Monday, August 10, 2009
A Look Back
This blog is an archive of the Greece Thunder web page (http://www.eteamz.com/GreeceThunder/) from the 2008-2009 season. Enjoy!
Thursday, August 6, 2009
NYS Division I Final: Greece Athena/Odyssey 3, Mamoronek 2, (Utica Aud).
Greece 3, Mamaronek 2
VIDEO
PHOTOS
From D&C:
UTICA — The Greece Athena/Odyssey hockey team had completed the arduous comeback, erasing the almost-instant 2-0 deficit to finally forge into the lead late in the third period on Sunday. Sophomore winger J.T. Stenglein, Mr. Big Goal himself, produced yet again at clutch time for the unbeaten Thunder. His eighth playoff goal provided a 3-2 lead with only 4:12 remaining.
But then the clock seemed to be stuck as Mamaroneck attacked with utter desperation in search of the tying goal. Why isn't it moving, the Thunder players said to themselves. Tick, dang it, tick.
"That was so intense," junior defenseman Dan Vyverberg said of the frantic last 75 seconds. "I was jumping for joy inside but I kept wondering why it wasn't over." Goalie Parker Bonis, though, was once again as cool as could be in the pressure-cooker. Through traffic he found, and then gloved, the last shot by state Division 1 Player-of-the-Year Sean Hagan with 2.5 seconds to play. When the buzzer sounded, the celebration began.
Gloves, sticks and helmets were hurled into the air from the Memorial Auditorium ice and the Thunder celebrated a rare feat of utter perfection in New York State Public High School Athletic Association hockey. Athena/Odyssey became just the second team to run the table, going 27-0 en route to the first hockey championship for the combined program. Albany Academy in 1990 was the other. Mamaroneck finished 26-3-1. "I'm still in shock," junior defenseman Steve Hebberecht said. "It was crazy afterward. I didn't really know what to do. There were so many people to congratulate and hug."
The Thunder fell behind 2-0 in just five minutes but a first-period goal by sophomore winger Riley Bourbonnais cut Mamaroneck's lead to 2-1, then a Bourbonnais steal and pass to the slot set up senior winger Greg Ryan for the tying goal 9:45 into the second period.
"That was a little scary when we fell behind, but we knew what kind of team we have," Ryan said. The defense-first approach was fine for Athena/Odyssey. "Our philosophy is, we don't lose the third period," sophomore defenseman Scott Tam-Grimshaw said. "Keep chill. Just play smart hockey and don't make mistakes."
Stenglein then provided more tournament heroics by scoring the winning goal off an end-to-end rush on a power play. In six playoff games, he scored six goals. He needed some luck this time, though. As Stenglein darted down the left of the slot, he tried to pass to the goal mouth. The puck, however, hit a defenseman or goalie Luke Glaser and just trickled in over the goal line. "I just threw it to the front of the net," Stenglein said, "and the next thing I knew was everybody was coming toward me, so I figured it must have went in." Said senior defenseman Eric Gunderson: "That's what he plays hockey for, to do what the team needs him to do."
While Stenglein performed huge when it mattered most, the Thunder went 27-0 and won the Section V title because of the team approach. That was personified in the final minute of defensive-zone play. "The whole year, that's how we've played. Everybody just does what it takes," Stenglein said.
WES VYVERBERG REPORTS:
Thunder was Back in Black for this their final exam of the 2008-2009 season, a game of winner takes all against the Mamaroneck Tigers with the NYSPHSAA Division I Title on the line. What better way to make the boys of Thunder feel at home than having the sweet sound of Amanda Sherry's voice at the mic for the anthem, after a rather long and bumpy road to the finals. Speaking of feeling at home, Thunder seemed to be finding themselves at home in the box quite a bit this weekend, making one wonder what kind of snacks they were serving. Sure enough, forty-one seconds into the contest, Greg Ryan was off to the box for a minor hook. Was it the snacks calling him or was he just looking for a stoppage in play to accomodate Matt Lane's grand entrance after surviving his gumball rally from Bantam Major States in Buffalo down 90 to Utica? On with the kill. Vipes logged a "harry" and then JT lugged the mail, ragging it deep in the Tigers zone before losing the handle. Then after a series of clears by Vypes, Hebs, and Scotty, JT picked off an outlet pass and put it on net. Nice kill boys. Two minutes later Gundo takes a trip to the box, but this kill was Nice... pause NOT. Tigers scored 16 ticks into their powerplay to take the early lead. And now for a Wes Report Time Out, brought to you in part by Paetec.
[Remember when Dan Miller was called out in the Wes Report for nearly jinxing Thunder's SO against AQ in the Feb 21st Class A Quarterfinal? Here's the clip... "With less than 2 minutes to go in the game, Vyverberg took another one for the team, coming out to challenge the shooter and blocking a shot in the high slot with his chest to preserve the SO. Notice I didn't say it? Well, Dan Miller did and thus he had to hold his breath for the final 1:55 for fear that he may have jinxed us. Miller wiped the sweat from his brow as the fourth line shut things down and the building erupted." Now what the HE double hockey sticks does this have to do with the state championship you ask? Well, having cranked out all of the team stats going into the Utica weekend, yours truly was commenting on how Thunder had only allowed 9 PPG on 140 attempts through 25 games and then we go and cough up a goal on each of the first two attempts in the Wildcats game and another on the second attempt in the Tigers game. When Dan Miller caught wind of my jinx he demanded retribution. There you have it.]
Back to our state final game report already in progress...then the unthinkable happened as Thunder gave up an even strength goal on a 3 on 2 break to spot the Tigers a 2-goal lead only 5 minutes into the contest. Yikes! Thunder trailed their opponent by a goal only a handful of times this season (Brockport, Hilton, Spencerport, West Genny). The most they ever trailed by was two and that only happened once before this season when they spotted Suffern the first 2 goals in the Liverpool Tournament final (31-Jan) before racking up 4 unanswered goals. Could Thunder rally again? Time to baton down the hatches and damn the torpedoes.
What a difference a minute makes as Thunder regrouped and showed their mettle on the next sequence. Captain Sah-Fee-Yuh carried the puck out of his own end and bumped it ahead to Greg Ryan across ice, but it was beyond his reach. No worries as wheels Ryan would chase it down in the left corner before anyone else could get there. Greg cycled it out to Scotty at the point and then he got it right back, so he curled in the corner and found his buddy Pat in the left circle. Next Pat turned and threaded the needle, sending the puck across the top of the paint, through two Tiger D and over to Riley, who was hovering in stealth mode on the back door, for the putaway. And so, Thunder broke the schneid and cut the lead in half with one pretty play. A minute later Scotty Bam-Grimshaw reminded the Tigers they were in for a game as he leveled one of their forwards coming across the blue-line with his head down.
Back to the box for more snacks went the Thunder, but the Tigers would follow suit and we went from a 4v5 to a 4v4 to 5v4 over a span of a few minutes. Along came another man advantage, but Thunder was not able to git-R-dun. Then came a real punch in the gut, when Gunderson was assessed a minor/misconduct for check from behind. McNeil served the minor, but Eric had to sit an additional 7.5 mins for the misconduct, keeping him out of the game for at least 9 mins. Fear not Gundo, the team's got your back. Play went from 5 on 4 to 4 on 4 when Gundo went to the box, then quickly turned to a 4 on 3 in Thunder's favor when Vyper got tripped carrying the puck out from behind his net. Fast forward to the end of the first frame and things went from bad to worse as two thunder players were assessed minor trips on the same play, leaving Thunder with a 33 second 5 on 3 kill to end the first period. Vyper, Riley, and JT got the nod and they got us out of the inning.
Back from the break there was still a buck to go in the Tiger's 5 on 3. Pat relieved Riley, keeping the Tigers at bay, until they took a high sticking penalty of their own with 15 seconds left in their 2-man advantage paring it back to a 5 on 4. As the penalties expired, Briganti took a shift or two to help the cause, while Riley and JT pitched in on the blue line. Alas, Gundo returned to play with 6:16 to go in the second and was a sight for sore eyes (and legs) on the Thunder bench. Meanwhile, Greg and Cheese kept hammering the Tigers every chance they got as Thunder bided their time for the next golden opportunity. And along it came ten minutes into the second period, when Riley pounced on a turnover in the neutral zone, went in 2 on 0 with Ryan, sliding it over to him for the 5-hole finish. With the equalizer in the bank and the momentum on their side, it was game on for the Thunder, and a minute later the Tigers were calling a time out. Another penalty for each side brought the period to a close with a 4 on 4 situation.
I suspect that Mamaroneck had no idea what was in store for them, but during the second intermission, you could hear Thunderstruck playing faintly in the background. If that's not a good omen, i don't know what is. Gundo used his reach during the 4v4 stretch to start the third and played physical to prevent the Tigers from getting a sniff. After both sides returned to full strength, Pat picked off a pass in neutral zone and hit Greg going 2 on 2 into the zone for a good chance. Vyper sacrificed his body, making a nice pinch in the neutral zone to advance the puck. Thunder fans who came out in droves, despite the fact that the school did not provide a fan bus, started in with the "Let's go Thun-Der" chants and the old "We can't hear you" followed by "Still can't hear you" was volleyed back by the Tiger's camp. Pat and Matt took turns rushing the puck, then Parker came up big when Mamaroneck brought it back our way. On the next Tiger's rush, Gundo plastered the puck carrier on the half-wall.
With a little over 8 minutes to go, Thunder went on the powerplay. There were a few decent chances during a mad scramble around the goal mouth, although they never managed to get it set up. Then inside the seven minute mark, Vyper gets the puck on the backcheck, goes D-D to Hebberect, who then bumps it up to Stenglein on the wing, out to Lane in neutral, then Lane takes it deep on the right side and drops it to Cheese at the goal mouth. Cheese takes a couple of whacks and the puck disappears. Ref whistles it down, but nobody knows where the puck went and he starts searching the goalies equipment. After a careful review of the Zapruder film, it has been determined that the magic biscuit, fired by Cheese, somehow went through the goaltenders pads, back and to the left, and was ultimately pinned between the iron and twine in the top left corner of the goal. As the ref searched the Mamaroneck goalie for the missing puck and turrned away, another Mamaroneck player reached into the goal, pulled the puck out, put it into his glove, skated over to the bench, and gave it to his coach. That's a Class-LL, Division I felony any day in a court of hockey law, and the hockey gods clearly ruled minutes later when the game winner for the Thunder trickled through the Mamaroneck keeper's legs. Some say "if yur not cheatin yur not tryin" but that, IMHO, was taking things a little too far. Thunder fans went wild over it, but the ref fetched a new puck and the game marched on.
Next stoppage came at 5:29 when Bourbonnais was cruising through neutral and got kneed, but no call. Nine secs later JT was walking into the slot and got tripped - he draws the foul. Vyper got the nod to QB the powerplay in Riley's stead. After a couple of trips around they had to reset and the third time was a charm, as Vyper hit JT curling high in our end, then JT went on a 3-zone dash, deking around the first check at our blue line, carrying it wide left around the next two Tigers on the way into their end with the last check clipping him with a skate. As he fell to the ice JT maintained possession of the puck and directed it at the goal as he slid across the goal line, wide to the left and wouldn't you know there just so happened to be a little magic left in that stick as the puck hit the inside of the goalie's left pad and then trickled in 5-hole, making it 3-2 Thunder with 4:12 to go in the game.
Twenty seconds later Thunder went to the box again and it was white knuckle team defense from there on out. It took forever to get the first clear and not again until the penalty expired but that second clear went out of play bringing the face-off back inside to the right of Bonis with 2:12 standing between them and their title. Thunder got it out right quick this time and RIley got it deep, then Hebs got it deep, then Vyper dumped it in a third time but this one hit Greg's stick before he cleared the zone, causing a face-off back in our end with only 1.25 to go. Vyper got this one out to neutral and then the Tigers brought it back in off-sides, causing another face-off outside with 1:00 to go. Gundo gloved the pop-fly off the face off and his first clear came back to him but he then hit Riley with a headman breaking through neutral. Riley carried it in and hit the goalies right pad so the puck would kick out to Greg who was crashing but he could not get any lumber on it and the Tigers brought it back our way. The puck was batted around for a bit before Gundo sailed it down the ice for a whistle with 17.6 to go. This face-off was to the left of Bonis and the Tigers were 4 across with 2 point men and an empty net. The puck came out to the point off the draw then D-D but the shot did not get through. Bonis gloved the next attempt with 2.6 seconds to go. Coincidental minors after the whistle, so it was still 6 on 5.
With only 2.6 seconds remaining on the clock, Captain Pat Sofia was about to enter the most important face-off of his life, save asking his girlfriend's father for her hand in marriage, while said father is cleaning his rifle! The face-off was to the right of Bonis and this time the Tigers went 5 across with 1 guy back, lined up against Pat, Matt, Cheese, Gundo, and Vyper. As the ref dropped the puck, Pat dropped to a butterfly to box out the Tiger's center and the puck squirted back to the Tiger's point man. He takes the shot, wide left (reverse Norwood), time expires, gloves and sticks go in the air, the Thunder bench empties, the gate opens, the managers and paparazzi file out onto the ice and the entire team celebrates their 3-2 victory like a swarm of bees in the corner. The Thunder-faithful chime in with chants of "UN-DE-FEA-TED" and "I BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE WON", as Celebrate good times plays on in the background. While things were getting underway with the award ceremony, the boys dumped all of their water bottles into a garbage can and soaked Webby, NFL style.
