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.

Click here to watch the state finals live from Utica. I will be giving updates between periods. Pelham-New Hartford at 12:30, and Mamaroneck-Greece Athena/Odyssey at 3:30.

Here are my articles from yesterday about how Pelham and Mamaroneck made their first state title games: Pelham is one of the most battle-tested hockey teams in the state, and that toughness helped them overcome a deficit in the playoffs for a fifth time. And after watching the 1992 Suffern induction, Mamaroneck is one last step from joining them as champions from Section 1.

For the first time since 1982, Section 1 will have two teams in the state final. But Mamaroneck and Pelham will have to go through the top-ranked teams in each division to win a first-ever state title for Westchester. We will be showing both games live tomorrow from the Utica Memorial Auditorium. In the meantime, here’s a preview:

Division II

Pelham (19-10) vs. Section 3’s New Hartford (27-2), 12:30 p.m.

Outlook: No. 2 Pelham meets top-ranked New Hartford, which is located just five miles from the host site. Pelham has reached the final of a team sport for the first time in history, while New Hartford is back for the first time since winning in 1997. Pelham senior Marc Flory is second on the program’s all-time list with 108 goals, while junior Mike Zalewski is the seventh-leading scorer in New Hartford history (153 points). New Hartford’s defense has allowed just 25 goals in 18 games, while Pelham has scored 42 during its eight-game winning streak. Also of note: Pelham has allowed the first goal in all five playoff games, while New Hartford has scored the first goal in all but three games this season.

Prediction: New Hartford would seriously challenge for the Division I title. They are as fast as any team in the state, and they have great depth. Though Andrew Emerson’s return is great for Pelham, it won’t help that Adrian Rivera (who had the winning goals in the sectional semis and finals) will have to sit out, or that while Pelham has had great fan support, the crowd will be titled toward the hometown team. The Pelicans are certainly capable of pulling the upset, but make no mistake — it would be an upset. New Hartford 4, Pelham 2.

Division I

Mamaroneck (26-2-1) vs. Section 5’s Greece Athena/Odyssey (26-0), 3:30 p.m.

Outlook: In a matchup of the state’s two top teams, No. 2 Mamaroneck rides a 24-game unbeaten streak against top-ranked Greece Athena/Odyssey, the only undefeated team remaining. Mamaroneck senior Brett Jackson leads a balanced scoring attack, which gets production from all three lines, while the Thunder are led by Section V West Division Player of the Year Eric Gunderson and sophomore Riley Bourbonnais, who is already the program’s all-time leading scorer. There is one common opponent — the Thunder beat Suffern 4-2 while Mamaroneck tied the Mounties 2-2 and beat them 2-1. Mamaroneck has advanced to the state final for the first time, while Greece won in 1996 before it split into two high schools.

Prediction: Greece has some real star players, but Mamaroneck has more depth and should have an advantage as the game wears on. The Tigers have also shown an ability to knock off unbeaten teams in the playoffs (Suffern last year, the baseball team beat LaSalle in the spring). Greece will be the toughest team Mamaroneck faces all year, but the Tigers have responded to every challenge so far. With all the state-ranked teams, two teams in the state final, multiple upstate tournament titles — Section 1 has really come on strong this year, and I think Mamaroneck puts the icing on the cake. Mamaroneck 4, Greece Athena 3. 

Click here to watch the two state semifinals live from Utica. 

End of first period: Game tied 0-0. Pelham has killed off a four-minute power play after Adrian Rivera was called for checking from behind and given a game disqualification. Burke still has 52 seconds left in a second power play. NOTE: Rivera will also be suspended for the championship game if Pelham advances.

End of second period: Game tied 1-1. Burke scored 57 seconds in and Matt Hernandez answered with a backhand top shelf from the left faceoff circle with 2:25 left. Pelham has now given up the first goal in all five playoff games and then come back.

Interesting fact: Only five teams from Section 1 have ever made a state final: Suffern ‘92 (won) and Rye ‘82 in Division I, and Nyack ‘82, Suffern ‘88 and Clarkstown North ‘02 in Division II.

Third period: Pelham leads 3- 1 with 10:57 left. Colin Reilly tipped a shot from Mike Mamone with 11:46 left, and Marc Flory scored off the crossbar 49 seconds later. Burke just called time out.

Final: Pelham wins 3-2. Burke scored on a breakaway with 9:45 left but couldn’t get the equalizer. Final shots 28-19 Pelham. Pelicans advance to the final for the first time.

DII update: Looks like Pelham will be playing top-ranked New Hartford. The Spartans are winning 4-0 midway through the second period. The final will be tomorrow at 12:30 p.m.

