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The West Seneca & Elma Sun /Saturday, February 14, 2015
West Seneca/Hamburg girls Federation hockey encouraged by strides taken in 2014-15 season By Aaron Garland SPORTS REPORTER
The standings don’t come close to reflecting the mood of the West Seneca/Hamburg girls Federation hockey team as it looks back on the season. It went winless (0-10-0-0-2) during Hamburg’s inaugural regular season as part of the Federation landscape when it merged with the West Seneca district squad that was together the previous four seasons. The absence of a victory, however, was a trivial footnote of the winter for the squad’s coach, Brian Hillery, who has been on the staff for five years. “I actually told the girls in the locker room that I’ve never coached a team that’s had so much fun, gotten along so well and learned so much throughout the season,” Hillery said after WS/Hamburg’s 5-2 season-ending loss to Kenmore in the Western New York Girls Federation quarterfinals on Monday (Feb. 9) at Northtown Center at Amherst. “It doesn’t seem like we haven’t won a game. Their effort alone has made this a successful and winning season in my book.” The positivity that surrounded the locker room had more of a sound, look and feel of a 10win team. “Everybody was really happy and excited to play every game, even if our record wasn’t that good,” said goalieAbbie Mutton, a junior at West Seneca West. “I think everybody enjoys playing and everybody always gave it their all.” After being defeated by Ken-
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West Seneca/Hamburg will return almost its entire squad next season, graduating just three seniors. more, Hillery said a happy vibe radiated from the squad. It wasn’t that the team didn’t care about the game after all, it just gave the four-time defending sectional champion and state finalist a battle. Hillery said the girls genuinely felt it was a year of growth with the strides they made from start to finish. To boot, only three players will graduate. And the energetic interactions between teammates that included friendly welcomes for the six Hamburg players injected an abundance of life into the season; more than wins might
even provide. “To them, they became better as individual hockey players,” Hillery said. “Wins or losses, sometimes, don’t make or break a season. They really jelled. You’d think these girls have known each other since birth the way they act around each other.” In terms of on the ice, though, there is much to build on for next year, because most of WS/ Hamburg’s main contributors will be back, including its top six scorers. Hamburg freshman Emma O’Neill had a productive first season in Fed, recording a team-
high 11 points (6 goals, 5 assists). Linemates Jordan Weisenburg and Bridget Bork, West Seneca West juniors, scored 10 points apiece. Weisenburg tied for the most assists (5) on the team, while Bork was tops in goals with 8. West Seneca East sophomore Kaira Patterson (1 goal, 4 assists), West eighth grader and defender Catie Martinez (1 goal, 2 assists) and Hamburg junior defenseman Nicole Dubill (2 assists) all figure prominently into next winter’s core. “The future is very bright,” Hillery said.
certainly created a memory for all involved once the exhaustion was ridded, that is. “I wish that we could have flooded the ice to give us a little bit of a breather,” Hillery said. “It was a great game and a game I’ll remember forever, that’s for sure. “It didn’t kick in until a couple days later. We’re still talking about how exciting it was to be in a great game like that. I’m extremely proud of them.” Mutton, who will return in net while a majority of the league’s starting goalies are set to graduate, made 62 saves in the four-overtime defeat. “It was crazy,” she said. “I went home and fell asleep right away. I don’t think anyone was prepared for it to go that long.” The performance demonstrated how far Mutton’s come in her three years playing, not only goalie, but hockey altogether. Hillery said she has shown marked improvement each season and that he’s excited for her to be part of WS/Hamburg’s backbone as a senior. Hillery noted he’s already anxious to coach the team next year. Without question, its effort is going to be there again. It’s what made 2014-15 enjoyable. But a win to further validate that work is what Hillery also can’t wait for. “Hopefully next year is our year,” he said. “I feel bad for whoever we’re coaching against when we get that first win because it’s going to feel like we just won the World Cup or the Super Bowl.”