NYSHSHCA State Championship All Tournament Team Awards
Forward: Greg Ryan
Forward: Riley Bourbonnais
Defense: Eric Gunderson
Goalie: Parker Bonis
MVP: JT Stenglein
I can't imagine a more storybook ending ... perfect season, come-from-behind win in the state title game!
The last time I can recall a police escorted motorcade heading north to Greece, it was the president of the United States on his way to the APAC for a referendum on social security reform. I gotta tell ya, seeing that NYS Trooper light up the sky, like Rudolph on Christmas Eve, as the Greece Thunder Hockey magic bus exited the Thruway on their return from Utica late Sunday nite, hardware in hand, and the Greece Police taking the hand-off at Lexington to bring the procession home with horns beeping and flashers flashing all the way back to the 'shore, has got to be one of the coolest things I have ever witnessed... a sight to behold and a memory that I will never forget, already on the shelf with countless other memories from Thunder's storybook season of 2008-2009.
Stay tuned for the Thunder year in review, coming to an email inbox near you this summer.
Focker-out.
Out Takes
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From an anonymous Thunder parent who works for DOAN - "hopefully that escort was the last run in these boys ever have with the cops".
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To the THUNDER Hockey Players and Parents,
CONGRATULATIONS State champs!!! SO proud!
From, Eric and Carole Schultz J
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Hi Everyone!!! The Russell family would like to Congratulate you ALL on being STATE CHAMPIONS!!!
Please tell all your boys Mr. Russell said: “You guys are awesome!”
Regards, Dave, Sylvia, David & Katie
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* * *
Thunder Team Stats
Goals For Regular Season: 98 (69 even strength, 22 powerplay, 7 shorthanded)
Goals For Post Season: 20 (11 even strength, 7 powerplay, 2 shorthanded)
Goals For Overall: 118 (80 even strength, 29 powerplay, 9 shorthanded)
Goals Against Regular Season: 22 (13 even strength, 9 powerplay, 0 shorthanded)
Goals Against Post Season: 5 (2 even strength, 3 powerplay, 0 shorthanded)
Goals Against Overall: 27 (15 even strength, 12 powerplay, 0 shorthanded)
Powerplay Regular Season: 24.2% (22 goals scored on 91 attempts)
Powerplay Post Season: 20.6% (7 goals scored on 34 attempts)
Powerplay Overall: 23.2% (29 goals scored on 125 attempts)
Penalty Kill Regular Season: 92.3% (9 goals surrendered on 117 attempts)
Penalty Kill Post Season: 92.5% (3 goals surrendered on 40 attempts)
Penalty Kill Overall: 92.4% (12 goals surrendered on 157 attempts)
Shutouts Regular Season: 7
Shutouts Post Season: 3
Shutouts Overall: 10
Shots For Regular Season: 690
Shots For Post Season: 151
Shots For Overall: 841
Shots Against Regular Season: 427
Shots Against Post Season: 118
Shots Against Overall: 545
Goals Against Average Regular Season: 1.05 (22 goals surrendered in 21 games)
Goals Against Average Post Season: 0.83 (5 goals surrendered in 6 games)
Goals Against Average Overall: 1.00 (27 goals surrendered in 27 games)
Saves Regular Season: 405
Saves Post Season: 113
Saves Overall: 518
Save Percentage Regular Season: 94.8 (405 saves on 427 shots)
Save Percentage Post Season: 95.8 (113 saves on 118 shots)
Save Percentage Overall: 95.0 (518 saves on 545 shots)
Thunder Team Facts
Thunder was outshot only 2 times all season, e.g. AQ and W. Genny
Thunder trailed by a goal only 6 times all season, e.g. Brockport, Hilton, Spencerport, Suffern, W. Genny and Mamaroneck
Thunder trailed by 2 goals only 2 times all season, e.g. Suffern and Mamaroneck
The most goals Thunder allowed in a single game was 3 (3 times), followed by 2 goals (4 times), 1 goal (10 times), and 0 goals (10 times)
So, basically in roughly 3 out of every 4 games played, Thunder gave up a goal or less, not too shabby!
Thunder record was 27-0 and they were the second team in the state to ever win a State Championship with an undefeated season!
Thunder AWR (All-Wes-Report) Awards
1st Team JD Power & Associates Powerplay: Pat, Greg, Gundo, Riley, JT
2nd Team JD Power & Associates Powerplay: Matt, Cheese, Jordan, Vyper, Scotty
Honorable Mention JD Power & Associates Powerplay: Miller
1st Team Natural Born Penalty Killers: Riley, JT, Vyper, Hebs
2nd Team Natural Born Penalty Killers: Pat, Greg, Gundo, Scotty
Honorable Mention Natural Born Penalty Killers: Matt, Cheese
Alexander & Catalano Heavy Hitters: JT, Greg, Gundo, Cheese, Scotty, Briganti
Harry Shaw Society: Vyper
Power Trip Club: Matt, Cheese, Rotolo
Steady Eddy Club: Hebs, Rotolo
Zero Club: Parker, Mike, Ian, Andrew
Section V West Division Awards
Player of the Year: Eric Gunderson
1st Team Forward: Greg Ryan
2nd Team Forward: Riley Bourbonnais
2nd Team Forward: Pat Sofia
Coach of the Year: Dan Webb
Top Scholar/Athlete Award: Matt Lane
Section V AGR Awards
Player of the Year: Eric Gunderson
Goalie: Parker Bonis
Forward: Riley Bourbonnais
Forward: JT Stenglein
Coach of the Year: Dan Webb
Honorable Mention Forward: Pat Sofia
NYSHSHCA State Championship All Tournament Team Awards
Forward: Greg Ryan
Forward: Riley Bourbonnais
Defense: Eric Gunderson
Goalie: Parker Bonis
MVP: JT Stenglein
NYSHSHCA Division I All-State Awards
1st Team Defense: Eric Gunderson
1st Team Forward: Riley Bourbonnais
2nd Team Forward: JT Stenglein
Honorable Mention Forward: Greg Ryan
Coach of the Year: Dan Webb
VIDEO
PHOTOS
From D&C:
UTICA — The Greece Athena/Odyssey hockey team had completed the arduous comeback, erasing the almost-instant 2-0 deficit to finally forge into the lead late in the third period on Sunday. Sophomore winger J.T. Stenglein, Mr. Big Goal himself, produced yet again at clutch time for the unbeaten Thunder. His eighth playoff goal provided a 3-2 lead with only 4:12 remaining.
But then the clock seemed to be stuck as Mamaroneck attacked with utter desperation in search of the tying goal. Why isn't it moving, the Thunder players said to themselves. Tick, dang it, tick.
"That was so intense," junior defenseman Dan Vyverberg said of the frantic last 75 seconds. "I was jumping for joy inside but I kept wondering why it wasn't over." Goalie Parker Bonis, though, was once again as cool as could be in the pressure-cooker. Through traffic he found, and then gloved, the last shot by state Division 1 Player-of-the-Year Sean Hagan with 2.5 seconds to play. When the buzzer sounded, the celebration began.
Gloves, sticks and helmets were hurled into the air from the Memorial Auditorium ice and the Thunder celebrated a rare feat of utter perfection in New York State Public High School Athletic Association hockey. Athena/Odyssey became just the second team to run the table, going 27-0 en route to the first hockey championship for the combined program. Albany Academy in 1990 was the other. Mamaroneck finished 26-3-1. "I'm still in shock," junior defenseman Steve Hebberecht said. "It was crazy afterward. I didn't really know what to do. There were so many people to congratulate and hug."
The Thunder fell behind 2-0 in just five minutes but a first-period goal by sophomore winger Riley Bourbonnais cut Mamaroneck's lead to 2-1, then a Bourbonnais steal and pass to the slot set up senior winger Greg Ryan for the tying goal 9:45 into the second period.
"That was a little scary when we fell behind, but we knew what kind of team we have," Ryan said. The defense-first approach was fine for Athena/Odyssey. "Our philosophy is, we don't lose the third period," sophomore defenseman Scott Tam-Grimshaw said. "Keep chill. Just play smart hockey and don't make mistakes."
Stenglein then provided more tournament heroics by scoring the winning goal off an end-to-end rush on a power play. In six playoff games, he scored six goals. He needed some luck this time, though. As Stenglein darted down the left of the slot, he tried to pass to the goal mouth. The puck, however, hit a defenseman or goalie Luke Glaser and just trickled in over the goal line. "I just threw it to the front of the net," Stenglein said, "and the next thing I knew was everybody was coming toward me, so I figured it must have went in." Said senior defenseman Eric Gunderson: "That's what he plays hockey for, to do what the team needs him to do."
While Stenglein performed huge when it mattered most, the Thunder went 27-0 and won the Section V title because of the team approach. That was personified in the final minute of defensive-zone play. "The whole year, that's how we've played. Everybody just does what it takes," Stenglein said.
WES VYVERBERG REPORTS:
Thunder was Back in Black for this their final exam of the 2008-2009 season, a game of winner takes all against the Mamaroneck Tigers with the NYSPHSAA Division I Title on the line. What better way to make the boys of Thunder feel at home than having the sweet sound of Amanda Sherry's voice at the mic for the anthem, after a rather long and bumpy road to the finals. Speaking of feeling at home, Thunder seemed to be finding themselves at home in the box quite a bit this weekend, making one wonder what kind of snacks they were serving. Sure enough, forty-one seconds into the contest, Greg Ryan was off to the box for a minor hook. Was it the snacks calling him or was he just looking for a stoppage in play to accomodate Matt Lane's grand entrance after surviving his gumball rally from Bantam Major States in Buffalo down 90 to Utica? On with the kill. Vipes logged a "harry" and then JT lugged the mail, ragging it deep in the Tigers zone before losing the handle. Then after a series of clears by Vypes, Hebs, and Scotty, JT picked off an outlet pass and put it on net. Nice kill boys. Two minutes later Gundo takes a trip to the box, but this kill was Nice... pause NOT. Tigers scored 16 ticks into their powerplay to take the early lead. And now for a Wes Report Time Out, brought to you in part by Paetec.
[Remember when Dan Miller was called out in the Wes Report for nearly jinxing Thunder's SO against AQ in the Feb 21st Class A Quarterfinal? Here's the clip... "With less than 2 minutes to go in the game, Vyverberg took another one for the team, coming out to challenge the shooter and blocking a shot in the high slot with his chest to preserve the SO. Notice I didn't say it? Well, Dan Miller did and thus he had to hold his breath for the final 1:55 for fear that he may have jinxed us. Miller wiped the sweat from his brow as the fourth line shut things down and the building erupted." Now what the HE double hockey sticks does this have to do with the state championship you ask? Well, having cranked out all of the team stats going into the Utica weekend, yours truly was commenting on how Thunder had only allowed 9 PPG on 140 attempts through 25 games and then we go and cough up a goal on each of the first two attempts in the Wildcats game and another on the second attempt in the Tigers game. When Dan Miller caught wind of my jinx he demanded retribution. There you have it.]
Back to our state final game report already in progress...then the unthinkable happened as Thunder gave up an even strength goal on a 3 on 2 break to spot the Tigers a 2-goal lead only 5 minutes into the contest. Yikes! Thunder trailed their opponent by a goal only a handful of times this season (Brockport, Hilton, Spencerport, West Genny). The most they ever trailed by was two and that only happened once before this season when they spotted Suffern the first 2 goals in the Liverpool Tournament final (31-Jan) before racking up 4 unanswered goals. Could Thunder rally again? Time to baton down the hatches and damn the torpedoes.
What a difference a minute makes as Thunder regrouped and showed their mettle on the next sequence. Captain Sah-Fee-Yuh carried the puck out of his own end and bumped it ahead to Greg Ryan across ice, but it was beyond his reach. No worries as wheels Ryan would chase it down in the left corner before anyone else could get there. Greg cycled it out to Scotty at the point and then he got it right back, so he curled in the corner and found his buddy Pat in the left circle. Next Pat turned and threaded the needle, sending the puck across the top of the paint, through two Tiger D and over to Riley, who was hovering in stealth mode on the back door, for the putaway. And so, Thunder broke the schneid and cut the lead in half with one pretty play. A minute later Scotty Bam-Grimshaw reminded the Tigers they were in for a game as he leveled one of their forwards coming across the blue-line with his head down.
Back to the box for more snacks went the Thunder, but the Tigers would follow suit and we went from a 4v5 to a 4v4 to 5v4 over a span of a few minutes. Along came another man advantage, but Thunder was not able to git-R-dun. Then came a real punch in the gut, when Gunderson was assessed a minor/misconduct for check from behind. McNeil served the minor, but Eric had to sit an additional 7.5 mins for the misconduct, keeping him out of the game for at least 9 mins. Fear not Gundo, the team's got your back. Play went from 5 on 4 to 4 on 4 when Gundo went to the box, then quickly turned to a 4 on 3 in Thunder's favor when Vyper got tripped carrying the puck out from behind his net. Fast forward to the end of the first frame and things went from bad to worse as two thunder players were assessed minor trips on the same play, leaving Thunder with a 33 second 5 on 3 kill to end the first period. Vyper, Riley, and JT got the nod and they got us out of the inning.