DII update: New Hartford wins 6-1. Two goals in each period. Kenmore East finally scored with 10 minutes left to make it 5-1. 

3 p.m.: They are cutting the ice now. I’m guessing the Suffern induction will start around 3:15 and then Mamaroneck will follow immediately afterwards.

Mamaroneck update: Mamaroneck leads 2-1 after one period. Rob Fine scored shorthanded on a breakaway 4:29 in, fielding a long pass from Sean Hagan. Niagara-Wheatfield answered just 15 seconds later when Bryan Komasara skated in alone on the same power play. Mamaroneck then retook the lead with 2:45 left on a great give-and-go from Matt Conner to Robbie Gardiner. Shots are 10-9 Tigers. N-W still has 25 seconds left on the power play when the second period starts.

Second period: Mamaroneck leads 4-1 with 10:17 left in the second period thanks to two goals in 39 seconds. Rob tipped in a pass from Matt Marr and then Matt Connor made it 4-1 (the puck bounced up off the goalie and I thought Brett Jackson might have batted it in but I’l find out for sure after the game).

End of second period: Mamaroneck leads 6-1 after five unanswered goals, four in the second period. Rob Fine and Matt Marr each scored their second goals in the final five minutes off cross-ice passes from Christian Glaser. Luke Glaser dove to make an amazing glove save when N-W had a 5-on-3 midway through the second period.

Final: Mamaroneck wins 7-2. Scott Hagan had the last Tigers goal with 4:45 left, and then N-W scored with 3:31 left.

DI update: Greece Athena/Odyssey defeated West Genesee 5-2 and will face Mamaroneck tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. It was 4-2 after the first period.

Today’s newspaper had a Pelham feature that focused on the seven seniors who are making it back to Utica. They all said that the ‘06 group was just thrilled to be there, especially after an incredible comeback win in the quarters, but this team is hungry for more.

Tomorrow’s Mamaroneck feature will focus on Sean Hagan and Luke and Christian Glaser, who are a combined 99-12-2 at the varsity level (baseball and hockey) and are going for their second state title in nine months. It also features some interesting quotes from Hagan, who’s hoping that the team’s success will lead to more interest in hockey in Westchester.

Here’s directions to Utica Memorial Auditorium, the site of this weekend’s semis and finals: Take New York State Thruway (i-87) to I-90 West. Take Exit 31 and follow signs for Genesee St. South. After first traffic light, exit to right onto Whitesboro St.  Arena is six blocks on left.

Mamaroneck (25-2-1) vs. Section 6’s Niagara-Wheatfield (16-10), 3:15 p.m.

Note: The winner faces Section 5’s Greece Athena Odyssey (25-0) or Section 3’s West Genesee (22-3-2) in the championship game Sunday at 3:30 p.m.

Overview: Two-time sectional champion Mamaroneck, the second-ranked team in the state, is riding a 23-game unbeaten streak.  The Tigers are 0-3 previously in the semifinal round, but are coming off a double-overtime win at No. 3 Massena. Niagara-Wheatfield, in just its first year as a varsity hockey, upset perennial power Williamsville North en route to its title. It beat Monroe-Woodbury 3-1 in the state quarterfinals — Mamaroneck beat Monroe-Woodbury 6-1 in its December Tiger Tournament.

Prediction: The only thing that would concern me for Mamaroneck is that the NW goalie made 47 saves to steal a double-OT win over Willy North, and a repeat performance is possible. Also Mamaroneck hasn’t gotten off to the fastest starts in the playoffs, and you wonder if that will come back to bite them. And Massena’s strong showing last weekend shows that in the playoffs, you can’t just go by what teams looks better on paper. But I think as long as the Tigers don’t get caught looking ahead to Sunday, they get through. Mamaroneck 5-2.

Pelham (18-10) vs. Section 9’s Burke Catholic (18-4-2), 10 a.m.

Note: The winner faces Section 3’s New Hartford (26-2) or Section 6’s Kenmore East (19-4-2) in the championship game Sunday at 12:30 p.m.

Overview: Pelham, the No. 2 team in the state, is attempting to make its first state final. Senior Marc Flory has scored multiple goals in eight of his past nine games, including five in the Pelicans 6-2 state quarterfinal win over No. 2 Queensbury. Unranked Burke Catholic has played three local teams, losing to Scarsdale (4-3) and Iona Prep (4-1) but beating CHSHL finalist Stepinac (4-3). Burke, an 8th-year program, beat Salmon River 4-0 in the quarterfinals, allowing just six shots in the final two periods to win its first-ever state tournament game.

