Section V hockey has packed in a lot of great teams and players in its near-60 years of existence.
Among the players who shined in high school — many of whom later played collegiately or professionally — we’re trying to answer this question: Who is the best?
In truth, such things are subjective and impossible to answer. How can one weigh the contributions of a player who dominated Section V for a year or two before departing for prep school or junior hockey, versus those who stuck with high school through their senior seasons? How can players from decades ago when the game leaned on physicality and toughness, compare to modern era players who compete in a more skill-based sport?
While there are likely hundreds of Rochester-area players that reached the minor and major professional ranks, our list is largely based on their achievements as high school players. See any obvious omissions? Let us know.
David Bagley, Gates Chili
Bagley was a central figure for the Spartans’ section champion in 1998-99. The first team all-state selection averaged three points per game that season, and was the sectional tournament’s MVP with three goals, including two short-handed, in the final against Irondequoit. Another big moment came in the state quarterfinals against two-time defending state champion and top-ranked Canton, when Bagley scored the overtime game-winner. After high school, Bagley continued to produce against Division III competition, splitting his collegiate career between SUNY Geneseo and RIT.
Marcy Chinappi, Aquinas
Tending the net for the Lil Irish in the late 1990s, Chinappi went four-for-four in section title wins during his varsity career. He also backstopped Aquinas to consecutive state titles in 1998 and 1999, and was the state tournament’s most valuable player in ’98 after making 14 saves in the final against Plattsburgh. While Aquinas fell short of a state title three-peat in 1999-00, Chinappi finished his senior year with six shutouts, a sub-2.00 GAA and 90% save percentage.
Chris Collins, Fairport
Collins scored over 100 career points despite playing only two varsity seasons at Fairport, but in his short career helped the Red Raiders win their first Section V title in 1999-00. That season, Collins led a youthful Fairport group to a 22-2-2 record and an appearance in the state semifinals, while scoring 65 points in 25 games through the section finals. Collins spent four seasons at Boston College, and as a senior in 2005-06 was the Hockey East player of the year and a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award as the nation’s top player as the Eagles reached the national championship game. After his decorated college career, Collins signed a pro contract with the Boston Bruins but never appeared in the NHL.
Mark Doyle, McQuaid
Doyle graduated in 1985 as McQuaid’s all-time leading scorer with 112 goals. During his varsity career, he helped McQuaid capture four consecutive league titles and multiple Section V playoff championships, and was a two-time first team all-county selection. Capping his junior season in 1984, when he teamed with Paul Pedersen and Sean Keegan on McQuaid’s top line, he was named the section tournament’s most valuable player after scoring five goals across two playoff games. Doyle later played two seasons at RIT.
David Farrance, Victor
Farrance played only two seasons of high school hockey, but was a staple for Victor’s defense. He was the All-Greater Rochester and NYS Division II Player of the Year as a sophomore in 2014-15, scoring 28 goals and 46 points that winter … astounding totals for a defenseman. Farrance was selected by the Nashville Predators in the third round of the 2017 NHL amateur draft. He played four seasons at Boston University, had several stops in the American Hockey League and most recently played professionally overseas.
Teal Fowler, Batavia
Fowler had two prolific seasons at Batavia, leading the Blue Devils to a Monroe County league and Section V title in 1986-87. The previous season, only a freshman at the time, he set Section V’s single-season record for goals scored with 42. Fowler played four seasons of Division I hockey at Merrimack and was the team’s captain his senior year in 1992-93. After college, Fowler played several seasons professionally overseas.
Bobby Garrison, Greece
Garrison was a top player for the Greece teams that dominated in Section V in the 1990s. He capped his high school career by leading the Lightning to the 1996 state title, a first for a Rochester-area team. That season, he passed former top NHL draft pick Jason Bonsignore as Greece’s all-time leading scorer. After high school, Garrison played four seasons at SUNY Brockport, where he still holds several program scoring records.