Back from the break there was still a buck to go in the Tiger's 5 on 3. Pat relieved Riley, keeping the Tigers at bay, until they took a high sticking penalty of their own with 15 seconds left in their 2-man advantage paring it back to a 5 on 4. As the penalties expired, Briganti took a shift or two to help the cause, while Riley and JT pitched in on the blue line. Alas, Gundo returned to play with 6:16 to go in the second and was a sight for sore eyes (and legs) on the Thunder bench. Meanwhile, Greg and Cheese kept hammering the Tigers every chance they got as Thunder bided their time for the next golden opportunity. And along it came ten minutes into the second period, when Riley pounced on a turnover in the neutral zone, went in 2 on 0 with Ryan, sliding it over to him for the 5-hole finish. With the equalizer in the bank and the momentum on their side, it was game on for the Thunder, and a minute later the Tigers were calling a time out. Another penalty for each side brought the period to a close with a 4 on 4 situation.
I suspect that Mamaroneck had no idea what was in store for them, but during the second intermission, you could hear Thunderstruck playing faintly in the background. If that's not a good omen, i don't know what is. Gundo used his reach during the 4v4 stretch to start the third and played physical to prevent the Tigers from getting a sniff. After both sides returned to full strength, Pat picked off a pass in neutral zone and hit Greg going 2 on 2 into the zone for a good chance. Vyper sacrificed his body, making a nice pinch in the neutral zone to advance the puck. Thunder fans who came out in droves, despite the fact that the school did not provide a fan bus, started in with the "Let's go Thun-Der" chants and the old "We can't hear you" followed by "Still can't hear you" was volleyed back by the Tiger's camp. Pat and Matt took turns rushing the puck, then Parker came up big when Mamaroneck brought it back our way. On the next Tiger's rush, Gundo plastered the puck carrier on the half-wall.
With a little over 8 minutes to go, Thunder went on the powerplay. There were a few decent chances during a mad scramble around the goal mouth, although they never managed to get it set up. Then inside the seven minute mark, Vyper gets the puck on the backcheck, goes D-D to Hebberect, who then bumps it up to Stenglein on the wing, out to Lane in neutral, then Lane takes it deep on the right side and drops it to Cheese at the goal mouth. Cheese takes a couple of whacks and the puck disappears. Ref whistles it down, but nobody knows where the puck went and he starts searching the goalies equipment. After a careful review of the Zapruder film, it has been determined that the magic biscuit, fired by Cheese, somehow went through the goaltenders pads, back and to the left, and was ultimately pinned between the iron and twine in the top left corner of the goal. As the ref searched the Mamaroneck goalie for the missing puck and turrned away, another Mamaroneck player reached into the goal, pulled the puck out, put it into his glove, skated over to the bench, and gave it to his coach. That's a Class-LL, Division I felony any day in a court of hockey law, and the hockey gods clearly ruled minutes later when the game winner for the Thunder trickled through the Mamaroneck keeper's legs. Some say "if yur not cheatin yur not tryin" but that, IMHO, was taking things a little too far. Thunder fans went wild over it, but the ref fetched a new puck and the game marched on.
Next stoppage came at 5:29 when Bourbonnais was cruising through neutral and got kneed, but no call. Nine secs later JT was walking into the slot and got tripped - he draws the foul. Vyper got the nod to QB the powerplay in Riley's stead. After a couple of trips around they had to reset and the third time was a charm, as Vyper hit JT curling high in our end, then JT went on a 3-zone dash, deking around the first check at our blue line, carrying it wide left around the next two Tigers on the way into their end with the last check clipping him with a skate. As he fell to the ice JT maintained possession of the puck and directed it at the goal as he slid across the goal line, wide to the left and wouldn't you know there just so happened to be a little magic left in that stick as the puck hit the inside of the goalie's left pad and then trickled in 5-hole, making it 3-2 Thunder with 4:12 to go in the game.
Twenty seconds later Thunder went to the box again and it was white knuckle team defense from there on out. It took forever to get the first clear and not again until the penalty expired but that second clear went out of play bringing the face-off back inside to the right of Bonis with 2:12 standing between them and their title. Thunder got it out right quick this time and RIley got it deep, then Hebs got it deep, then Vyper dumped it in a third time but this one hit Greg's stick before he cleared the zone, causing a face-off back in our end with only 1.25 to go. Vyper got this one out to neutral and then the Tigers brought it back in off-sides, causing another face-off outside with 1:00 to go. Gundo gloved the pop-fly off the face off and his first clear came back to him but he then hit Riley with a headman breaking through neutral. Riley carried it in and hit the goalies right pad so the puck would kick out to Greg who was crashing but he could not get any lumber on it and the Tigers brought it back our way. The puck was batted around for a bit before Gundo sailed it down the ice for a whistle with 17.6 to go. This face-off was to the left of Bonis and the Tigers were 4 across with 2 point men and an empty net. The puck came out to the point off the draw then D-D but the shot did not get through. Bonis gloved the next attempt with 2.6 seconds to go. Coincidental minors after the whistle, so it was still 6 on 5.
With only 2.6 seconds remaining on the clock, Captain Pat Sofia was about to enter the most important face-off of his life, save asking his girlfriend's father for her hand in marriage, while said father is cleaning his rifle! The face-off was to the right of Bonis and this time the Tigers went 5 across with 1 guy back, lined up against Pat, Matt, Cheese, Gundo, and Vyper. As the ref dropped the puck, Pat dropped to a butterfly to box out the Tiger's center and the puck squirted back to the Tiger's point man. He takes the shot, wide left (reverse Norwood), time expires, gloves and sticks go in the air, the Thunder bench empties, the gate opens, the managers and paparazzi file out onto the ice and the entire team celebrates their 3-2 victory like a swarm of bees in the corner. The Thunder-faithful chime in with chants of "UN-DE-FEA-TED" and "I BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE WON", as Celebrate good times plays on in the background. While things were getting underway with the award ceremony, the boys dumped all of their water bottles into a garbage can and soaked Webby, NFL style.
NYSHSHCA State Championship All Tournament Team Awards
Forward: Greg Ryan
Forward: Riley Bourbonnais
Defense: Eric Gunderson
Goalie: Parker Bonis
MVP: JT Stenglein
I can't imagine a more storybook ending ... perfect season, come-from-behind win in the state title game!
The last time I can recall a police escorted motorcade heading north to Greece, it was the president of the United States on his way to the APAC for a referendum on social security reform. I gotta tell ya, seeing that NYS Trooper light up the sky, like Rudolph on Christmas Eve, as the Greece Thunder Hockey magic bus exited the Thruway on their return from Utica late Sunday nite, hardware in hand, and the Greece Police taking the hand-off at Lexington to bring the procession home with horns beeping and flashers flashing all the way back to the 'shore, has got to be one of the coolest things I have ever witnessed... a sight to behold and a memory that I will never forget, already on the shelf with countless other memories from Thunder's storybook season of 2008-2009.
Stay tuned for the Thunder year in review, coming to an email inbox near you this summer.
Focker-out.
Out Takes
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From an anonymous Thunder parent who works for DOAN - "hopefully that escort was the last run in these boys ever have with the cops".
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To the THUNDER Hockey Players and Parents,
CONGRATULATIONS State champs!!! SO proud!
From, Eric and Carole Schultz J
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Hi Everyone!!! The Russell family would like to Congratulate you ALL on being STATE CHAMPIONS!!!
Please tell all your boys Mr. Russell said: “You guys are awesome!”
Regards, Dave, Sylvia, David & Katie
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* * *
Thunder Team Stats
Goals For Regular Season: 98 (69 even strength, 22 powerplay, 7 shorthanded)
Goals For Post Season: 20 (11 even strength, 7 powerplay, 2 shorthanded)
Goals For Overall: 118 (80 even strength, 29 powerplay, 9 shorthanded)
Goals Against Regular Season: 22 (13 even strength, 9 powerplay, 0 shorthanded)
Goals Against Post Season: 5 (2 even strength, 3 powerplay, 0 shorthanded)
Goals Against Overall: 27 (15 even strength, 12 powerplay, 0 shorthanded)
Powerplay Regular Season: 24.2% (22 goals scored on 91 attempts)
Powerplay Post Season: 20.6% (7 goals scored on 34 attempts)
Powerplay Overall: 23.2% (29 goals scored on 125 attempts)
Penalty Kill Regular Season: 92.3% (9 goals surrendered on 117 attempts)
Penalty Kill Post Season: 92.5% (3 goals surrendered on 40 attempts)
Penalty Kill Overall: 92.4% (12 goals surrendered on 157 attempts)
Shutouts Regular Season: 7
Shutouts Post Season: 3
Shutouts Overall: 10
Shots For Regular Season: 690
Shots For Post Season: 151
Shots For Overall: 841
Shots Against Regular Season: 427
Shots Against Post Season: 118
Shots Against Overall: 545
Goals Against Average Regular Season: 1.05 (22 goals surrendered in 21 games)
Goals Against Average Post Season: 0.83 (5 goals surrendered in 6 games)
Goals Against Average Overall: 1.00 (27 goals surrendered in 27 games)
Saves Regular Season: 405
Saves Post Season: 113
Saves Overall: 518
Save Percentage Regular Season: 94.8 (405 saves on 427 shots)
Save Percentage Post Season: 95.8 (113 saves on 118 shots)
Save Percentage Overall: 95.0 (518 saves on 545 shots)
Thunder Team Facts
Thunder was outshot only 2 times all season, e.g. AQ and W. Genny
Thunder trailed by a goal only 6 times all season, e.g. Brockport, Hilton, Spencerport, Suffern, W. Genny and Mamaroneck
Thunder trailed by 2 goals only 2 times all season, e.g. Suffern and Mamaroneck
The most goals Thunder allowed in a single game was 3 (3 times), followed by 2 goals (4 times), 1 goal (10 times), and 0 goals (10 times)
So, basically in roughly 3 out of every 4 games played, Thunder gave up a goal or less, not too shabby!
Thunder record was 27-0 and they were the second team in the state to ever win a State Championship with an undefeated season!
Thunder AWR (All-Wes-Report) Awards
1st Team JD Power & Associates Powerplay: Pat, Greg, Gundo, Riley, JT
2nd Team JD Power & Associates Powerplay: Matt, Cheese, Jordan, Vyper, Scotty
Honorable Mention JD Power & Associates Powerplay: Miller
1st Team Natural Born Penalty Killers: Riley, JT, Vyper, Hebs
2nd Team Natural Born Penalty Killers: Pat, Greg, Gundo, Scotty
Honorable Mention Natural Born Penalty Killers: Matt, Cheese
Alexander & Catalano Heavy Hitters: JT, Greg, Gundo, Cheese, Scotty, Briganti
Harry Shaw Society: Vyper
Power Trip Club: Matt, Cheese, Rotolo
Steady Eddy Club: Hebs, Rotolo
Zero Club: Parker, Mike, Ian, Andrew
Section V West Division Awards
Player of the Year: Eric Gunderson
1st Team Forward: Greg Ryan
2nd Team Forward: Riley Bourbonnais
2nd Team Forward: Pat Sofia
Coach of the Year: Dan Webb
Top Scholar/Athlete Award: Matt Lane
Section V AGR Awards
Player of the Year: Eric Gunderson
Goalie: Parker Bonis
Forward: Riley Bourbonnais
Forward: JT Stenglein
Coach of the Year: Dan Webb
Honorable Mention Forward: Pat Sofia
NYSHSHCA State Championship All Tournament Team Awards
Forward: Greg Ryan
Forward: Riley Bourbonnais
Defense: Eric Gunderson
Goalie: Parker Bonis
MVP: JT Stenglein
NYSHSHCA Division I All-State Awards
1st Team Defense: Eric Gunderson
1st Team Forward: Riley Bourbonnais
2nd Team Forward: JT Stenglein
Honorable Mention Forward: Greg Ryan
Coach of the Year: Dan Webb
Greece 5, West Genesee 2 (State Semifinal - Utica Aud)
Greece 5, West Genesee 2
From D&C:
UTICA — Sophomore winger J.T. Stenglein scored three goals just 3:55 into the first period and led Greece Athena/Odyssey to a 5-2 victory over West Genesee in the semfinals of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association hockey tournament this evening.
The Thunder are now one win away from becoming just the second team to go unbeaten en route to a state championship.
Athena/Odyssey (26-0) plays Mamaroneck (26-2-1) at 3:30 p.m. today in the title game. Mamaroneck of Section I breezed past Section VI champ Niagara Wheatfield, 7-2.
Riley Bourbonnais scored the fourth goal for the Thunder, then assisted on Greg Ryan’s goal that extended the lead to 5-2 at 5:05 of the third period.
West Genesee (22-4-2) used the power play to open 1-0 and 2-1 leads in the first 6:18, but Stenglein retaliated each time.
