SYRACUSE — For the first time in more than two decades, the Whitesboro boys are Section III ice hockey champions.
Whitesboro (16-7-0), seeded first in Division II, broke ties twice in the third period Monday and defeated No. 2 Skaneateles (18-5-0) 5-4 in the title game at Upstate Medical Arena to earn its first championship since 2003.
The teams had already traded goals in the third period when Whitesboro took control of the puck on a faceoff in the offensive zone with less than five minutes remaining in regulation. Marco Benedetto played the puck back to the blue line where Andrew Sfeir’s shot hit the net for the goal that proved to be the game winner.
Whitesboro scored three goals in the first period and went to the third tied at 3 after Skaneateles had evened the score with two goals in the second.
Benedetto had two first period goals in addition to his assist for Whitesboro. Dom Nucci also scored in the first period, and Collin Aceto scored the goal that gave Whitesboro its 4-3 lead in the third period. Gavin Aceto, Aiden Nofri and Andrew Witchley each had two assists, and Kyle Parent and Collin Aceto had one. Goalie Luke Balfe made 24 saves.
Gavin Aceto, one of seven seniors on the team, notched the 100th point of his varsity career.
Braeden Taggert scored two of the Skaneateles goals, and goaltenders Colton McDonald and Nolan Kennedy each made 14 saves.
The win was Whitesboro’s second in three games against Skaneateles which had won all four sectional titles since the coronavirus pandemic shut down postseason play for the 2020-21 season, and the Lakers had also won three consecutive state championships coming into the season.
In the Division I title game, West Genesee defeated Cazenovia 3-2 and won its fifth consecutive title. The Wildcats led 3-0 after two periods and held on as Joey DiNatale scored two Cazenova goals in the third.
Whitesboro moves on to the state Division II tournament for a Saturday, March 7, regional playoff against Section VI champion Clarence at the Harborcenter in Buffalo. Game time is 12:30 p.m.
The state semifinals and final will also be played at Harborcenter March 14 and 15.
This article originally appeared on Times Telegram: Whitesboro boys hockey wins first Section III title in 23 years
Reporting by Jon Rathbun, Herkimer Times Telegram / Times Telegram
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