West’s Brianna Carlin (1 goal),Angela Johnson and Olivia Stachowski were the seniors on an otherwise young squad that nearly got its first win in grand fashion. It met Orchard Park/Frontier in the quarterfinals of the Section VI playoffs on Jan. 30 at West Seneca Recreation Rink, and the tilt turned out to be the longest game in girls Fed’s five-year history. WS/Hamburg held a 1-0 lead before OP/Frontier tied it and eventually won, 2-1, in the fourth overtime. Twitter: @Garland SUN The elusive victory didn’t arrive, but the marathon contest
Tobias, Klinko enjoying Bowens are a basketball family big offensive campaigns “Hoops” from page 7
“Hockey” from page 7 The Indians are likely to be seeded between seventh and ninth out of 12 teams in the postseason tournament. The way the Indians have been able to hang with the premier squads and stay consistently competitive this season, their playoff draw might not make much of a difference. “We’ve said many times that this year is as wide open as it’s going to be,” Rozo said following a 4-4 tie against St. Francis on Monday (Feb. 9) at West Seneca Recreation Rink. “I can’t wait for the playoffs to get started. There are going to be upsets, but I’m not really sure that they are upsets because everything is so tight. We’ve proven we can play with anybody. We just have to do it when it comes time.” All eight Division II teams will be in the small school tournament, and four Division III programs will join them. A middle-of-the-pack squad, the Indians were a few bounces away from potentially being a top-four seed, thus owning a firstround bye. Still, they’ve also won their share of close contests. It speaks to the parity that exists this year, and it’s prepared West for the playoffs. “Being in tough games, being able to get a point here or there, always is a good sign,” Rozo said. “We’ll be battle-tested. I think we’re starting to play our best hockey.” Playing the best hockey
all season for West Seneca West has been Tobias and junior alternate captain Zak Klinko. Tobias, who has 7 goals and 16 assists, centers Klinko on the first line. Klinko leads the team with 17 goals and 28 points. The two have been dynamite together. Tobias said Klinko has a knack for finding holes in the defense and finishing strong when he feeds the puck to him. The pair’s goal-assist ratio echoes that. “They’ve been unbelievable,” Rozo said. “If Zak scores, Adam probably has the assist. If Adam scores, Zak probably has the assist. “We’re starting to get a little more balance with our second and third lines lately,” he added. “We moved a couple of pieces around there. But come playoff time, (Klinko and Tobias) are guys we need to count on.” Freshman Colin Deubell (6 goals) played alongside Tobias and Klinko for much of the year but slid back against St. Francis. Jack Myers was up on the top line in his place that night and recorded a goal and an assist. Myers has 5 points. Senior Quinn Finnegan (8 assists) and junior Anthony Amoia (6 goals, 3 assists) have given the Indians offensive punch on the second line. Holding together the blue line is versatile senior defenseman Quinn Eagen (7 points). He’s especially important with the depar-
ture of top-four D-man Jon Burdzy, who played his last game Jan. 30 because he’s graduating early to join the Marines. The back end is bolstered by seniors Ian Ward (2 points) and Jordan Knoop (1 assist), plus sophomores Sean McCarthy (7 assists) and Ian Barker (5 assists). Freshman Jacob Maurino has also seen a lot of action on defense recently due to injuries, but he’s earned more ice time even when West gets healthy, which should be soon, Rozo said. Tobias noted that the best part of hockey is when it’s tough to gain a good idea of who the winner might be prior to a game. With that set to be the case for the small school postseason, Rozo said West’s most convenient path to winning a second sectional title in three seasons is taking care of what it can control, and that’s giving a full effort. In a year like this, that can get a team any team to where it wants to be. “It’s kind of what we expected,” he said. “We’re a competitive team that can win anytime we step out there, but we have to play our best to do so.” The Indians take on St. Mary’s at 5:30 p.m. Saturday (Feb. 14) at Northtown Center at Amherst. That’s followed by their finale versus Grand Island at 8:45 p.m. on Monday (Feb. 16) at Hyde Park. Twitter: @Garland SUN