He scored an unassisted short-handed goal at 5:46, connected on the power play at 8:05, then gave the Thunder their first lead at 9:41 when his pass or shot from behind the net hit a skate and caromed past goalie Evan Mazzoni.
WES VYVERBERG REPORTS:
The music was bumpin' loud at the Utica Memorial Auditorium, where it was the West Genesee Wildcats home in yellow and your very own Greece Athena/Odyssey Thunder visiting in their Saturday best black/purple&gold, both vying for a NYSPHSAA Championship berth in the Division I Semifinals. West Genny broke the seal early (2.44 into the game) putting away a rebound with four seconds to go in their first man advantage. Three minutes later, Greece was back in the box but it was Thunder's turn to tally. Enter JT Stenglein with the authoritative shortie, after a solid forecheck, picking the Wildcat D-man's pocket behind the net, walking out to the edge of the circle and firing a wrister over the goalie's shoulder to even things up at one apiece. West Genny answered back thirty seconds later cashing in on their second powerplay of the game with a blast from the point that found its way through traffic and into the back of the Thunder net, 2-1 Wildcats. A minute later West Genny took their first trip to the box for a hold and it was time for that #1 powerplay in the state (according to VJ Stanley) to go to work. After a few trips around the horn Sofia took a low shot from the left side that caromed into the right corner. Stenglein gathered the puck hooking it out to Bourbonnais at the top of the diamond and then Rilez wound up a low slapper, that was deflected by Gunderson (or perhaps Ryan) past the Wildcats keeper for the equalizer.
Ninety-six seconds later Stenglein notched the go-ahead goal for the Thunder and the men in black never looked back. The play originated with Vyper picking up the loose puck on a face-off deep in Thunder territory and fanning it out to Mike Briganti who was breaking wide right. Briganti carried it through neutral and got it deep for Matty Lane who was making a b-line to the goal line. Lane beat his check to the biscuit, curled to the boards and cycled it back down low for Stenglein. JT put his wizard cap on and pitched it out front, banking it off the back of the goaltenders stick, between his legs, and into the back of the net for the eventual winner. This trick had a 3.2 level of difficulty, putting it up there with the "combination hair flip with a giggle" move from About Last Night and the Triple Lindy from Back to School. Bourbonnais put on a magic show of his own with two minutes to go in the opening frame as he took a rink wide feed from Scotty Tam-Grimshaw, started down the right side of neutral, read the traffic at the border and cut across the grain, eventually entering the zone on the left side. After deking the first defenseman out of his jock and using the second defenseman as a screen, Bourbonnais rifled a shot that went in low/stick side to light the lamp. And that about brings the whirlwind, wide-open first period to a close, with Thunder ahead 4-2.
The scoreless second period featured solid forechecking, some big saves and several crucial kills for the Thunder. West Genny opened with a 56 second man advantage which carried over from a minor cross-check at the end of the first frame. This time the Wildcats were denied. Briganti led the charge taking it to West Genny in the early going, while both Lane and Ryan generated quality scoring chances of their own. Bonis came up big everytime he was called upon, making 13 saves in the second period alone and thwarting numerous West Genny rushes by poke checking the puck away. Midway through the period, the third line of Grills, McNeil, and Briganti made their mark with a couple of strong shifts. McCubbin logged a monster shift as well with a nice keep at the blue line and then later took a drop at the point from Ryan, teeing up a slapper that hit the Wildcat keeper's waffle and went straight up in the air, landing just outside the crease and creating a frenzy, before the goalie held on for a whistle with 5:30 to go. A minute later West Genny was on the attack and Bourbonnais came flying out of nowhere to catch the puck carrier. It was a nice effort but Riley ended up going to the box with a minor cross-check (weak call). JT made a nice clear after outworking his man in the corner on the PK. Then Vyper intercepted a dump-in and went on a little walkabout into the Wildcats end that concluded with a shot on goal and a whistle. Cubbi was back in action breaking up a late rush and holding down the fort in front of the net. The period closed the way it opened, with another kill for Thunder, as Riley returned to the box, this time for a trip, with 58 seconds to go. Vypes, Hebs, JT, and Cheese put up a wall, denying the Wildcats entry to the thunder zone as the second period expired.
Greg and Pat relieved JT and Cheese up front, as they killed off the remaining 32 seconds of Bourb's minor to set the tone in the third. JT went end-end and slid one across the top of the paint for another QSC, but could not connect the dots. A while later when the puck got rimmed in Thunder's end, Cheese crushed his check on the hash marks to get the puck out. Then Greg went flying up ice into West Genny territory, puck in tow, but he got tied up at the circle, and as the puck squirted out towards the blue line, Riley was on the scene to gather it. Despite the instant pressure and the fact that he got kneed, Riley kept driving to the high slot where he would eventually crank a shot. Ryan got wood on it before it trickled in 5-hole for Thunder's fifth and final goal. But the game was far from over, with ten minutes and a few more penalty kills to go, e.g. Hebs with a high stick, Sah-Fee-Yuh with unsportsmanlike and a hold. Throw in coincidental roughs and an interference call on the Wildcats and we were 4v4 for the final minute of play. The "i believe that we have won" chant ensued as E-hoss and Sherry took the ice for the final shift of the game. It ended a 5-2 victory for the Thunder advancing them on to the Division I Title game on Sunday. I am pretty confident there was a yeah Thun-Derrrrrrrrrrrr in there somewhere!
First star of the game honors go to JT Stenglein with 2G/1A for 3pts, including a shortie and the winner. Second star goes to Riley Bourbonnais with 1G/2A for 3 points. Third star goes to Parker Bonis with 30 saves for his 16th win on the season. Hats off to the Wildcats for a hard fought battle. They actually outshot thunder by a margin of 32-19, which is a feat that only one other Thunder opponent accomplished this season (AQ-23, GT-22 on 22-Nov). The highlight of the day for me, however, was hearing them announce Pat "Sah-Fee-Yuh" at the post game ceremony as recipient of the Sportsmanship Award, when he was assessed an unsportsmanlike minor during the game. Still scratching my head on that one!
From D&C:
UTICA — Sophomore winger J.T. Stenglein scored three goals just 3:55 into the first period and led Greece Athena/Odyssey to a 5-2 victory over West Genesee in the semfinals of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association hockey tournament this evening.
The Thunder are now one win away from becoming just the second team to go unbeaten en route to a state championship.
Athena/Odyssey (26-0) plays Mamaroneck (26-2-1) at 3:30 p.m. today in the title game. Mamaroneck of Section I breezed past Section VI champ Niagara Wheatfield, 7-2.
Riley Bourbonnais scored the fourth goal for the Thunder, then assisted on Greg Ryan’s goal that extended the lead to 5-2 at 5:05 of the third period.
West Genesee (22-4-2) used the power play to open 1-0 and 2-1 leads in the first 6:18, but Stenglein retaliated each time.
He scored an unassisted short-handed goal at 5:46, connected on the power play at 8:05, then gave the Thunder their first lead at 9:41 when his pass or shot from behind the net hit a skate and caromed past goalie Evan Mazzoni.
WES VYVERBERG REPORTS:
The music was bumpin' loud at the Utica Memorial Auditorium, where it was the West Genesee Wildcats home in yellow and your very own Greece Athena/Odyssey Thunder visiting in their Saturday best black/purple&gold, both vying for a NYSPHSAA Championship berth in the Division I Semifinals. West Genny broke the seal early (2.44 into the game) putting away a rebound with four seconds to go in their first man advantage. Three minutes later, Greece was back in the box but it was Thunder's turn to tally. Enter JT Stenglein with the authoritative shortie, after a solid forecheck, picking the Wildcat D-man's pocket behind the net, walking out to the edge of the circle and firing a wrister over the goalie's shoulder to even things up at one apiece. West Genny answered back thirty seconds later cashing in on their second powerplay of the game with a blast from the point that found its way through traffic and into the back of the Thunder net, 2-1 Wildcats. A minute later West Genny took their first trip to the box for a hold and it was time for that #1 powerplay in the state (according to VJ Stanley) to go to work. After a few trips around the horn Sofia took a low shot from the left side that caromed into the right corner. Stenglein gathered the puck hooking it out to Bourbonnais at the top of the diamond and then Rilez wound up a low slapper, that was deflected by Gunderson (or perhaps Ryan) past the Wildcats keeper for the equalizer.
Ninety-six seconds later Stenglein notched the go-ahead goal for the Thunder and the men in black never looked back. The play originated with Vyper picking up the loose puck on a face-off deep in Thunder territory and fanning it out to Mike Briganti who was breaking wide right. Briganti carried it through neutral and got it deep for Matty Lane who was making a b-line to the goal line. Lane beat his check to the biscuit, curled to the boards and cycled it back down low for Stenglein. JT put his wizard cap on and pitched it out front, banking it off the back of the goaltenders stick, between his legs, and into the back of the net for the eventual winner. This trick had a 3.2 level of difficulty, putting it up there with the "combination hair flip with a giggle" move from About Last Night and the Triple Lindy from Back to School. Bourbonnais put on a magic show of his own with two minutes to go in the opening frame as he took a rink wide feed from Scotty Tam-Grimshaw, started down the right side of neutral, read the traffic at the border and cut across the grain, eventually entering the zone on the left side. After deking the first defenseman out of his jock and using the second defenseman as a screen, Bourbonnais rifled a shot that went in low/stick side to light the lamp. And that about brings the whirlwind, wide-open first period to a close, with Thunder ahead 4-2.
The scoreless second period featured solid forechecking, some big saves and several crucial kills for the Thunder. West Genny opened with a 56 second man advantage which carried over from a minor cross-check at the end of the first frame. This time the Wildcats were denied. Briganti led the charge taking it to West Genny in the early going, while both Lane and Ryan generated quality scoring chances of their own. Bonis came up big everytime he was called upon, making 13 saves in the second period alone and thwarting numerous West Genny rushes by poke checking the puck away. Midway through the period, the third line of Grills, McNeil, and Briganti made their mark with a couple of strong shifts. McCubbin logged a monster shift as well with a nice keep at the blue line and then later took a drop at the point from Ryan, teeing up a slapper that hit the Wildcat keeper's waffle and went straight up in the air, landing just outside the crease and creating a frenzy, before the goalie held on for a whistle with 5:30 to go. A minute later West Genny was on the attack and Bourbonnais came flying out of nowhere to catch the puck carrier. It was a nice effort but Riley ended up going to the box with a minor cross-check (weak call). JT made a nice clear after outworking his man in the corner on the PK. Then Vyper intercepted a dump-in and went on a little walkabout into the Wildcats end that concluded with a shot on goal and a whistle. Cubbi was back in action breaking up a late rush and holding down the fort in front of the net. The period closed the way it opened, with another kill for Thunder, as Riley returned to the box, this time for a trip, with 58 seconds to go. Vypes, Hebs, JT, and Cheese put up a wall, denying the Wildcats entry to the thunder zone as the second period expired.
Greg and Pat relieved JT and Cheese up front, as they killed off the remaining 32 seconds of Bourb's minor to set the tone in the third. JT went end-end and slid one across the top of the paint for another QSC, but could not connect the dots. A while later when the puck got rimmed in Thunder's end, Cheese crushed his check on the hash marks to get the puck out. Then Greg went flying up ice into West Genny territory, puck in tow, but he got tied up at the circle, and as the puck squirted out towards the blue line, Riley was on the scene to gather it. Despite the instant pressure and the fact that he got kneed, Riley kept driving to the high slot where he would eventually crank a shot. Ryan got wood on it before it trickled in 5-hole for Thunder's fifth and final goal. But the game was far from over, with ten minutes and a few more penalty kills to go, e.g. Hebs with a high stick, Sah-Fee-Yuh with unsportsmanlike and a hold. Throw in coincidental roughs and an interference call on the Wildcats and we were 4v4 for the final minute of play. The "i believe that we have won" chant ensued as E-hoss and Sherry took the ice for the final shift of the game. It ended a 5-2 victory for the Thunder advancing them on to the Division I Title game on Sunday. I am pretty confident there was a yeah Thun-Derrrrrrrrrrrr in there somewhere!
First star of the game honors go to JT Stenglein with 2G/1A for 3pts, including a shortie and the winner. Second star goes to Riley Bourbonnais with 1G/2A for 3 points. Third star goes to Parker Bonis with 30 saves for his 16th win on the season. Hats off to the Wildcats for a hard fought battle. They actually outshot thunder by a margin of 32-19, which is a feat that only one other Thunder opponent accomplished this season (AQ-23, GT-22 on 22-Nov). The highlight of the day for me, however, was hearing them announce Pat "Sah-Fee-Yuh" at the post game ceremony as recipient of the Sportsmanship Award, when he was assessed an unsportsmanlike minor during the game. Still scratching my head on that one!
NYS Western Regional: Greece Athena/Odyssey 1, Ithaca 0, (SUNY Brockport)
Thunder 1, Ithaca 0
PHOTO GALLERY 1
PHOTO GALLERY 2
The offensive heroes seem to change from game to game for the unbeaten Greece Athena/Odyssey Thunder, who just keep marching on toward a season of perfection.