Prediction: Pelham has clearly played a higher-caliber of competition and also has the experience of advancing to Utica already. While Flory’s exploits are grabbing headlines, the defense and goaltending has also been outstanding, and once the Pelicans grab the lead it’s practically over. Getting Andrew Emerson back should also be a boost, especially because Reilly moves back down and gives Pelham even more offensive balance in case Flory/Mamone combination somehow gets shut down. Pelham 3-1.

So I was allowed back on the blog at 12:01 a.m. this morning. That was the plan, anyway — but I couldn’t leave the Garden during the longest game in Big East history, so now I’m going with Plan B.

Coach John Orlando was gracious enough to provide some information on the 1992 Suffern team that will be inducted into the New York State High School Hockey Hall of Fame tomorrow, and I’m leaving the floor to him. This afternoon I’ll be back with semifinal previews and I’ll also respond to all comments and e-mails that were sent to me over the past 48 hours.

The season started about seven or eight years ago[ 1985-86 ]when Sport-O- Rama gave us free ice time at 6 AM on Sunday mornings to rebuild our feeder program. Over 2/3rds. of the players on this team started then with borrowed lacrosse helmets and gloves, the real “Bad News Bears”.

Would they ever make it? Fifteen weeks of early rising set the tone. They were dedicated. What follows is a recollection of a set of circumstances over the last two seasons.
Injuries, death in a family, sickness and losses [ we started the season 3-3 ] led to the elusive State Championship.

With the players all back. Steve Lofberg, the Father of T.J. Lofberg arranged a trip to Norway to play in the Jar Tournament in Oslo.

What an unbelievable experience. Our first hurdle was the plane trip, 10 hours over the Atlantic- 10 first time flyers- a lot of white knuckles. Courage! some found it.

We win the tournament. Our kids played great. We win the hearts of the Norwegians with hard-skilled play.

The trip was more than just hockey. We came together as a team more than ever before.
Improvised hockey, as our Norwegian friends call it, 30 boys on a huge outdoor rink, exchanging jerseys, mixing up teams, playing with no refs, 2 to 3 hours under the stars, for pure sport, played for the fun of it until exhaustion sets in.

After the tournament we then toured Norway. Our most memorable aspect was a trip to a sculpture park. The theme was from birth to death. Our boys entered the park giggling but as our guide started to explain the statues the mood changed drastically. Fun, life,death, struggles, relationships and how people handle these are depicted. We all emerged from those 80 acres as slightly different people.

I took sick after the trip and my assistants, John Rostawanik, Mitch Resnick and John Yurcik took over and led the team. I feel it made us a better team as the boys had to overcome another adversity and stand on their own. The team started cooking.

Our young defenseman were getting better [Sheehan, Rostawanik]. Our big line [Chapman,White,Doyle ] another line [Lofberg,Stevens Taylor] were smoking. Our yearling line [Stecz, Murphy, Gordon,Greg] was emrging as a force. Cerebona [ goalie] Adam Gordon [defense] were ROCK-SOLID in front of the net. 

Our red line[ Flament, Cohen, Greenhut, Marguiles, Condon and Haugeto] was possessed in practice and made everybody work hard. Our back-up goalies [Goldstein and Cunningham] were pressuring the shooters.

We never lost another game that season when we returned from Norway and won the section championship. 17 straight victories concluded the season.

State tournament 1/4 finals a 10-3 victory over Monroe-Woodbury, a semi-final victory over Seton Catholic 3-2 and a 4-3 O’T win over Massena in what some will say was the most exciting final in state history.

The championship game had many heroes. Cerebona in goal, Adam Gordon played the entire 45 minutes on defense, John Chapman went from center to defense and played about 41 minutes. Chapman, Taylor and Doyle shut Massena down and White, Stevens and Lofberg did most of the scoring. Rob Stevens scored the game tier goal on assists from Lofberg and White with 39 seconds left after the goalie was pulled.

Rob Stevens was then sprung free on a pass from Danny White and blasted the game winner from just inside the blue line in overtime.

This is Susie Arth stepping in for Harold because the news couldn’t wait: We’ll be carrying both the Pelham and Mamaroneck games from Utica on Saturday on our Mogulus channel:  ”www.LoHud.com/vcsports4”:http://lohud.com/vcsports4.

It’ll be Pelham vs. Burke Catholic  up first at 10 a.m. We’ll then have Mamaroneck-Niagara-Wheatfield at 3:15 p.m. 

Enjoy the shows!