The Chiefs (6-11, 3-9 ECIC II) have four players who are going for more than seven points per contest, which tells Bowen that the ball must be shared. Communicating that was the purpose of the discussions Lauber had with Bowen earlier this season, and they’re coming to fruition now. “I’m a different player than Phil I’m my own player,” Bowen said. “Phil had the ability to score and makes plays. I’m more of a set shooter and I’m point guard. I have to play team basketball. They don’t need me to score 25 a game. It would be nice to get six or seven assists out of me per game. That’s what I got out of those talks.” Whatever style he’s playing, one thing is certain Bowen was raised around basketball. He has 10 siblings six brothers and four sisters and is the fifth youngest. “I love every minute of it,” he said. “I love my family, and it definitely helped me become the man I am today.” Most of them have played, or still play, a great deal of basketball. And that started at the top, with Jim Bowen, the father, being a longtime coach in the area, including stints at Nativity and Nichols. Joe Bowen has taken to the basketball life. He can be found at the YMCA “six to seven days a week,” he said, working on his game. Often, he’s doing so with Phil and another older brother, John, a 2009 Iroquois grad who is on staff with Lauber. “Basketball is a full-time job for me,” Joe Bowen said. “It’s fun, I love it, and if I can leave my mark on Iroquois, that’s all I want.” Lauber has long known how serious basketball is to the Bowens. “They’re such a tight-knit family that has such a love and passion for basketball,” the Chiefs’ coach
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Junior Joe Bowen is Iroquois’ top 3-point shooter. said. “That’s evident because they live at the YMCA for four or five hours a day.” But seeing it first-hand gave Lauber a deeper appreciation of the work that’s put in. He once played pick-up with a few of the Bowens at the Y, and he left banged up. It offered him a glance of what opponents are dealing with going against Joe Bowen, who uses his older brothers to help enrich his play. “They go there and they beat on each other to make themselves tougher and learn how to attack on both ends of the court,” Lauber said. “I know that because I played with them once, and I was bruised by the end. His family bond is amazing.” The energy and emotion Bowen exudes on the court during Iroquois’ games showcases the
passion he possesses. That is the commonality between he and Phil, much more so than what Joe’s role has been this winter compared to what his brother’s was in 2013-14. As long as Joe Bowen sustains that drive and respect for basketball, Lauber is confident he’ll be all right moving forward with the Chiefs. Because that’s, in essence, the type of player Bowen really is he’s just a basketball player. “He’s coming into his own, and it’s nice to see him blossom now,” Lauber said. “Joe has worked so hard at basketball that I knew he had it in him. When he’s in control, nobody can stop him.” Twitter: @Garland SUN
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The West Seneca & Elma Sun / Saturday, February 14, 2015
Lady Indians fall to Orchard Park twice in finale
By Aaron Garland SPORTS REPORTER
Thanks to Mother Nature, the Orchard Park girls basketball team’s final week of regularseason games has been hectic. The severe weather that’s hit the area this winter caused postponements everywhere in Western New York. And in the case of the Lady Quakers, they made up a lot of the missed time over a five-day stretch, playing four games in that span. “That’s what happens when you have all those snow-outs,” OP coach Josh Dannecker said of a high volume of contests being squeezed into a narrow time frame.
Orchard Park started that period with a 54-25 league win on Feb. 9 at West Seneca West. In a makeshift home-and-home series, the two squads had a rematch Wednesday (Feb. 11), with the host Lady Quakers coming out on top again, 60-32. The season sweep of West got OP (10-6, 7-4 ECIC I) within a victory of clinching the third seed in the Section VI Class AA postseason, which begins Feb. 26. Orchard Park played its league finale Thursday (Feb. 12) at Clarence (7-8, 5-4 ECIC I). Results of the game were not available at press time. Either an OP triumph in that one or a Clarence loss in one of its other two remaining ECIC I contests locks the Lady Quakers into the third seed. That’s right where Dannecker would like to be. But no matter what, OP is guaranteed at least West’s Casey Villagomez (12) dribbles up court. fourth, which is an advantageous position to be in. “I think we’re playing pretty well,” he said. “We’ve been ourselves in position. We should Norths and the Jamestowns until putting some games, putting get a pretty good seed and that will probably the semifinals.” some wins together and getting help us avoid the Williamsville Before the playoffs, OP has a
Senior is a ‘third coach’ “Captain” from page 7 “That’s what make him so special,” Prynn said. He’s also a third coach on the bench who holds guys accountable, Prynn said. It makes him an ideal captain, Prynn noted, and one who has league-wide respect from opposing players and coaches and officials. And that two-way skill set of his, coupled with staunch leadership, has the Trojans right where Prynn thought they would be with Wasilewski, who leads the team with 20 points (9 goals, 11 assists). He’s on the top line with Jaret Werner and James Wieczorek. “It’s just showed how complete of a player he is,” Prynn said. “To be the best defenseman in the league and then come back and be one of the best forwards in the league is pretty remarkable.” The basis behind Wasilewski’s inquiry to jump to wing was simple.