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"It's a different guy — it seems like — every day," coach Dan Webb said after Saturday's 1-0 victory over Ithaca in the New York State Division I regional at Brockport State's Tuttle Ice Arena.
On Saturday, forward J.T. Stenglein took his turn in the scoring spotlight, breaking the scoreless tie off a dynamic two-zone dash with only 1:05 remaining in the second period.
But while the goal-scorers gladly rotate for the 25-0 Thunder, there has been one constant; the super play of goalie Parker Bonis.
Bonis wasn't busy on Saturday as the Thunder outshot Ithaca 34-13, yet he was still required to make game-saving stops.
"All year he hasn't faced a lot of shots but there are always one or two really, really good opportunities and he's been coming up really big," Webb said.
None was bigger than his save with just 4:16 to play, when he flicked out his glove to snare a point-blank redirection by A.J. Fiore, preserving the one-goal lead.
"I knew I had to make every single save for us to win the game, so I made sure I did," Bonis said.
The one-goal nail biter wasn't necessarily expected, but Ithaca (10-8-6) was content to weather first-shot pressure with goalie Zach Wilder and then hope to catch a break offensively.
"We executed our game plan to a 'T'; we had some chances and it didn't work out," coach Rich Armstrong said.
Wilder may have had luck on his side — Pat Sofia, Stenglein and Eric Gunderson all hit posts in the first 30 minutes — but he also came up with several clutch saves.
"Any other goalie, it's a 5-0 game," Stenglein said. "We couldn't find the back of the net to save our lives."
Except once, and Stenglein was the goal-light bloodhound.
He picked up the puck in his own end, darted through the neutral zone, angled into the Ithaca zone on the left wing, and, from the circle, zipped a low shot that beat Wilder low to the far side.
"Once the puck got on my stick, I knew I was going to score," he said. "Sometimes you get the puck, you just know you'll go the distance."
Perhaps 15 seconds earlier, Bonis kicked away a slap shot from Mark Thompson off an Ithaca two-on-one, keeping the game scoreless.
"He plays great every single game," Stenglein said.
The Thunder are trying to go the distance on an undefeated season. They play West Genesee (22-3-2) at 5:45 p.m. Saturday in the state semifinals at Utica's Memorial Auditorium.
"No one ever expected this at the beginning of the year," Sofia said. "We knew we'd be good but we didn't expect to be this good.
"It feels good to be one of four teams left, to be fighting for the state championship."
WES VYVERBERG REPORTS:
After reading the article in the paper about Thunder's 1-0 regional quarterfinal win over Ithaca little red of section-4 last weekend, it occurred to me that they left someone out - Thunder's defense - one of the best kept secrets in the league, quietly sandwiched between the number one offense in the state and a cadre of netminders whose collective talents are unequaled. The paper has previously referred to them as "Stout" and "Stingy" and today was no exception as they maintained a tight-gap, stepped up in the neutral zone, blocked at least a half dozen shots, killed countless penalties and forced the play wide all night, limiting the little red to only 13 shots on goal.
Where were we? Oh yeah, Tuttle North Arena on the SUNY Brockport Campus, with Thunder home in white and Ithaca visiting in their tacky red and yellow unis, as we all listened to a rather sultry rendition of the anthem by Amanda Sherry before the first drop of the puck. With Thunder making a habit of going to the box early, JT went on his first of many walkabouts and had the corner picked for a shorthanded attempt, but Wilder was right there to glove it. Thunder went on to outshoot Ithaca 12-6 in the opening period, but the closest they would get was when Pat Sofia rang one off the post.
Seany Ryan and Marc McNeil took a page out of Fairport's book as they laced 'em up and skated the Thunder flag around the ice, after the first intermission, wearing their older brother's purple sweaters. Perhaps a glimpse of Thunder's future? That got the Thunder fans, all decked out in purple, fired up and ready to go. JT, Pat, and Gundo took turns hitting the pipe in the second period, but nobody could buy a goal. McNeil, Briganti, and Grills came out with fresh legs putting a lot of pressure on Ithaca and drew a penalty. Then with a minute to go in the period, Stenglein did what we needed him to do, taking a feed from Brandon Cheeseman, going on an end-end rush down the left side, and beating Wilder with a wrister, low to the glove-side, for the eventual winner. Thunder pretty much controlled the second period with a 16-3 shot margin for a 2-period running total of 28-9.
The final frame featured solid team defense from Thunder's net on out with Parker remaining focussed, the D battening down the hatches, and the forwards coming back to help out. And so it ended, a white-knuckle finish in Thunder's defensive zone, and the road to Utica was finally paved. According to Mike Sofia, "It was just too darned close", I would have to agree.
First star of the game honors go to JT Stenglein for netting the winning goal. Second star of the game is shared by the goaltenders at both ends, e.g. Parker Bonis who played well in the nets, making several clutch saves, as he has done all year for the Thunder, on the way to recording his 6th shut-out and 17th win; and Ithaca's Zach Wilder, who saved 33 of 34 he faced. Third star of the game goes to the Thunder-D (Gundo, Vypes, Hebs, Scotty) for taking care of business in their own end.
Thunder advances to the semifinal round of the NYSPHSAA ICE HOCKEY STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS where they will face West Genesee from Section 3 on Saturday, Mar 14, 5:45pm @ Utica Memorial Auditorium, in Utica, NY.
PHOTO GALLERY 1
PHOTO GALLERY 2
The offensive heroes seem to change from game to game for the unbeaten Greece Athena/Odyssey Thunder, who just keep marching on toward a season of perfection.
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"It's a different guy — it seems like — every day," coach Dan Webb said after Saturday's 1-0 victory over Ithaca in the New York State Division I regional at Brockport State's Tuttle Ice Arena.
On Saturday, forward J.T. Stenglein took his turn in the scoring spotlight, breaking the scoreless tie off a dynamic two-zone dash with only 1:05 remaining in the second period.
But while the goal-scorers gladly rotate for the 25-0 Thunder, there has been one constant; the super play of goalie Parker Bonis.
Bonis wasn't busy on Saturday as the Thunder outshot Ithaca 34-13, yet he was still required to make game-saving stops.
"All year he hasn't faced a lot of shots but there are always one or two really, really good opportunities and he's been coming up really big," Webb said.
None was bigger than his save with just 4:16 to play, when he flicked out his glove to snare a point-blank redirection by A.J. Fiore, preserving the one-goal lead.
"I knew I had to make every single save for us to win the game, so I made sure I did," Bonis said.
The one-goal nail biter wasn't necessarily expected, but Ithaca (10-8-6) was content to weather first-shot pressure with goalie Zach Wilder and then hope to catch a break offensively.
"We executed our game plan to a 'T'; we had some chances and it didn't work out," coach Rich Armstrong said.
Wilder may have had luck on his side — Pat Sofia, Stenglein and Eric Gunderson all hit posts in the first 30 minutes — but he also came up with several clutch saves.
"Any other goalie, it's a 5-0 game," Stenglein said. "We couldn't find the back of the net to save our lives."
Except once, and Stenglein was the goal-light bloodhound.
He picked up the puck in his own end, darted through the neutral zone, angled into the Ithaca zone on the left wing, and, from the circle, zipped a low shot that beat Wilder low to the far side.
"Once the puck got on my stick, I knew I was going to score," he said. "Sometimes you get the puck, you just know you'll go the distance."
Perhaps 15 seconds earlier, Bonis kicked away a slap shot from Mark Thompson off an Ithaca two-on-one, keeping the game scoreless.
"He plays great every single game," Stenglein said.
The Thunder are trying to go the distance on an undefeated season. They play West Genesee (22-3-2) at 5:45 p.m. Saturday in the state semifinals at Utica's Memorial Auditorium.
"No one ever expected this at the beginning of the year," Sofia said. "We knew we'd be good but we didn't expect to be this good.
"It feels good to be one of four teams left, to be fighting for the state championship."
WES VYVERBERG REPORTS:
After reading the article in the paper about Thunder's 1-0 regional quarterfinal win over Ithaca little red of section-4 last weekend, it occurred to me that they left someone out - Thunder's defense - one of the best kept secrets in the league, quietly sandwiched between the number one offense in the state and a cadre of netminders whose collective talents are unequaled. The paper has previously referred to them as "Stout" and "Stingy" and today was no exception as they maintained a tight-gap, stepped up in the neutral zone, blocked at least a half dozen shots, killed countless penalties and forced the play wide all night, limiting the little red to only 13 shots on goal.
Where were we? Oh yeah, Tuttle North Arena on the SUNY Brockport Campus, with Thunder home in white and Ithaca visiting in their tacky red and yellow unis, as we all listened to a rather sultry rendition of the anthem by Amanda Sherry before the first drop of the puck. With Thunder making a habit of going to the box early, JT went on his first of many walkabouts and had the corner picked for a shorthanded attempt, but Wilder was right there to glove it. Thunder went on to outshoot Ithaca 12-6 in the opening period, but the closest they would get was when Pat Sofia rang one off the post.
Seany Ryan and Marc McNeil took a page out of Fairport's book as they laced 'em up and skated the Thunder flag around the ice, after the first intermission, wearing their older brother's purple sweaters. Perhaps a glimpse of Thunder's future? That got the Thunder fans, all decked out in purple, fired up and ready to go. JT, Pat, and Gundo took turns hitting the pipe in the second period, but nobody could buy a goal. McNeil, Briganti, and Grills came out with fresh legs putting a lot of pressure on Ithaca and drew a penalty. Then with a minute to go in the period, Stenglein did what we needed him to do, taking a feed from Brandon Cheeseman, going on an end-end rush down the left side, and beating Wilder with a wrister, low to the glove-side, for the eventual winner. Thunder pretty much controlled the second period with a 16-3 shot margin for a 2-period running total of 28-9.
The final frame featured solid team defense from Thunder's net on out with Parker remaining focussed, the D battening down the hatches, and the forwards coming back to help out. And so it ended, a white-knuckle finish in Thunder's defensive zone, and the road to Utica was finally paved. According to Mike Sofia, "It was just too darned close", I would have to agree.
First star of the game honors go to JT Stenglein for netting the winning goal. Second star of the game is shared by the goaltenders at both ends, e.g. Parker Bonis who played well in the nets, making several clutch saves, as he has done all year for the Thunder, on the way to recording his 6th shut-out and 17th win; and Ithaca's Zach Wilder, who saved 33 of 34 he faced. Third star of the game goes to the Thunder-D (Gundo, Vypes, Hebs, Scotty) for taking care of business in their own end.
Thunder advances to the semifinal round of the NYSPHSAA ICE HOCKEY STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS where they will face West Genesee from Section 3 on Saturday, Mar 14, 5:45pm @ Utica Memorial Auditorium, in Utica, NY.
Section V Class A FINAL: Greece Athena/Odyssey 3, Fairport 1, (ESL)
Thunder 3, Fairport 1
PHOTOS
D&C Staff Reports 3/01/09
A day that began with Parker Bonis feeling sick to his stomach ended in a jubilant celebration at the ESL Sports Centre Sunday evening. Bonis and his Greece Athena/Odyssey (24-0) hockey teammates captured the Section V Class A championship with a 3-1 win over Fairport, denying the Red Raiders (18-3-5-1) their third consecutive crown.
Stout defense, two goals from sophomore forward J.T. Stenglein and steady play in net from Bonis, who stopped 21 of 22 Fairport shots, led to the Thunder winning its first sectional title since 2006. Athena/Odyssey advances into the regionals of states against Section IV's Ithaca at 4 p.m. Saturday at SUNY Brockport's Tuttle North Ice Arena.
"This feels great, especially after last season's devastating (double-overtime) loss to Fairport in the AA title game," said Bonis, a sophomore who has stopped 52 of 53 postseason shots. "I wasn't confident coming in because when I woke up this morning I felt real sick and threw up, but I felt I had to play because my team needed me. I felt sick all game but thinking of that perfect season kept me going. This is amazing."
Playing in front of more than 2,500 people, the Thunder, the state's top-ranked Division I team, struck first when Jordan Grills rifled a shot from outside the right circle for a power-play goal 6 minutes, 55 seconds in. It was the senior's first varsity goal. "We knew it would be a low-scoring game and we just came out and made a lot of great plays," said Stenglein, who earned MVP honors. "Once we get the first goal, we usually take the game and after the first goal we knew we were going to win."
The second-seeded Red Raiders (18-3-5-1) enjoyed a 5-on-3 advantage for 56 seconds and mustered five shots during their power play, but couldn't get one past Bonis. After being shut out twice by the Thunder during the regular season, Fairport finally got on the board with 2:38 remaining in the first. Chris Button stole the puck outside his own blue line, skated into the right circle and fired on goal. The shot bounced off the crossbar to Tim Modesti, who hammered home the rebound.
Stenglein regained the lead for Athena/Odyssey on a power-play goal with 65 seconds left in the first. As Stenglein emerged from the penalty box, Riley Bourbonnais put the puck on Stenglein's stick and Stenglein skated along the left side and shot into the upper-right corner for a 2-1 lead. "J.T. has absolutely picked it up in sectionals. In the middle of the season he became one of the hardest working guys on the team and he's been just terrific ever since," Greece coach Dan Webb said. "When he's taking the puck to the net, he's got defensemen back on their heels because of his size and speed."
