Three Section 1 ice hockey teams won state regional playoff games last week. Now, all three teams play this Saturday, March 14, in Buffalo in state semifinals. Should they win, the state championship games will be on March 15.
Suffern, which has won the state Div. I championship three of the last four years, is two wins away from a state championship three-peat.
One of the most unusual things about this season is that with it being Section 1’s turn to send both its Div. II, small-school champion and Div. II runner-up to states, if both win, they’ll face each other in Sunday’s D-II finale, also in Buffalo.
Byram Hills, the No. 3 seed in the Section 1 D-II tournament, upset No. 2 Pelham in the semis before upsetting No. 1 Rye in overtime in the final.
But for Byram Hills and Rye to meet again and for Suffern to have that three-peat shot, they’ll all have to win in Saturday’s semis.
Here’s a look at the three teams and their state semifinal opponents.
Div. I state semifinals
Suffern (16-5-1) vs. Pittsford (19-3-2)
Place: LECOM Harborcenter, Buffalo
Time: 9 a.m., Saturday, March 14
Players to watch: Suffern — Nick Giammatteo, Jr., D; Luke Lofberg, Jr., F; Matthew Norum, Sr., F; Shaefer Pinotti, Jr., D; Anthony Ruggiero, Sr., F; Sean Tyrrell, Sr., F. Pittsford — Charles Hezel, Jr., F; David Pollard, Sr., F; Aiden Stauffer, Jr. G.
Outlook: While the at-large bid for state Div. II teams belonged to Section 1 this season, allowing both champion Byram Hills and runner-up Rye to advance to state playoffs, in Div. I, the at-large bid lay with Section 5. Pittsford, the defending Section 5 champion in Div. I, fell to Hilton in the Section 5 championship game, but automatically advanced to state regionals. Last week, it defeated Section 4’s Ithaca to reach the semifinals.
Both Pittsford and Suffern are familiar with the pressures of state play. Pittsford fell by a goal in last year’s semifinals to West Genesee. Suffern has won the state large-school title three of the last four years and will make it three straight times if it advances to this year’s final and wins. With Suffern, this season isn’t a case of, “It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish,” since it started strong before slumping late. It’s more like it doesn’t matter so much how Suffern played late in the regular season. What matters is how it has played with its season on the line in the playoffs, and it has played very well.
The pressure is on the Mounties. But, while playing with a sense of urgency, they haven’t played with a sense of desperation or panic. That has translated to convincing wins — everything from Suffern’s 5-2 Section 1 semifinal win over a strong North Rockland squad and its subsequent 8-0 championship romp over the on-the-rise BYSNS, to its 7-3 win over Shenendehowa in the state regional. The only opponent Pittsford and Suffern have had in common this season is Ithaca and that reveals little. Suffern beat Ithaca 5-0 early in the season and Pittsford beat it 4-0 in the state regional, when Pittsford goalie Aiden Stauffer turned in a strong 32-save performance. But Suffern, after turning the page on its late regular-season malaise, should be considered at least a slight favorite.
Quotes: “I think for us to win, we need to continue to play like we have been and play well defensively. Pittsford is a really good team,” Suffern coach Rob Schelling said.
“I think we (need to do what we) kind of stuck to all year —relentless forecheck, be smart and disciplined, and it will come down to who’s going to bury their chances and put the puck in the net,” Suffern senior captain Sean Tyrrell said. “Winning last couple of years was great. But winning this year (as a senior) means more,” Tyrrell said, calling earning a final state title with classmates he has played with throughout high school “special.”
The winner: The winner will advance to Sunday’s 11 a.m. championship game at Harborcenter vs. the winner of the Section 3 West Genesee vs. Section 10 Canton semifinal. Suffern defeated West Genesee for last year’s state championship.
Div. II state semifinals
Byram Hills (16-5-1) vs. Beekmantown (15-6-2)
Place: LECOM Harborcenter, Buffalo
Time: 2 p.m., Saturday, March 14
Players to watch: Byram Hills — Ryan Arcamone, Sr. G; Christian Cipriano, Sr., F; Lucas Guggenheimer, Jr., G; Caspar Hamilton, Jr., D; Andrew Tymus, Jr., D. Beekmantown: Jack Bell, Jr., G; Pryce Parker, Sr., F; Edward Sweenor, Jr., F;
Outlook: Beekmantown fell to Section 1 Div. 2 runner-up Rye by three goals early in the season. That could be a good sign for the Bobcats, who beat Rye in OT for the Section 1 title. But Section 7’s Beekmantown seems much improved since then. In its last 12 games, it has 11 wins and a tie. But Beekmantown is going up against a very hot goalie in Bobcats netminder Lucas Guggenheimer. He has been lights out in the past few games. If Guggenheimer keeps that up and his teammates play hard end to end, like they have been throughout the playoffs, Byram Hills will likely find itself playing Sunday for a state title.
Quotes: “We can’t get caught up in their game plan,” Byram Hills coach Patrick Busche said. “They are going to set a trap and try to score in transition. We need to control the middle of the ice and get north to south, puck deep, and crash the net like our lives depend on it. They are team that plays with a lot of emotion — good culture team. (We) have to find a way to break that or wear them down.”
“We just need to keep playing as a team,” Bobcats senior captain Nathan Khaldarov said. “On paper, maybe we’re not the most skilled team in the state or section. But (we can win) by playing as a team, playing a little loosely and not getting too tight. … In the Pelham (Section 1 semifinal) game, we were down 2-0 (after one period) and were playing really tight. That’s not our brand of hockey. We had a good time and started clapping (in the locker room before the second period). It’s all about mindset. We want to go on a good run, be aggressive on the forecheck and continue to use the body and clear out in front of the net. I believe we have the goalie in the state and the best coaching staff in the state.”
The winner: The winner will play the winner of Rye vs. Section 6’s Clarence for the Div. II championship at 2 p.m. Sunday.
Rye (17-3-2) vs. Clarence (19-4)
Place: LECOM Harborcenter, Buffalo
Time: 4:30 p.m. Saturday, March 14
Players to watch: Rye: Trevor Dolan, Sr., F; Ryan Draddy, R., F; Fernando Mosquera, J., G; Max Niejadlik, So., F; Will Niejadlik, So., F, Will Weinman, Sr., D. Clarence: Jeremy Dorigo, Sr., F; Carson Oates, Sr., G, Liam Przybylski, So., F; Brayden Welch, Jr., F.
Outlook: These teams are very familiar with each other and know this will, in all likelihood, be a battle until the final horn — if not a battle that continues after that third-period horn. Rye and Section 6’s Clarence played early in the season and Rye won 4-3 in overtime. Figure both teams are probably improved since then. One key for Rye will be to clear the front of its net to give Mosquera a good view of the puck. Rye fell in overtime to Byram Hills in the Section 1 championship game when Mosquera didn’t see a slap shot from the point with a slew of bodies in front of him. Likewise, Rye’s odds of winning will go up if it set up screens (and, with them, possible deflections) in front of Oates.
Quotes: “We need to control their top line and get to their goalie,” Rye coach Peter Thomas said.
The winner: The winner will play for the Div. II championship Sunday at Harborcenter vs. the winner of Byram Hills vs. Section 7 Beekmantown.
Nancy Haggerty covers sports for The Journal News/lohud.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Suffern, Byram Hills, Rye go for hockey state titles this weekend
Reporting by Nancy Haggerty, Rockland/Westchester Journal News / Rockland/Westchester Journal News
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