“I don’t really feel like I can make as much of an impact in the defensive end as I can at forward,” he said. “I can push the play a lot faster as a forward.” In East’s defensive zone, Wasilewski’s weak-side help in front of the net is as sound as it comes. His deep background as a defenseman gives the Trojans a major boost, even when he’s on the wing. Wasilewski is seeing the game more efficiently than he ever has before, thanks to his time with the Jr. Sabres. He applies the knowledge he picked up while with them to his individual play, and teaches his teammates the same things. “Coming back and learning so much more from high travel hockey, I’m more of a teacher now than I was in the past,” he said. “Playing at a faster speed made be better at looking for what plays are going to happen,
knowing where players are going to be and keeping my head up. I’m just thinking quicker now.” Wasilewski’s position switch opened an opportunity for young defensemen like Cam Mentel, Eli Boccolucci and Eric Korczynski to play big minutes. They’ve responded by showing they deserve them, too, Prynn said. Seeing how rounded of a team East has evolved into has Wasilewski thinking it can grab that elusive sectional crown. It would be the cherry on top of a senior campaign with the Trojans that wasn’t supposed to happen. “We definitely have a shot at making a legitimate run this year,” Wasilewski said. “I think this is the team that can do it.” Twitter: @Garland SUN
non-league tune-up for its final action at 7:30 p.m. on Friday (Feb. 13) at East Aurora. Wednesday’s contest against West was senior night for five Lady Quakers. Hind Alamari, Sarah Kubik, Emily Speyer, Shaye Swiatek and Abbie Probst competed in their final regular-season home games. And they left the court on a high note. Kubik recorded 14 points and 12 rebounds in the win, while Swiatek scored a game-high 15 points. Probst (nine points, three rebounds), Speyer (four points, four rebounds) and Alamari (two points, five rebounds) also provided quality minutes, as the seniors comprised the starting lineup. All 10 of Orchard Park’s players registered a point, including Jaimee Glendenning, who came off the bench and scored five points and grabbed nine boards. Meanwhile, the Lady Indians (4-15, 0-12 ECIC I) wrapped up their regular season with the loss to OP on Wednesday. They’ll
enter the Class AA tournament as the seventh and final seed. Lindsay Green led West with 10 points and eight rebounds in the 60-32 defeat. Felicia Urbanczyk recorded eight points for the Lady Indians, while Lauren Fibich had five points to accompany her seven rebounds. Adriana Lis added seven rebounds. Lienna Ortiz chipped in five points and four rebounds off West Seneca West’s bench. “We had a little bit of a better effort in the second half,” Lady Indians coach Lori Potter said. “We came out a little flat in the first half. We boxed out a little better in the second half but we still have a lot of work to do.” With nearly two weeks off before it plays in the pre-quarterfinals, Potter noted a few areas that West will work on prior to hitting the court Feb. 26. “We need to work on rebounding and our defense. We need to shut down the big scorers,” she said. “We just need to take a little bit more pride in what we’re doing out there, I think.”
WS East raises $3,478 on ‘Leukemia Awareness Night’
By Marquel Slaughter SPORTS REPORTER
Dan Lutman gave his West Seneca East boys basketball team the news that his father and its assistant coach, Dan “Papa” Lutman, was diagnosed with Leukemia at a Jan. 19 practice. It only took a few hours for the boys to get together and set up a “Leukemia Awareness Night” to show support for their coaches. Dan Lutman was overwhelmed. “As far as putting it together, it pretty much was the kids’ idea,” Dan Lutman said on Jan. 20 after a win against Lake Shore. “I told them at practice for the first time because that was the next time I saw them and I wanted to tell
them in person. Two hours later they said that they wanted to put this together for him and raise awareness. It says a lot about the kids to be able to do that.” The packed stands and basketball court within West Seneca East’s gym were filled with orange on Feb. 5, when the “Leukemia Awareness Night” game was played against Hamburg. Fans and athletes wore orange to support the Lutman family that night. With Papa Lutman not in attendance as he receives chemotherapy treatment, Dan Lutman gave an emotional pregame speech to thank numerous people for their support, including the visiting Bulldogs, who supported the cause by wearing orange warm-up shirts. “I didn’t know they were going to do that,” Dan Lutman said. “Obviously, they were aware about what was happening. That was something they put together on their own. It says a lot about their school and program to go out and do something like that
and support us.” Both West Seneca East student Samanntha Smith and DJ Schiersing, a guard for the Trojans, had huge roles in putting the event together. By the end of the night, $3,478 was raised for the American Cancer Society. There was a bake sale, raffles and a half-court shot contest. “The money, you can’t put into words what something like that means,” Dan Lutman said. “Hopefully this is something we can do every year. We can make it an annual thing and hopefully have my dad here for that. It says a lot about the school, the community and the kids. (My dad) would never expect something like that.” The Trojans earned a 62-46 win over Hamburg behind a career-high 38 points from Nick Parucki, who lauded the Bulldogs for showing up clad in orange. “That was great,” Parucki said. “It was very respectful and we appreciate that.”