It appeared Cole Bardreau netted the tying goal with 4:12 remaining in the second, but despite the goal light going on, the goal was disallowed and the score remained 2-1 heading into the third. Despite another 5-on-3 power play opportunity, Fairport never could get the equalizer. "When our defenders would throw the puck on net, we needed a few more bodies in front. Parker pretty much saw all the point shots," said Fairport coach Chris Moretter. Stenglein finished the scoring with 7:01 remaining in the third.
Wes Vyverberg Reports
Game Report
Is it just me or does that first scrimmage against the Lightning or even that first official game of the season against Webster, way back in November, seem like an eternity ago to anyone? I feel like I have aged from all the emotion of this unprecedented and once in a lifetime e-ticket ride. While Thunder's storied journey on the road to the 2008-2009 Section V Class A Crown has been well-documented in pictures and in prose, it will more importantly remain forever etched in the hearts, minds, and souls, of all those who truly bleed black, purple and gold. It is a story that will be told for generations to come as the proud heritage of Greece Thunder Hockey lives on. Maybe even a best-seller someday or a made for TV movie starring Michael Richards or a documentary starring Sacha Baron Cohen... or not.
With the ink from Thunder's semifinal win over the Lightning barely dry, our very own Energizer-Kimmy activated the PROJECT SECTIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP launch sequence, putting the HIGH SCHOOL FAN CLUB on notice that they were responsible for filling the stands with positive signs and people in purple. Then there was the finishing/flying of the Thunder freak flag, unveiling of the purple thundies and the all-important re-decorating of the Presidential Thunder Sectional Championship Jeans, otherwise known as "Pants One" (now on display at Place One).
Next came a reading from the book of a motivational speaker who lives in a van down by the river (actually, it was from Cathie Graus):
Winning a Championship is what every team dreams of, but only one can earn the right to be called "Champions". Giving everything you have to your team is not enough and perhaps is a bulk understatement. You need more than everything you have to be a Champion, your team has to want it double the amount everyone else does, you need Sacrifice, Character, Purpose, Discipline, and Drive to achieve a goal as high as a Champion. Most Importantly, you need to work as a team, play for the guy sitting next to you on the bench, selfishness will never lead you down the road to being a Champion, but will lead you to a quick ticket home. Every shift is the most important and the biggest one of your life, every battle in the corner is the most important one, but what's more important? You not getting hurt and being too tired to play or putting your team in front of yourself and battling with everything it takes, battling with more tenacity than you've ever played with, wanting it so bad that you won't let anything get in front of the team to end your run for glory. So when it comes down to your decision of whether you want to do what it takes to be a champion or go watch with all the other teams that have been eliminated. Only you can make that decision. YOUR MOVE!
Followed by a poem from the President:
Today, we go to do something special.
Today we gather in that rink to support our boys and everything they have worked so hard to do
Today we go to do something that is beyond........
You'd think us parents were lacing 'em up ourselves with the title game upon us and our stomachs all in knots. Thankfully, we had the easier job of watching from the stands. It was a packed house inside the ESL Feature Rink with fans lingering from the Class B final as a sea of red filed in to the right facing a sea of purple across the way on the left. The atmosphere was quite palpable as Thunder and Fairport came out for warm-ups a few minutes after a couple of "big-checks" were thrown at center ice to fuel the local Skating for the Cure campaign. With a small Ithaca contingent on hand to catch a glimpse of their competition, Fairport sent out their mascot in a pirate costume to skate around waving the Red Raider flag. It was hard to hear the music what with all the commotion in the building and the fans getting into it, but as both teams returned to the ice after the cut, Prime Time Sound was loud and clear treating everyone with a six-piece brass anthem to beat the band. And did you happen to notice that the stripes had a pink hue to them or that the score-keeping attendants were all decked out in pink jerseys, in the name of Breast Cancer Awareness? Not only was Thunder #1 in the state coming into this game, but they were also #1 in the section by a landslide, having sold more pink pucks than any other team and raising over $1000 of the $4000 collectively donated by Monroe County High School Hockey teams to Skating for the Cure.
Both sides were off to a jittery start playing the baker (making a lot of turnovers) in this one and out game of high stakes. Fairport's Cole Bardreau, touted by their signage as a 2011 #1 NHL draft pick, dumped Eric Gunderson in the early going, when the puck was nowhere near, but instead of issuing an interference call, the ref brought Cole over to apologize to Gundo, leaving everyone scratching their heads, huh? Thunder had an early fire drill in their own end when the puck got behind Bonis and was sitting dangerously in the paint. Along came Scotty Tam-Grimshaw to sweep it to the corner so that everyone in Thunderville could breathe a sigh of relief. Then almost seven minutes into the contest, Thunder drew first blood, on the powerplay. Better save that biscuit, for at long last, Thunder senior Jordan Grills was credited with his very first varsity goal. It was a group effort for sure and went something like this. Matt Lane won the battle in the left circle bumping it out to Dan Vyverberg at the point, who went D-D hooking it over to Scott Tam-Grimshaw, who walked in and fired a slapper on net with Brandon Cheeseman and Jordan Grills setting up the screen in front. As Cheese jumped out of the way, Jordan got a piece of it, deflecting it by Carlston for the goal. Thunder enjoyed another long rally on their back to back powerplays, but they were unfortunately unable to get the 2-goal lead they were after. Then with less than 3 minutes to go in the opening period, Bonis' pad save on a blast by Chris Button kicked out to the slot where Tim Modesti was standing by ready to bury the rebound for the equalizer. And with only 16.4 seconds left on the clock, after receiving a long lead pass on the powerplay from Riley Bourbonnais, walking in on the left side, and megging a Red Raider defenseman, JT Stenglein picked the top-left corner on Carlston to regain the lead. Greece recorded 15 shots to Fairport's 6, taking a 2-1 lead into the first intermission.
Second period was a whirlwind and rather difficult to follow as both teams were mired with penalties from beginning to end making it a special-teams-showcase. JT hit the post on an early short-handed bid. Cheese spent the bulk of the period in the box for a check from behind. Mike Miller served his minor and made a nice stick check on the way back to the bench. JT took out the ref coming around the wall in front of the Fairport fans. Vypes turned away countless Fairport attempts on the PK including a couple of nail-biting 5 on 3 kills. Pat Sofia dumped Bardreau at center ice to answer the cheap shot he took on Gunda at the beginning of the game. Mike McNeil did a fine job defending our line as he got the puck out and roughed up his check. Then there was the one that got a away. Gunderson caught a pass in his skates all alone on the back door staring at three quarters of the net gaping wide open. As he eventually worked the puck out to his stick and directed it at the goal, we all figured it was money in the bank, but then Carlston came diving across out of nowhere and gloved it for the save of the game. Eric Hostetter made a brief appearance before the period was over, making a nice play to get the puck deep. JT went to the box for another alleged Louganis, this one from the 2 meter platform, as Cole slew-footed him at a stoppage in play. Bardreau lit the lamp for Fairport, or should I say the goal judge with an itchy trigger finger lit the lamp. The goal was immediately overturned without having to take it to Toronto as the goal judge admitted to the refs that the puck never crossed the line. I am sure there are some omissions but I did my level best to capture the essence of that wild and crazy second period, where Thunder logged only 5 shots to Fairport's 6. Speaking of essence, the essence of Thunder was well represented at the second intermission Score-O, with the Pres' showing off her yellow top and Pants One ensemble, while Eric Grills was sporting the #1 pink "skating for the cure" sweater and some sort of dead animal on his head.
Thunder returned from the final break with a 49 second powerplay to start the third period after a scoreless second frame that kept it a 1-goal game. No can do for Thunder, so then Fairport took their turn on the powerplay and Greg Ryan had to "shoot the duck" at one point to get the puck out. The parade to the box continued and it was not long before Thunder found themselves defending yet another 2-man advantage for the Red Raiders. With Fairport on the attack, Vyper caught an edge and went down, but Gunderson had his back as he came across to force the attacker wide. Shortly thereafter Gundo's twig broke. Ever try killing a 5 on 3 with no stick? This was a defcon 4 situation, but Vyper and Gundo weathered the storm until they could get Gundo a new stick and eventually a 4th skater. After one of Thunder's short-handed clears, Bardreau came flying back on the attack and Go-Greggy Ryan turned on his own jets, catching Cole on the back-check to take away the shot. With a bumper crop of kills behind them, the gas light was on "E" for the Thunder D, but not for JT, as he lugged the mail down the left side and beat Carlston once again, this time to the right side, and it was 3-1 Thunder with only 7 minutes standing between them and their Holy Grail. Eric Gunderson recorded the lone assist. Ben McCubbin and Matt Keough took a few shifts to help out the cause making nice D-D passes to keep their team in control. Gunda make a couple of big hits at the clubhouse turn and into the home stretch. With less than 4 minutes to go the boys played it smart making the line and getting it deep. Fairport called a time out at the 2-minute warning as they were headed to the box. And while the last two minutes ticked off the clock, the fans took over with chants of UN-DE-FEA-TED, as the Greece Athena/Odyssey Thunder Hockey team won their 24th game of the season to claim the 2008-2009 Section V Class A Crown, their second title in Three years. Thunder... There is no other.
Hats off to the boys for all their hard work and a well-earned victory. Hats "on" to Bruce Rizzo, who believed in our team so much that he went out on a limb ordering SECTION V CLASS A CHAMPIONS 2008-2009 HOCKEY hats with the Thunder Logo on in advance so he would have them to wing out on the ice at the conclusion of the game. Yeah Rizzzzzzzzzzzooooooooo! Offensive player of the game went to Tim Modesti, who scored Fairport's only goal. Defensive player of the game was awarded to Eric Gunderson with 1-assist, and the MVP honors went to JT Stenglein with a pair of goals including the winner. Shots were 26-22 in Thunder's favor with Parker Bonis turning away 21 of 22 shots, netting his 16th win on the season. Well done!
Thunder advances to the NYS Regional Quarterfinal on Saturday, Mar 7, 4pm @ Tuttle North Ice Arena on the campus of SUNY Brockport, where they will face Ithaca from Section IV.
Section V Class A Semifinal: Greece Athena/Odyssey 2, Greece Arcadia/Olympia 0, (ESL)
Athena/Odyssey defeats Greece rival in Section V Semifinals
PHOTOS
D&C Staff Reports 2/24/09
BRIGHTON — As the unbeaten Greece Athena/Odyssey Thunder skated out for warmups before their sectional semifinals on Tuesday night, a student cheering section from cross-town rival Arcadia/Olympia tried to rattle the state's No. 1 ranked hockey team. Held high to taunt the Thunder was a sign that simply read 22-1. A wishful prediction by the Lightning followers.
Thunder defenseman Eric Gunderson saw it and had other thoughts. "I just wanted to make another sign that read 23-0," Gunderson said. Consider it made as the Thunder defeated the Lightning 2-0 at the ESL Sports Centre, thanks to Gunderson's two goals, Parker Bonis' 13 saves and a superior team effort. In winning, Athena/Odyssey moves into Sunday's 5:30 p.m. Section V Class A championship game against Fairport.
"Give credit where credit is due, they're a very good team," Arcadia/Olympia coach Chuck Dossier said. "They beat up some good teams this year." The Thunder didn't overwhelm the Lightning, but clutch goals by Gunderson provided the necessary comfort zone.
"A lot of people said we peaked early in the year but we've continued to play well," Gunderson said. "Today we just outplayed them." The Thunder outshot the Lightning 11-2 in the first period but didn't score until 13:43. Gunderson's shot from the top of the slot hit a player in front of the net but caromed right back to him in the left circle, and he fired in his own rebound. "I couldn't have done it without Greg Ryan's shoulder," Gunderson said of his teammate. "The shot bounced off him and right back onto my stick."
The goal was critical in terms of establishing superiority. "One of the things they (the Lightning) have been doing is jumping out and making the other teams chase them," Thunder coach Dan Webb said. "We wanted them to chase us." The chase became more desperate when Gunderson scored again at 10:40 of the second period on a power play.
This time the goal came on Brandon Cheeseman's rebound. After goalie Josh Opladen made two point-blank saves on Cheeseman, Gunderson calmly plucked the rebound out of the goal-mouth pile and swept it into the open side of the net. While Bonis wasn't tested more than three or four times in the Thunder net, Opladen was the reason the winning margin was just two goals. The freshman made several great saves. "I'm just so proud of these guys," said Dossier, whose team finished 13-9-2-1. "Everyone doubted us all year long."
Wes Vyverberg Reports
Game Report
Thunder is 22-1, pause, NOT, just ask Bob Newhart and he'll set the record straight. My name i' Borat, I like Thunder. I like a 23-0, it's niiiiiice! That's right, the Greece Athena/Odyssey Thunder Hockey Team remains unbeaten after turning out the lights on the Greece Arcadia/Olympia Lightning and blanking them 2-0 in their sectional semifinal at ESL Sports Centre Tuesday nite. Thunder felt right at Home, warming up in white to the sounds of Sharp Dressed Man, Mission Impossible, and Thunderstruck, as they welcomed junior forward Mike Miller back from an extended leave on the DL that was prompted by an undisclosed lower body injury early on in the season. As both teams took the ice after the post warm-up ice cut, Amanda Sherry, Odyssey graduate and sister of Thunder forward Andy Sherry, delivered her own cut, of the anthem that is. The hits keep on coming and they haven't even dropped the puck yet. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.