Matt Garver, Pittsford
Garver left Pittsford after three varsity seasons, but exited as Section V’s sixth-highest all-time scorer. He helped the Panthers capture back-to-back section titles in 1991 and 1992 (he scored the game-winner in the ’91 final as a freshman). In college, Garver scored 107 points in three seasons at RPI, then returned home in 1998-99 to pace RIT with nearly a goal per game.
Eric Gunderson, Greece Athena/Odyssey
Any number of players from the Thunder’s undefeated state title-winning team in 2008-09 could be considered, but coach Dan Webb viewed Gunderson, a defenseman, as the straw that stirred the drink for one of Section V’s best-ever teams. The rearguard was a key piece to a defensive unit that allowed only 32 goals in 27 games. Gunderson finished the season with 14 goals and 17 assists (many of those goals were as a forward on Greece’s power play) and racked up several accolades, including All-Greater Rochester Player of the Year, Monroe County’s West Division Player of the Year, first team all-state and the all-tournament team for the state championships.
Chayse Ierlan, Victor
The epitome of “big-game goalie,” Ierlan led Victor to section titles in 2015, 2016 and 2018 (he missed his junior season in 2017 due to injury) and was named the postseason tournament’s MVP each of those seasons. Ierlan was literally perfect in his final varsity season. He finished with a 19-0-4 win-loss record, with a 1.10 GAA and .953 save percentage, as Victor became the most recent Section V team to post a perfect season. Ierlan focused on lacrosse in his post-high school career, playing net at Johns Hopkins and professionally in the PLL.
Colby Jones, Brockport
Brockport doesn’t win the 2003 New York state title, only the second for Section V, without Jones. The offensive-minded defenseman tallied six assists in two state tournament games as the Blue Devils upended Ithaca and Williamsville North (ending the latter’s 27-game win streak). Jones was named the state tournament’s MVP, and before that one of the Monroe County league’s players of the year. Jones was also the leading scorer for Brockport’s section title team in 2002.
Brian Kleemann, Rush-Henrietta
Rush-Henrietta had some high-scoring teams in the 1990s, and front and center was Kleemann who led the Royal Comets to their lone section title win in 1993. Kleemann, who finished his varsity career as the program’s all-time leader in goals and assists (he shares the latter with former teammate Mark Simmons), helped Rush-Henrietta start 22-0-1 in 1992-93, before falling in the state semifinals. Kleemann also owns this unique distinction: When the Royal Comets fell to Pittsford in the 1992 small school section final, he still nabbed MVP honors after a four-goal game.
Terry MacAdam, Irondequoit
MacAdam was a star in the early days of Monroe County high school hockey. The 1980 graduate was the Times-Union Player of the Year as a senior, after leading Monroe County in goals (30) and points (64). He was one of only two players that season to exceed 30 points. In March of his senior season, MacAdam scored an overtime goal against McQuaid that guaranteed Irondequoit a spot in the first-ever New York state hockey tournament … and ended the Knights’ 43-game win streak in the process.
Grady Monks, Aquinas
Monks was the top forward on Lil Irish teams that captured section titles in 1990 and 1992. His senior season, he led Section V in scoring and was named a first-team all-star after finishing tied for the Monroe County points lead with 66. Monks later played collegiately at SUNY Oswego and SUNY Brockport, and coached Aquinas to section titles in the late 1990s. He is currently the head coach at Brighton.
Sam Paolini, Spencerport
In an alternate history, record books might show Paolini as the top scorer in Section V history, but the former Spencerport player deferred his final two seasons of high school to play junior hockey. Still, the playmaking forward was one of the area’s top point-getters of his time, finishing his two-year varsity career with 129 points against league competition. Paolini played four seasons at Cornell University, then spent a few seasons bouncing between the ECHL and AHL (including brief stints with the hometown Rochester Americans).
