great column that puts Section 1’s accomplishments in perspective. And Brett Jackson and Matt Hernandez are candidates for this week’s Gameface.

A special thanks to all the players from both teams who spoke with me afterwards and gave honest and thoughtful answers, minutes after their high school careers had suddenly ended. I’ve never been in that position so I can only imagine how tough that must be, but I definitely appreciated it. Also thanks to the 1,800 peopple who watched the live broadcasts on Sunday (which seemingly outnumbered the crowd in Utica), and to everyone who stopped by to say hello over the weekend.

We will have our final Varsity Central Live hockey edition Wednesday at 7:30, hopefully with guests from Mamaroneck and Pelham. I also be posting news from the all-section/all-league meeting that day. And this Sunday at 4 p.m. at the Ice Hutch is the exceptional seniors game. So stay tuned.

Mamaroneck’s Sean Hagan became the first Section 1 player to win Player of the Year in either division since the award was created in 1996, and Marc Flory became the first player to earn first-team all-state honors in Pelham history. Matt Willows, Luke Glaser, Brett Jackson and Victor Dzenis were also selected from Section 1. Here’s the complete list:

(update: Zac Hiller, Kevin Norwin, Paul Gabriel, Steve McCarrick, Ryan McGee, Jake Shuman, Matt Burdick and Joe Marasco were named as honorable mentions. And Christian Glaser of Mamaroneck was selected to the Division I all-tournament team)

Division I

F Matt Willows, Sr., Clarkstown North

F Riley Bourbonnais, So., Greece Thunder

F Nathan Pichette, Sr., Massena

F Erich Haney, Jr., West Genesee

D Sean Hagan, Sr., Mamaroneck (Player of the year)

D Eric Gunderson, Sr., Greece Thunder

G Luke Glaser, Sr., Mamaroneck

Second team

F Brett Jackson, Sr., Mamaroneck

F Aaron Hildreth, Cicero-North Syracuse

F J.T. Stenglein, So., Greece Thunder

D Ryan Michel, Jr., West Genesee

D Mac Moyse, Sr., Gates-Chili

G Evan Mazzoni, Sr., West Geneseee

Honorable mention

Forwards: Greg Ryan, Sr., Greece Thunder; Cole Bardreau, So., Fairport; Justin Hussar, Jr., Lancaster; Ryan Wagner, Sr., Canisius; Zac Hiller, Sr., Suffern; John Knisley, Pittsford; Jake Shuman, Sr., Clarkstown North; Steve McCarrick, Sr., White Plains. 

Defense: Marc Benzino, Sr., St. Joe’s; Matt Markowski, Sr., Gates-Chili; Art Marrapese, Sr., Orchard Park; Kevin Norwin, Jr., Suffern; Matt Viskovich, Sr., Massena; Ryan McGee, Jr., White Plains.

Goalies: Paul Gabriel, Sr., Suffern; Parker Gahagen, So., Williamsville North

Coach: Dan Webb, Greece Thunder

Division II

F Michael Zalewski, Jr., New Hartford (Player of the year)

F Marc Flory, Sr., Pelham

F Thomas Fiorentino, Sr., New Hartford

F Kevin Corbett, Sr., Queensbury

D Joe Amico, Sr., Webster-Thomas

D Jake Silberlight, Sr., New Hartford

G Dylan Smith, Sr., New Hartford

Second team

F Tim Burgess, Sr., Solvay

F Jake Ladoucer, Sr., Norwood-Norfolk

F Trevor Parisian, Sr., Thousand Islands

D Victor Dzenis, Jr., Pelham

D Anthony Soprano, Jr., Queensbury

G Jon Hall, Sr., Thousand Islands

Honorable mention

Forwards: Marc Arnone, Jr., Kenmore East; Kevin Valenti, So., Queensbury; Matt Burdick, Sr., Pawling; Chris Covel, Sr., Sweet Home; Ross Dinan, Jr., Geneva Waterloo; Mischa Johnson, Jr., Webster Thomas; Joe Marasco, Sr., Somers/North Salem; Kyle McKelvey, Sr., Mohonasen-Schalmont; Ty Thompson, Sr., Salmon River; Hiio Herne, Jr., Salmon River

Defense: Trevor Clark, Jr., Williamsville South; Casey Eccles Sr., Corcoran-Syracuse; Donny Frauenhofer, Jr., Williamsville East; Lucas Hay, Jr., Queensbury; Mason Hill, Sr., Webster-Thomas; Cody O’Connor, Sr., Salmon River

Goalie: Tyler Lariviere, Sr., Spencerport

Coach: John Cunningham, New Hartford

I’ll be back later Monday with more from Utica, and hopefully a picture-filled year in review. Also on Wednesday I’ll have a report from the all-section/all-league meeting, which hopefully will include an update on the league alignment.

Pelham-New Hartford

End of first period: New Hartford leads 3-0. Shots are 19-9 NH. Gavin Lambdin did all he could to keep the game scoreless after 10 minutes, but the Spartans erupted for three goals in the final 4:16, including two goals 14 seconds apart. Pelham has been behind in every playoff game so far, but it never gave up that second goal until now. Pelham does have 1:05 remaining on the power play to try and get something going.

End of second period: New Hartford leads 6-1. Shots are 36-17. The Spartans scored three more times in the first eight minutes of the period, making it six goals in 12 minutes. Pelham finally got one back on a nice shot by Colin Reilly from just inside the left faceoff circle, assisted by Mark Hernandez and Victor Dzenis.

Final: New Hartford wins 6-1. Shots are 49-24. That’s more shots and goals than Mamaroneck could get against Pelham in either game — the Spartans are clearly one of the top teams in the state, DI or DII.

All-state update: Marc Flory was named first-team all-state, the first player in Pelham history to receive that honor. Also, Victor Dzenis was named second-team all-state defense.

Mamaroneck-Greece Athena

End of first period: Mamaroneck leads 2-1. Shots are 10-4 Mk. The Tigers will start with a 5-on-3 for 57 seconds when the second period starts. Sean Hagan fed it to Scott Hagan in front for a power play goal three minutes in. Two minutes later, Rob Fine passed across the crease to Christian Glaser, who deflected t in. Greece got one back with 8:55 left when leading scorer Riley Bourbonnais knocked in a pass across the slot. 11 penalties so far (7 on Greece). Greece star defenseman Erik Gunderson was given a 7:30 misconduct and still has 3:30 left.

End of second period: Tied 2-2. Total shots 15-14 Mk. Greece tied the game with 5:15 left when Bourbonnais stole the puck at the blue line and passed to Greg Ryan for the goal. It will be 4-on-4 for 1:07 when we start the third period. Mamaroneck has worn teams down all season and now will try to do it one more time in the biggest game of their program’s history.

Final: Greece wins 3-2. Final shots 24-20 Thunder. J.T. Steglein scored a power-play goal with 4:12 left. 

All-state update: Section 1 had three all-state players. State record-holder Matt Willows of Clarkstown North, and two from Mamaroneck, repeat selection Sean Hagan and goalie Luke Glaser. Brett Jackson made second team. 

MVP update: Hagan wins Division I player of the year.