The first shift of the game was a little 'sloppy joe', resulting in an early wake-up call for the Thunder when they found themselves short-handed just one minute in at the first stoppage of play. Time to tighten up the screws. Thunder did just that as they killed off the first penalty of the game with authority, dictating the play and preventing Lightning from establishing any sort of measureable presence in their zone on the man advantage. As Thunder cleared the box, a 4-minute rally ensued, with heart-pounding, end-to-end action, before the next whistle would come along to give everyone a chance to catch their breath. The highlight of the rally was watching Eric Gunderson wait out the Lightning's attack on a late-developing 2-on-1, then dropping to his chest at the very last moment and swatting the Lightning puck carrier's pass attempt away with his 12-foot or better reach.
Dan Vyverberg took charge in the pocket for a spell to keep Thunder on the attack, snapping off a series of crisp passes to the forwards regrouping in the neutral zone. Then Gunda did it again, breaking up yet another 2 on 1 rush with that amazing reach while "lying down on the job". And just in case that was not enough to get the boys fired up, Gundi came right back and put away a rebound that kicked out to him after he cranked a shot off the shoulder of teammate and fellow captain, Greg Ryan. It was a greatly anticipated one-hole-goal that would ultimately stand up as the winner in the end. But the Lightning would not quit as they were back in black and on the attack with under a minute to go in the period. Enter JT Stenglein with a solid back checking effort to catch David Powlowski, lifting his stick before he could get a shot off and sending play back the other way. Riley Bourbonnais was on the scene digging for one last shot at the buzzer and he had the corner picked, but Opladen was equal to the task. And so, Thunder would go to the first intermission with an 11-2 shot margin, enjoying a 1-0 lead.
A few minutes back from the first break, the Thunder powerplay was back in action, but they overstayed their welcome and Bonis was forced to save their bacon with 3 consecutive point-blank saves on Wood, a good while after we were back at even strength. Thunder promptly segued from PP to PK as JT went to the box for an alleged Louganis at the next stop. Out came Vyper to challenge the shooter, making his first save of the game on the PK and then half-way through the kill, JT had company, as Hebs got called for a high-stick. Gundo and Pat joined Vyper for the 45 second 5-on-3 kill before JT's sentence was up and then away went J with a short-handed bid that would also be denied by Opladen. Two minutes later Thunder was assessed a too-many-men penalty and Mike Briganti got the nod to serve. Steve Hebberecht made a nice clear off the glass to bolster this kill and then Lightning made it 4 on 4 as they touched up a delayed penalty of their own with an angry slapshot that banked off the boards into the vacant Thunder net (that's all you're gonna get). With Briganti clearing the box, Thunder was man up, and Mike saw a bit of action on his way back to the bench. Then in the waning moments of Thunder's abbreviated powerplay Eric Gunderson would cash #2, pulling the puck out of the pile and raking it into the gaping right side of the goal after Brandon Cheeseman took a couple of whacks of his own at close range. Was that a flip pass over the back of the net, by Go-Greggy? Way to mix it up! Two down, one to go.
The third period was fairly nondescript, although a few nice plays stood out, like Scotty's block at the beginning which led to a transition the other way. Or Riley's blue-collar efforts to pressure the puck and keep us in the O-Zone. Or Vyper's big block on Powlowski. Or the 2 on 1 break for Pat and Greg that missed to the right, a bit of a Norwood. Dan Miller was on the job in the stands, quickly quashing any inappropriate mention of another SO. Although, the most stressful part of the third and final frame was after Gunda was summoned to serve for falling on the puck. With only a two goal lead this was certainly no slam dunk as the Lightning pulled their goalie to get the 6 on 4 advantage for the final 49 seconds. In the end, Vypes, Hebs, JT, and Greg stood tall in front of Parker as they all worked together to fend off the Lightning's final act of desperation.
The Johnson & Johnson first star of the game goes to the one with the reach, Eric Gunderson, for a pair of goals and a pair of 2 on 1 breakups; second star goes to Dan Vyverberg with 2 Harry's and a solid all-around effort on the backend; third star goes to Josh Opladen with 18 saves for the Lightning, as it could have very easily been a 5-0 game without Josh in net. Shots were 20-13 in Thunder's favor with Bonis netting his 5th shut-out and 15th win on the season. With a third victory over the Lightning behind them, Thunder advances to the Section V Class A title game on Sunday.
The Greece Athena/Odyssey Thunder Hockey Team will return to ESL for their pound of flesh against Fairport in the Section V Class A Final, 5:30pm on Sunday, March 1st @ ESL Sports Centre. Be there or be somewhere else missing out on all the pom poms and circumstance!
PHOTOS
D&C Staff Reports 2/24/09
BRIGHTON — As the unbeaten Greece Athena/Odyssey Thunder skated out for warmups before their sectional semifinals on Tuesday night, a student cheering section from cross-town rival Arcadia/Olympia tried to rattle the state's No. 1 ranked hockey team. Held high to taunt the Thunder was a sign that simply read 22-1. A wishful prediction by the Lightning followers.
Thunder defenseman Eric Gunderson saw it and had other thoughts. "I just wanted to make another sign that read 23-0," Gunderson said. Consider it made as the Thunder defeated the Lightning 2-0 at the ESL Sports Centre, thanks to Gunderson's two goals, Parker Bonis' 13 saves and a superior team effort. In winning, Athena/Odyssey moves into Sunday's 5:30 p.m. Section V Class A championship game against Fairport.
"Give credit where credit is due, they're a very good team," Arcadia/Olympia coach Chuck Dossier said. "They beat up some good teams this year." The Thunder didn't overwhelm the Lightning, but clutch goals by Gunderson provided the necessary comfort zone.
"A lot of people said we peaked early in the year but we've continued to play well," Gunderson said. "Today we just outplayed them." The Thunder outshot the Lightning 11-2 in the first period but didn't score until 13:43. Gunderson's shot from the top of the slot hit a player in front of the net but caromed right back to him in the left circle, and he fired in his own rebound. "I couldn't have done it without Greg Ryan's shoulder," Gunderson said of his teammate. "The shot bounced off him and right back onto my stick."
The goal was critical in terms of establishing superiority. "One of the things they (the Lightning) have been doing is jumping out and making the other teams chase them," Thunder coach Dan Webb said. "We wanted them to chase us." The chase became more desperate when Gunderson scored again at 10:40 of the second period on a power play.
This time the goal came on Brandon Cheeseman's rebound. After goalie Josh Opladen made two point-blank saves on Cheeseman, Gunderson calmly plucked the rebound out of the goal-mouth pile and swept it into the open side of the net. While Bonis wasn't tested more than three or four times in the Thunder net, Opladen was the reason the winning margin was just two goals. The freshman made several great saves. "I'm just so proud of these guys," said Dossier, whose team finished 13-9-2-1. "Everyone doubted us all year long."
Wes Vyverberg Reports
Game Report
Thunder is 22-1, pause, NOT, just ask Bob Newhart and he'll set the record straight. My name i' Borat, I like Thunder. I like a 23-0, it's niiiiiice! That's right, the Greece Athena/Odyssey Thunder Hockey Team remains unbeaten after turning out the lights on the Greece Arcadia/Olympia Lightning and blanking them 2-0 in their sectional semifinal at ESL Sports Centre Tuesday nite. Thunder felt right at Home, warming up in white to the sounds of Sharp Dressed Man, Mission Impossible, and Thunderstruck, as they welcomed junior forward Mike Miller back from an extended leave on the DL that was prompted by an undisclosed lower body injury early on in the season. As both teams took the ice after the post warm-up ice cut, Amanda Sherry, Odyssey graduate and sister of Thunder forward Andy Sherry, delivered her own cut, of the anthem that is. The hits keep on coming and they haven't even dropped the puck yet. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.
The first shift of the game was a little 'sloppy joe', resulting in an early wake-up call for the Thunder when they found themselves short-handed just one minute in at the first stoppage of play. Time to tighten up the screws. Thunder did just that as they killed off the first penalty of the game with authority, dictating the play and preventing Lightning from establishing any sort of measureable presence in their zone on the man advantage. As Thunder cleared the box, a 4-minute rally ensued, with heart-pounding, end-to-end action, before the next whistle would come along to give everyone a chance to catch their breath. The highlight of the rally was watching Eric Gunderson wait out the Lightning's attack on a late-developing 2-on-1, then dropping to his chest at the very last moment and swatting the Lightning puck carrier's pass attempt away with his 12-foot or better reach.
Dan Vyverberg took charge in the pocket for a spell to keep Thunder on the attack, snapping off a series of crisp passes to the forwards regrouping in the neutral zone. Then Gunda did it again, breaking up yet another 2 on 1 rush with that amazing reach while "lying down on the job". And just in case that was not enough to get the boys fired up, Gundi came right back and put away a rebound that kicked out to him after he cranked a shot off the shoulder of teammate and fellow captain, Greg Ryan. It was a greatly anticipated one-hole-goal that would ultimately stand up as the winner in the end. But the Lightning would not quit as they were back in black and on the attack with under a minute to go in the period. Enter JT Stenglein with a solid back checking effort to catch David Powlowski, lifting his stick before he could get a shot off and sending play back the other way. Riley Bourbonnais was on the scene digging for one last shot at the buzzer and he had the corner picked, but Opladen was equal to the task. And so, Thunder would go to the first intermission with an 11-2 shot margin, enjoying a 1-0 lead.
A few minutes back from the first break, the Thunder powerplay was back in action, but they overstayed their welcome and Bonis was forced to save their bacon with 3 consecutive point-blank saves on Wood, a good while after we were back at even strength. Thunder promptly segued from PP to PK as JT went to the box for an alleged Louganis at the next stop. Out came Vyper to challenge the shooter, making his first save of the game on the PK and then half-way through the kill, JT had company, as Hebs got called for a high-stick. Gundo and Pat joined Vyper for the 45 second 5-on-3 kill before JT's sentence was up and then away went J with a short-handed bid that would also be denied by Opladen. Two minutes later Thunder was assessed a too-many-men penalty and Mike Briganti got the nod to serve. Steve Hebberecht made a nice clear off the glass to bolster this kill and then Lightning made it 4 on 4 as they touched up a delayed penalty of their own with an angry slapshot that banked off the boards into the vacant Thunder net (that's all you're gonna get). With Briganti clearing the box, Thunder was man up, and Mike saw a bit of action on his way back to the bench. Then in the waning moments of Thunder's abbreviated powerplay Eric Gunderson would cash #2, pulling the puck out of the pile and raking it into the gaping right side of the goal after Brandon Cheeseman took a couple of whacks of his own at close range. Was that a flip pass over the back of the net, by Go-Greggy? Way to mix it up! Two down, one to go.
The third period was fairly nondescript, although a few nice plays stood out, like Scotty's block at the beginning which led to a transition the other way. Or Riley's blue-collar efforts to pressure the puck and keep us in the O-Zone. Or Vyper's big block on Powlowski. Or the 2 on 1 break for Pat and Greg that missed to the right, a bit of a Norwood. Dan Miller was on the job in the stands, quickly quashing any inappropriate mention of another SO. Although, the most stressful part of the third and final frame was after Gunda was summoned to serve for falling on the puck. With only a two goal lead this was certainly no slam dunk as the Lightning pulled their goalie to get the 6 on 4 advantage for the final 49 seconds. In the end, Vypes, Hebs, JT, and Greg stood tall in front of Parker as they all worked together to fend off the Lightning's final act of desperation.
The Johnson & Johnson first star of the game goes to the one with the reach, Eric Gunderson, for a pair of goals and a pair of 2 on 1 breakups; second star goes to Dan Vyverberg with 2 Harry's and a solid all-around effort on the backend; third star goes to Josh Opladen with 18 saves for the Lightning, as it could have very easily been a 5-0 game without Josh in net. Shots were 20-13 in Thunder's favor with Bonis netting his 5th shut-out and 15th win on the season. With a third victory over the Lightning behind them, Thunder advances to the Section V Class A title game on Sunday.
The Greece Athena/Odyssey Thunder Hockey Team will return to ESL for their pound of flesh against Fairport in the Section V Class A Final, 5:30pm on Sunday, March 1st @ ESL Sports Centre. Be there or be somewhere else missing out on all the pom poms and circumstance!
Section V Class A Quarterfinal: Greece Athena/Odyssey 6, Aquinas 0, (Lakeshore Hockey Arena)
Section V Quarterfinals Thunder 6, Aquinas 0
PHOTOS
D&C Staff Reports 2/21/09
If it looked like the Greece Athena/Odyssey hockey team was playing with an extra bounce in its step, that's because the 30 boys welcomed a familiar sight back to their bench during Saturday's Class A quarterfinal matchup with rival Aquinas. Dan Webb, the embattled ninth-year Thunder leader who resigned as coach of the state's top-ranked Division I team Feb. 6, returned to the bench at Lakeshore Ice Arena after serving his school board-mandated two-game suspension. The top-seeded Thunder (22-0), inspired by their coach's presence, responded with a 6-0 shutout of the Little Irish before more than 900 people inside a jam-packed Lakeshore. Sophomore forward Riley Bourbonnais, who has a penchant for scoring big goals in sectionals, found the back of the net three times, upping his season total to 21.