Brendon Rothfuss, Webster Thomas
The first-ever All-Greater Rochester Player of the Year in 2007, Rothfuss was one of Section V’s top snipers in the 2000s. He potted 37 goals as a senior in 2006-07 and finished his career with 76 tallies, helping turn the Titans into a force in Monroe County. Rothfuss played for SUNY Brockport for four seasons after high school, and later coached Brighton’s varsity team.
Billy Sauer, McQuaid
Maybe the best goalie to come from the Rochester area (he’s from Walworth), Sauer had a brief spell in high school. In 2003-04, he led McQuaid to an 18-1-1 regular season record (its best win-loss finish in 20-plus years) and a Section V title. He was named first team all-state after the season. Sauer played four seasons at the University of Michigan and was one of the nation’s top goaltenders. Selected by the Colorado Avalanche in the seventh round of the 2006 NHL draft, Sauer spent most of his professional career in the ECHL but played briefly in the AHL during the 2009-10 season.
Ross Sealfon, Pittsford
No list of Section V’s best players would be complete without its all-time leading scorer. Sealfon finished with 253 points in his five-year varsity career, which ranks 12th in New York state history. Beyond his prolific scoring, Sealfon was a winner. He helped Pittsford win four section titles in five years, which included a hat trick in the 1992 small school final. The championship pedigree continued at Middlebury College in Vermont, where Sealfon helped those Panthers win Division III national titles each season of his collegiate career (and as team captain in 1999).
Chris Smith, Pittsford Mendon
Smith was a prolific scorer for Pittsford in the 1980s, where he wrapped his career as the Monroe County league’s all-time leader in goals (112) and points (207). In January of his senior year, Smith scored seven goals in a 10-6 win over Fairport, which at the time was second-highest single-game total in state history. Smith’s explosive offensive ability continued at SUNY Geneseo, where he remains the Knights’ all-time leading scorer with 232 career points. He also played professionally in the ECHL for three seasons.
Jamar Speight, Bishop Kearney/Eastridge
While Speight’s point totals don’t match up with many of his contemporaries, he was still one of his era’s most effective blueliners. Boasting impressive size and physicality, Speight was one of Monroe County’s players of the year in 2006. That season, he led the Kings to their only championship appearance as a combined program. Speight was also a sought-after football recruit, and played at UAlbany after high school.
While we’ve limited our poll to 20 players, here’s some others worth noting:
Kevin Armbruster, Geneseo: Once held Geneseo’s goals record with 91, and played four seasons of college hockey at Bowling Green.
Cole Bardreau, Fairport: Future AHLer played two seasons in high school and was an AGR choice as a sophomore.
Mike Battaglia, Batavia: 2007 All-Greater Rochester selection backstopped Batavia to a pair of Section V titles in 2004 and 2006, and posted a plus-.930 save percentage.
Jason Bonsignore, Greece: The highest draft pick to ever come from the Rochester area, Bonsignore was a top flight scorer for the Lightning for a few seasons.
Riley Bourbonnais, Greece Athena/Odyssey: Effective playmaker for the undefeated 2008-09 Thunder, played four years at RPI and several seasons in the minor pros.
Joe Carusone, Gates Chili: A player-turned-official, Carusone once ranked as Gates Chili’s all-time leading scorer.
Brett DeMartin, Brighton: A late bloomer, DeMartin didn’t join Brighton’s varsity team until his junior year of high school but was a first team all-league selection both seasons and finished with well over 100 career points.
Mike Depferd, Brockport: Once Monroe County’s all-time leading scorer and the first player in league history to earn all-county nods for four straight seasons, Depferd led the Blue Devils to their first section title win in 1990.
Pete Feola, Gates Chili: Before his time as a top referee from the Rochester area, Feola was a top forward for the Spartans.
Chris Fess, Aquinas: Fess is the co-owner of New York state’s record for goals in a single game with nine, completing the feat in a win over Fairport in December 1988.
Joe Fiannaca, Batavia: Was once the second leading scorer all-time in Monroe County league history, and still ranks near the top.
