NYSPHSAA Division 2 Championship: #3 Pelham Pelicans (I) Vs, #2 Skaneateles Lakers (III) March 12th 2023

save
Photo By: 
Kyle Coryea

Skaneateles Chad Lowe (30) with the pad save on the shot from Pelham's Nick Scampoli (7). It would be championship Sunday from the LECOM Harbor Center in Buffalo, NY and New York State Boy's Hockey Division II would be first up with the #2 Skaneateles Lakers taking on the defending state champion and currently number #3 in the state Pelham Pelicans. It wouldn't take long for the upstart-minded Lakers to get on the board and take the 1-0 lead in the game when Henry Major would score just 2:05 into the game. The Lakers would keep on the accelerator and expand their lead to 2-0 at the 7:58 mark of the period on the Andrew Falkenberg power play goal. Then at the 11:11 mark of the period the Lakers would take control of the game on the Andrew Witlock goal and make it 3-0. When the teams returned for the second period the Lakers would stay and take a 4-0 lead just 33 seconds into the period on Andrew Whitlock's second goal of the game. The game would stay there till there were just about 90 seconds left in the period when the Pelicans would get on the board with the Sebastian Esposito goal and make it a 4-1 game and give the Pelicans hope in the third period. Although the defenses would stand tall for both teams in the third period as there would be no scoring the defending champions Pelicans would fall to the Skaneateles Lakers to give them their first title in four years. Gallery

hit
Photo By: 
Kyle Coryea

Pelham's Reid Finster (21) with the hit on Skaneateles' Trevor Jensesn (3) to break up the play in the corner. Gallery

#3 Pelham Pelicans (I) Vs #2 Skaneateles Lakers (III) March 12th, 2023

NYSPHSAA Division II Championship
2023 State Champions
Photo By: 
Kyle Coryea

The Skaneateles Lakers have been crowned the 2023 NYSPHSAA Division II champions with a 4-1 win over the Pelham Pelicans. It would be championship Sunday from the LECOM Harbor Center in Buffalo, NY and New York State Boy's Hockey Division II would be first up with the #2 Skaneateles Lakers taking on the defending state champion and currently number #3 in the state Pelham Pelicans. It wouldn't take long for the upstart-minded Lakers to get on the board and take the 1-0 lead in the game when Henry Major would score just 2:05 into the game. The Lakers would keep on the accelerator and expand their lead to 2-0 at the 7:58 mark of the period on the Andrew Falkenberg power play goal. Then at the 11:11 mark of the period the Lakers would take control of the game on the Andrew Witlock goal and make it 3-0. When the teams returned for the second period the Lakers would stay and take a 4-0 lead just 33 seconds into the period on Andrew Whitlock's second goal of the game. The game would stay there till there were just about 90 seconds left in the period when the Pelicans would get on the board with the Sebastian Esposito goal and make it a 4-1 game and give the Pelicans hope in the third period. Although the defenses would stand tall for both teams in the third period as there would be no scoring the defending champions Pelicans would fall to the Skaneateles Lakers to give them their first title in four years. Gallery

#11 Saranac Chiefs Vs #3 Pelham Pelicans Marxh 11th 2023

NYSPHSAA Boys Hockey Semi-Finals
battle for puck
Photo By: 
Kyle Coryea

Saranac's Landen Duprey (16) and Pelham's Reid Finster (21) battle for the puck along the boards. It was the first game of the NYSPHSAA Division II semi-finals. It would feature the #11 Saranac Chiefs from Section VII making their first appearance in the final four and the Pelham Pelicans from Section I and the defending state champions. The game would start off well for the defending champs as they would score just 2:16 into the game on the powerplay goal from Will Crotty for the 1-0 Pelicans lead. The Chiefs would answer back just about halfway through the period and tie the game at one on the Landon Giroux goal. Then just over four minutes later the Pelicans would regain their one-goal lead on the goal by Reid Finster for the 2-1 game. With just about thirty seconds left in the period, the Pelicans would extend their lead to 3-1 n the Joseph Vassalotti goal. The game would stay there till the 6:41 mark of the second period when the Pelicans would score on the Daniel Mitrione goal to make it a 4-1 game. The Chiefs would keep fighting and make it a two-goal game again at the 11:00 mark of the period on the Zack O'Connell goal to make it 4-2. Although the Pelicans would come back on fire after that and score 3 goals in the final five minutes of the period to take a commanding 7-2 lead on goals from Griffin Evans twice and Chris Franchini. Then in the third period with the game in hand, the Pelicans would let up and get the other kids in the game along with the Chiefs doing the same thing although the Pelicans would get one in the last minute of the period from James Vassakotti to secure the 8-2 win. In the winning effort, the Pelicans will advance to the championship against the winner of Salmon River and Skaneateles. In the losing effort, Joey Mitchell would make 44 saves on 52 shots as they finished their season at 13-8-2. Gallery

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