Photos and Story by Janet Schultz©, NYHOL. All photos property of Janet Schultz and cannot be used without permission. Email Janet@nyhockeyonline.com.
CASH opened scoring in the first game of the WNYGVIH Section VI semi-finals. Jenny Wild dropped in an unassisted goal just five minutes into the game. First period ended 1-0.
FLOP answered back 38 seconds into the second period when Peyton Forcucci got her first point of the night, assisted by sister Brooklyn and Hannah Favata. Then it was CASH securing a 2-1 end to the second when Polina Stremiakova scored, assisted by Maya Adimey and Emma Elnicky.
A no goal and penalities were the feature of the third until with just 3:40 left Kiley Breezed scored a short-handed goal, assisted by Adimey. Not be be outdone FLOP answered back with 20 seconds left and scored their second goal. Jocelyn Smaczniak got one past Ella Celej, assisted by Peyton Forcucci. The period ends 3-2 and CASH moves to the finals.
Rachael Fix stopped 24 of 27 shots for FLOP and Celej faced 30.
Game two of the semi-finals took two overtimes to have a winner declared as HEWS took on LIDA.
It started when HEWS put in a goal halfway through the first off the stick of Sophia Phillips, assisted by Morgan Cooper. First period ends 1-0 HEWS and with penalty minutes.
Second period opens with left-over penalty minutes and another one added. That set LIDA up for a powerplay goal by Emily Lysiak, assisted by Claire Whiteford and Leah Dowling. Second period ends with another penalty and a 1-1 tie.
Third period is back and forth with chances for both teams to score and Goalies Ella Buczynski and Iris Schimenti keeping out 8 shots each. Still a 1-1 tie at the end of the third.
Diving into Overtime #1 and again the Goalies do their thing and another period ends with a penalty.
Overtime #2 opened with left-over penalty minutes and another one added. At 4:52 LIDA’s Lysiak makes another shot on goal and it goes in, assisted by Whiteford. It was back and forth until the end, with Goalies doing their thing and the period ends at 10:08, 2-1 in favor of LIDA.
LIDA moves on to face CASH in the Section VI Championship on Monday, February 16 at 8 pm. at Buffalo State University (Buffalo State College) Arena. This is the first time Section VI will have a new champion. Since the beginning of the League in 2010, it has been FLOP, KenGiPort, or Williamsville taking the titles. Same goes for the Past Federation Champs which include the above plus Monsignor Martin.
The Private School Championship pitting St. Mary’s of Lancaster against Monsignor Martin will be played at 6 p.m.
There is an admission fee, links can be found on the WNYGVIH Facebook page.
In the State, Adirondack will be heading the the NYS Championship for the fourth consecutive time after defeating the East Wave in a Sectional playoff. Skaneateles is playing Oswego to determine which of those teams move on. The fourth determinating game is Potsdam vs Massena being played today (Feb. 14).
Photo Gallery by Janet Schultz©