Ryan Gaiek, Canandaigua: Keyed Canandaigua’s turnaround in the early 2000s as the team’s top scorer.
Brian Gionta, Aquinas: Considered by many to be the most accomplished hockey player ever from the Rochester area, Gionta was a productive freshman for the 1993-94 Lil Irish.
Dave Insalaco, Greece: Longtime RIT assistant coach was another top forward for the Lightning’s 1996 state title team.
Joe Jehlen, Rush-Henrietta: A staple for Rush-Henrietta in the 1990s, Jehlen was a member of two national champions at Canton following his five-year high school career.
Cameron Kuzniar, Rush-Henrietta: No goalie in New York state history saw more rubber than Kuzniar. The 2019 Rush-Henrietta graduate holds the state record for career saves with 2,487.
Phil Lane, Greece Athena/Odyssey: Eventual second-round NHL draft pick starred for the Thunder for three seasons, and was an AGR pick as a sophomore in 2007-08.
Hunter McDonald, Fairport: Long before he made his NHL debut this April, McDonald was a bruising defenseman for the Red Raiders. He played through his junior year, and was an AGR selection in 2018-19.
Shawn McKechney, Hilton: McKechney was in the mix for Monroe County’s scoring lead in the early 1990s, when the Hilton varsity program was still in its infancy.
Mike Militello, Brockport: Militello holds or shares some impressive New York state records. In January 1989, he broke the state records (which still stand today) for assists (nine) and points (12) in a single game, doing so in a win over Cardinal Mooney.
Mario Nucci, Aquinas: Another member of Aquinas’ dynastic team in the late 90s and early 2000s, Nucci had a hat trick in the 2002 Class B final to help the Lil Irish capture their sixth straight title.
Pat O’Connell, Geneseo: Holds several single-season program records at Geneseo. In 1989-90, he was credited with 34 goals and 52 points, which included a seven-goal, eight-point game.
Andy Orsini, Irondequoit: Speedy forward set Irondequoit’s single-season goals mark as a senior in 2004-05.
Paul Pedersen, McQuaid: A top forward in the early 1980s, and was a member of the 1983-84 Knights that started undefeated through 22 games to win the section title.
Marty Reasoner, McQuaid: Before a nearly 800-game NHL career, Reasoner starred at McQuaid for two seasons. As a sophomore in 1992-93, Reasoner paced Monroe County large schools in points, led the Knights to the Division I section championship game and was a first-team all-county selection.
Andy Rice, Greece: Greece split into two varsity programs prior to his senior year, but Rice could technically lay claim to being his program’s all-time leading scorer. He also owns this unique distinction: A pair of goals in the first “Storm Game,” which his Lightning won against the Thunder.
Justin Scharfe, Webster Thomas: 2007-08 All-Greater Rochester Player of the Year led the Titans to their first state title that season. His 28-goal season also warranted state tournament MVP and all-state honors.
Cory Schneider, Penfield: Before his time at Ohio State, Schneider played for Penfield in eighth and ninth grade. In 2003-04, his freshman year, Schneider led the Patriots on a Cinderella run to the state tournament.
John Taillie, McQuaid: Goaltender led the Knights to an undefeated season in 1978-79 and was the Times-Union Player of the Year for that season. Taillie finished with a 19-0-1 record, 1.58 GAA and .908 save percentage, in an era when any SV% above .870 was considered exceptional.
Brad Wheeler, Webster: A defenseman, Wheeler was a two-time first team all-league selection in 1993 and 1994.
All-Greater Rochester Ice Hockey history
The Democrat and Chronicle started publishing full-fledged All-Greater Rochester teams in 2007. For further reference, here’s a list of every Player of the Year:
Justin Ritzel is a sports reporter for the Democrat and Chronicle, with a focus on Section V athletics and high school trends.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Who is Section V’s all-time ice hockey player? VOTE in the poll sponsored by Faber Builders
Reporting by Justin Ritzel, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Justin Ritzel, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle | USA TODAY Network