WSW girls track and field has strong showing Iroquois holds senior night at Houghton College
The West Seneca West boys and girls indoor track and field teams competed at the Kerr-Pegula Field House on Houghton College’s campus for the first time ever Saturday (Feb. 7). The Indians were there for Section VI Team Championships the girls, who had a top-six finisher in 14 of 17 events, took second in the large schools division (77 1/2 points) while the boys scored 12 points. Junior Emma Harris crossed the line in the 55-meter hurdles in a personal-best time of 9.13 seconds to grab second. That was West’s highest finish, along with its girls 4x800meter relay team of sophomores Ashley Dibble and Jordan Hauser, senior Valerie Caballero and eighth grader Anna Rybczynski. The quartet was also a runner-up, racing to a time of 10:05.44. Hauser (2:25.30) and Rybczynski (2:27.90) both had personal-best split times. Senior co-captain Alise Murray was third in both the shot put and weight throw. In the latter event, Murray bested her previ-
ous school record, as the new mark stands at 40 feet, 1 inch. Rybczynski finished third in the 3,000, recording a time of 10:54.06, which is approximately 24 seconds faster than her previous top time, West coach Emilio Mancino said. Hauser ran the 1,000 in a careerbest 3:10.42 to take third while Emily Marchitte was another third-place finisher in the triple jump. The girls 4x400 relay squad of freshman Breanna Lambert, sophomore Cassandra Siwy, junior Nicole Torres Caballero placed third, as well. Siwy (1:06.00) and Caballero (1:06.40) each raced to personal-best split times. Senior co-captain Margaret Covley finished third in the 1,500 race walk. Eighth grader Alexis Zsiros finished fourth in the triple jump (personal best 34 feet, 1/4 inches) while Dibble had a fourth-place showing in the 600 (personal best 1:44.69). Harris, Zsiros, Lambert and sophomore Alexis Ramirez formed the 4x200 relay quartet that took fourth. Ramirez (29.8 seconds) tied her personal-best split time in the event. The boys 4x400 relay team of freshman Peter Borzillieri, sophomore Parker Welling, senior Austin Ensminger and senior co-captain Robert Frazer also had a good showing, re-
cording a fourth-place finish. Frazer had an individual topfive showing, too, crossing the line in a personal-best time of 1:27.99 in the 600 to take fifth. Sophomore Madison Zmuda’s career-high 1,500 race walk time of 8:38.43 was good for CONTRIBUTED PHOTO fifth place. It knocked nearly seven seconds off her previous best. The Iroquois boys club hockey team held senior night on Feb. 8. The Chiefs’ seniors Junior co-captain Carson in the front row, from left to right, are Jon Lavis, Aiden Abraszek, Richard KaraTenhagen (1,600), Marchitte lus, Joe Giambra, Patrick Stenzel, Spencer Jones, Eric Rogers, Milos Trivanovic. In (long jump) and Welling (triple the back row, left to right, are Maverick Blachowicz, head coach Dale Reinig, Tyler jump) grabbed fifth-place finishes, too. Hirsch, manager Chuck Giambra, Zachary Scherer and coach Ed Stenzel. Senior Angela Johnson tied for fifth in the pole vault. Zsiros (long jump), sophomore Sarah Fritschi (high jump), Borzillieri (long jump) and senior Martim Travassos (weight throw) were sixth in their respective events. “We experienced many highs and lows during this competition, which is to be expected Coatsworth’s times of 2:06.64 358.50 got him fourth place in with teams that have a combiin the 200 IM and 1:03.44 in the diving. nation of youthful inexperience 100 breast contributed 34 points Adams added an individual and veteran wisdom and leaderto the Choppers’ 160 as a team. fourth-place showing, swimship,” Mancino said. “Our girls’ He was also on the 200 medley ming the 100 back in 59.77 historic team effort was a tribute relay team that took fourth seconds. to their unflinching resolve to (1:48.86) with Mason Adams, Salerno, Badgley, Coatsworth maximize their opportunities Carl Salerno andAdam Badgley. and Josh Slawatycki teamed up for the benefit of each other.” While swim finals took place in the 200 free relay and swam a West is back in action for the at the Flickinger Center on 1:38.44, good for seventh. Rob Coatsworth recorded the ECC City Campus Feb. 8, Section VI Limited Select meet The Choppers who qualified at 9 a.m. Saturday (Feb. 14) at a pair of runner-up finishes to the diving event was Feb. 7 at were at Section VI Championhelp guide the Iroquois boys Maryvale. There, Brent Reid ships Thursday and Friday (Feb. SUNY Fredonia. swimming and diving team to registered an 11-dive score 12-13) at Maryvale. Results of sixth place at Section VI Class B of 397.70, which landed him the meet were not available at Championships Feb. 7-8. second place. Dennis Krzanak’s press time.
Choppers finish 6th in Class B