Couple news items out of the Pelham-Mamaroneck practice/scrimmage today at the Ice Hutch:

Good news first. Andrew Emerson (right) was cleared for contact this morning and participated fully. He will start alongside Marc Flory and Mike Mamone on Saturday. I caught up with him afterwards:

“It was kind of jumping into the fire because we were playing against Mamaroneck, which is a great team, but it just feels good to get back out there. … It’s hard to say I’ll be 100 percent because I’ve been out for three weeks now, and at least the first half of it I couldn’t do anything, but I’ve been going to the gym, working out. I’ll probably be close to it but it’s hard. I’ve definitely lost a little bit of stamina so I’m just trying to work as hard as I can to get back to where I was.”

Now the bad news. Brett Jackson (right) sat out practice with a groin pull he suffered Saturday against Massena. He finished that game (although he spent the entire three minutes between the first and second overtime laying completely flat on his back on the ice), and he vowed to play no matter what on Saturday. Quickness and speed are two of Jackson’s greatest attributes, so hopefully the injury won’t hamper his ability this weekend. 

He talked about the injury on tonight’s VC Live show, and I was also pleased to welcome fellow Mamaroneck senior Mike Meglio to the studio. There was a problem transferring the show to where it can be replayed on demand, but that should be fixed when the tech guys get in tomorrow.

I’m prohibited from posting or commenting the next two days, but sports editor Susie Arth will be monitoring the blog in my absence. She can be reached at sarth@lohud.com. I will be back Friday with some previews for the weekend.

Brett Jackson, Mamaroneck’s leading scorer, will be on Varsity Central Live tonight at 7:30 p.m. You can watch the show and ask questions by clicking here.  

Before the show I’ll be watching Mamaroneck and Pelham practice together, so I’ll also have status updates on both teams as they prepare for this weekend’s Frozen Four.

Mamaroneck and Pelham took different routes, but the end result was the same — they are both moving on.

Mamaroneck took Massena’s best shot in a hostile environment, but outlasted the defending state champions 5-4 in double overtime to advance to the Division I Frozen Four for the first time ever. More details about Mamaroneck can be found in my story and in the Watertown Daily Times.

And Pelham used a familiar formula — breakout performance by Flory (five goals), outstanding goaltending, and an impenetrable trap once they grab hold of the lead — to defeat Queensbury 6-2. You can read about the Pelham game in The Journal News and the Glens Falls Post-Star.

Incidentally, both Westchester teams are now 8-0 7-0 in the playoffs after allowing the first goal of the game.

In the other Division I quarterfinals: Greece (Section 5) outshot Ithaca 34-13 but the only goal came with a minute left in the second period as the team stayed undefeated with a 1-0 win. … Reigning finalist West Genesee (3) scored three times in each of the first two periods to beat Shaker/Colonie 7-0. … And Niagara Wheatfield (6) continued its remarkable first season in varsity hockey by defeating Monroe Woodbury 3-1.

And in Division II: Burke Catholic (9), who like Mamaroneck lost in overtime last year in the quarterfinals, shut out Salmon River 4-0, allowing just six shots in the final two periods. … In a wild game where the teams actually switched rinks, Kenmore East (6) scored twice in the final six minutes and again in overtime to beat Saranac 4-3. … And New Hartford (3) scored three times in the third period to defeat defending state champion Webster Thomas 3-1. 

So here’s the schedule for Utica, with state rankings. Taking home ice into account, both local teams will likely be favored in the semifinals and underdogs in the finals.

Division I

Semifinals, Saturday

No. 2 Mamaroneck (25-2-1) vs. No. 8 Niagara-Wheatfield (16-10), 3:15 p.m.

No. 1 Greece Athena/Odyssey (25-0) vs. No. 4 West Genesee (22-3-2), 5:45 p.m.

Championship: Sunday, 3:30 p.m.

Division II

Semifinals, Saturday

No. 3 Pelham (18-10) vs. Burke Catholic (18-4-2), 10 a.m.

No. 1 New Hartford (26-2) vs. No. 4 Kenmore East (19-4-2), 12:30 p.m.

Championship: Sunday, 12:30 p.m.

Note: The 1992 Suffern state championship team, which is being inducted into the New York State High School Hockey Hall of Fame, will be honored in a brief on-ice ceremony Saturday at 2:55 p.m.

I’m starting the first of some mandatory days off this week, but I’ll be back Tuesday with scouting reports and a special Championship Edition of Varsity Central Live at 7:30 p.m., featuring special guest Brett Jackson of Mamaroneck. In the meantime, I hope the conversation continues with reflections on a great day for Section 1 hockey, plus thoughts on the upcoming opponents and travel information on Utica (best places to eat, stay, etc.).