"It was awesome having them back, Coach Webb has done nothing but help me with everything and he's a great coach. No one can replace him," said Bourbonnais, who wore his emotions on top of his black Thunder helmet, which read "I miss Webb, W (for assistant coach Rob Weilert) and G (for assistant coach Erik Geller) who all returned to the bench Saturday. "It felt amazing and so right having them back. I was crushed by (coach) Webb not being there, so when I saw him out there I was happy and wanted to work hard for him and bring him back a state title."
No. 8 Aquinas (11-12-2-1) had several good scoring chances early on, but couldn't convert, thanks to an aggressive, hard-hitting Thunder defense. Matt Lane's goal with 2:53 remaining in the first gave Athena/Odyssey a 1-0 lead. Following a Thunder penalty, Athena/Odyssey defenseman Eric Gunderson caused a turnover and delivered a perfect pass to Bourbonnais inside Aquinas' blue line. Bourbonnais' fake forced Aquinas goalie Peter Dohr to make a play on the puck low, leaving the entire far side of the net open. Bourbonnais converted an acrobatic back-hander for a short-handed goal and a 2-0 lead 1:26 into the second.
"Riley's an amazing athlete and he always comes through at clutch times when we really need some offense," Webb said of Bourbonnais, who now has six goals in his last four sectional games. "He's one of our guys that seems to always produce those big-time, big goals. He's a play-maker all the time." With Bonis (18 saves) stifling every Aquinas opportunity, two goals was more than enough to lift the Thunder into Tuesday's semifinals against Greece Arcadia/Olympia (13-8-2-1).
Greece sophomore J.T. Stenglein was a little worried about facing tough, physical Aquinas for a third time, after the Thunder escaped with a pair of one-goal wins in the regular season. "If there was one team we didn't want to play, it was definitely Aquinas," said Stenglein, who made the score 4-0 on a power-play goal 9:22 into the second. "They were probably the best team we played all year, they always gave us hard games and we were nervous with the draw, but we came out on top. We have a deep team that can make a run" at sectionals and states.
After the loss, all Aquinas coach Steve Chinappi could do was praise the Thunder's all-around balanced play. "That's the best team I've seen," said Chinappi, who pointed to his team's lack of power play goals and poor special teams play with creating the deficit. "Today Greece was on top of its game and didn't make one mistake. Even when they were short-handed, their penalty killers didn't make mistakes and Bonis made every save he could to keep that lead."
WES VYVERBERG REPORTS:
As expected, the ticket line was out the door for the Section V Class A Sectional Quarterfinal contest between your very own undefeated Greece Athena/Odyssey Thunder and the Aquinas Little Irish. With the guys who got them there back behind the bench, the rolling Thunder came on like a hurricane, pouring rain on AQ's parade with a six nothing spanking Saturday afternoon at Lakeshore to advance themselves to the next round and keep the dream alive.
With the notion of one and out in the back of everyone's mind going in, you could cut the tension with a spork. But with the little lady at the mic, putting her big, bold, and beautiful signature on the anthem, it was a 'Bonis' that would take the edge off for the Thunder. AQ on the other hand was panicking from the get go as they threw the puck away on numerous occasions. When they did try to penetrate, Brandon Cheeseman and Scotty Tam-Grimshaw were in their face with several key blocks to keep AQ at bay in the early going. Thunder was steadfast with their forecheck and it was only a matter of time before the Dohr would swing wide open. Matt Lane was first through the Dohr with just under 3 minutes to go in the opening period, as he walked out of the corner, pulled the trigger, and watched his attempt work its way in over the AQ goaltender's shoulder. Steven Hebberecht recorded the lone assist on Thunder's first goal and eventual winner.
Second period action saw thunder on the short end of a 5 on 3 situation, but as Bourbonnais cleared the box, Gunderson sailed a pass to him alone at the AQ line, and Riley went in 1 on 0 for the shawty to make it 2-0 Thunder. Five minutes later with their own man advantage, Thunder was working it around the horn, lulling AQ to sleep when Rilez suddenly took an unexpected shot (or was it a pass) from the top of the key, that slid into the 4-hole on the ice for an unassuming PPG, assisted by Greg Ryan and JT Stenglein. A while later Scotty made a nice diving play to clear the zone before JT went on a walkabout with a shorthanded bid of his own. Taken down at the last second before getting the shot off, JT was expecting a penalty shot, but we had to settle for a trip instead. No worries, as Thunder would rally on the powerplay after another extended presence in AQ's end. Just plain strong on the puck, Stenglein ended up firing the laser that hit its mark, top-right, as he was falling to the ice. That makes 4 goals for the good guys and 0 for the guys who reportedly claim that our guys will some day be changing their oil. Stick around. More fun to come after the break.
Four minutes into the third and final frame, Dan Vyverberg took one for the team, getting a sizeable chunk of AQ's captain (Starnino), while making the outlet to setup Thunder's fifth goal, Cheeseman from Stenglein and Vyverberg. A minute later Ben McCubbin gathered the puck and started the breakout from behind the Thunder goal, hitting Pat Sofia on the tape on the half-wall. Sofia bumped it out to Ryan who then found Bourbonnais streaking through neutral and Riley walked in on Dohr, beating him 5-hole with the backhander for the Hat. The balance of the third was spent trying to get Grillsy a goal, and while Jordan managed to hit the scoresheet, it was unfortunately as they announced his name on the way to the box. Tomorrow's another day. With less than 2 minutes to go in the game, Vyverberg took another one for the team, coming out to challenge the shooter and blocking a shot in the high slot with his chest to preserve the SO. Notice I didn't say it? Well, Dan Miller did and thus he had to hold his breath for the final 1:55 for fear that he may have jinxed us. Miller wiped the sweat from his brow as the fourth line shut things down and the building erupted. Way to go Thunder!
First star of the game goes to Riley Bourbonnais with the Hat; second star goes to JT Stenglein with a goal and 2 assists; and third star goes to Matt Lane for leading the way with the winner and a no-quit forecheck all day. Shots were 28-18 in Thunder's favor with Parker Bonis gloving everything that came his way as he pitched his 4th shut-out and recorded his 14th win on the season. With a third victory over Aquinas in the books, Thunder advances to the semifinal round still perfect at 22-0.
No rest for the weary as we prepare for the 'Battle of Greece' to be waged in Henrietta when the Greece Athena/Odyssey Thunder Hockey Team faces storm rival Greece Arcadia/Olympia Lightning in the Section V Class A Semifinals, 6pm on Tuesday, February 24th @ ESL Sports Centre. Be there or be somewhere else missing out on history in the making!
PHOTOS
D&C Staff Reports 2/21/09
If it looked like the Greece Athena/Odyssey hockey team was playing with an extra bounce in its step, that's because the 30 boys welcomed a familiar sight back to their bench during Saturday's Class A quarterfinal matchup with rival Aquinas. Dan Webb, the embattled ninth-year Thunder leader who resigned as coach of the state's top-ranked Division I team Feb. 6, returned to the bench at Lakeshore Ice Arena after serving his school board-mandated two-game suspension. The top-seeded Thunder (22-0), inspired by their coach's presence, responded with a 6-0 shutout of the Little Irish before more than 900 people inside a jam-packed Lakeshore. Sophomore forward Riley Bourbonnais, who has a penchant for scoring big goals in sectionals, found the back of the net three times, upping his season total to 21.
"It was awesome having them back, Coach Webb has done nothing but help me with everything and he's a great coach. No one can replace him," said Bourbonnais, who wore his emotions on top of his black Thunder helmet, which read "I miss Webb, W (for assistant coach Rob Weilert) and G (for assistant coach Erik Geller) who all returned to the bench Saturday. "It felt amazing and so right having them back. I was crushed by (coach) Webb not being there, so when I saw him out there I was happy and wanted to work hard for him and bring him back a state title."
No. 8 Aquinas (11-12-2-1) had several good scoring chances early on, but couldn't convert, thanks to an aggressive, hard-hitting Thunder defense. Matt Lane's goal with 2:53 remaining in the first gave Athena/Odyssey a 1-0 lead. Following a Thunder penalty, Athena/Odyssey defenseman Eric Gunderson caused a turnover and delivered a perfect pass to Bourbonnais inside Aquinas' blue line. Bourbonnais' fake forced Aquinas goalie Peter Dohr to make a play on the puck low, leaving the entire far side of the net open. Bourbonnais converted an acrobatic back-hander for a short-handed goal and a 2-0 lead 1:26 into the second.
"Riley's an amazing athlete and he always comes through at clutch times when we really need some offense," Webb said of Bourbonnais, who now has six goals in his last four sectional games. "He's one of our guys that seems to always produce those big-time, big goals. He's a play-maker all the time." With Bonis (18 saves) stifling every Aquinas opportunity, two goals was more than enough to lift the Thunder into Tuesday's semifinals against Greece Arcadia/Olympia (13-8-2-1).
Greece sophomore J.T. Stenglein was a little worried about facing tough, physical Aquinas for a third time, after the Thunder escaped with a pair of one-goal wins in the regular season. "If there was one team we didn't want to play, it was definitely Aquinas," said Stenglein, who made the score 4-0 on a power-play goal 9:22 into the second. "They were probably the best team we played all year, they always gave us hard games and we were nervous with the draw, but we came out on top. We have a deep team that can make a run" at sectionals and states.
After the loss, all Aquinas coach Steve Chinappi could do was praise the Thunder's all-around balanced play. "That's the best team I've seen," said Chinappi, who pointed to his team's lack of power play goals and poor special teams play with creating the deficit. "Today Greece was on top of its game and didn't make one mistake. Even when they were short-handed, their penalty killers didn't make mistakes and Bonis made every save he could to keep that lead."
WES VYVERBERG REPORTS:
As expected, the ticket line was out the door for the Section V Class A Sectional Quarterfinal contest between your very own undefeated Greece Athena/Odyssey Thunder and the Aquinas Little Irish. With the guys who got them there back behind the bench, the rolling Thunder came on like a hurricane, pouring rain on AQ's parade with a six nothing spanking Saturday afternoon at Lakeshore to advance themselves to the next round and keep the dream alive.
With the notion of one and out in the back of everyone's mind going in, you could cut the tension with a spork. But with the little lady at the mic, putting her big, bold, and beautiful signature on the anthem, it was a 'Bonis' that would take the edge off for the Thunder. AQ on the other hand was panicking from the get go as they threw the puck away on numerous occasions. When they did try to penetrate, Brandon Cheeseman and Scotty Tam-Grimshaw were in their face with several key blocks to keep AQ at bay in the early going. Thunder was steadfast with their forecheck and it was only a matter of time before the Dohr would swing wide open. Matt Lane was first through the Dohr with just under 3 minutes to go in the opening period, as he walked out of the corner, pulled the trigger, and watched his attempt work its way in over the AQ goaltender's shoulder. Steven Hebberecht recorded the lone assist on Thunder's first goal and eventual winner.
Second period action saw thunder on the short end of a 5 on 3 situation, but as Bourbonnais cleared the box, Gunderson sailed a pass to him alone at the AQ line, and Riley went in 1 on 0 for the shawty to make it 2-0 Thunder. Five minutes later with their own man advantage, Thunder was working it around the horn, lulling AQ to sleep when Rilez suddenly took an unexpected shot (or was it a pass) from the top of the key, that slid into the 4-hole on the ice for an unassuming PPG, assisted by Greg Ryan and JT Stenglein. A while later Scotty made a nice diving play to clear the zone before JT went on a walkabout with a shorthanded bid of his own. Taken down at the last second before getting the shot off, JT was expecting a penalty shot, but we had to settle for a trip instead. No worries, as Thunder would rally on the powerplay after another extended presence in AQ's end. Just plain strong on the puck, Stenglein ended up firing the laser that hit its mark, top-right, as he was falling to the ice. That makes 4 goals for the good guys and 0 for the guys who reportedly claim that our guys will some day be changing their oil. Stick around. More fun to come after the break.
Four minutes into the third and final frame, Dan Vyverberg took one for the team, getting a sizeable chunk of AQ's captain (Starnino), while making the outlet to setup Thunder's fifth goal, Cheeseman from Stenglein and Vyverberg. A minute later Ben McCubbin gathered the puck and started the breakout from behind the Thunder goal, hitting Pat Sofia on the tape on the half-wall. Sofia bumped it out to Ryan who then found Bourbonnais streaking through neutral and Riley walked in on Dohr, beating him 5-hole with the backhander for the Hat. The balance of the third was spent trying to get Grillsy a goal, and while Jordan managed to hit the scoresheet, it was unfortunately as they announced his name on the way to the box. Tomorrow's another day. With less than 2 minutes to go in the game, Vyverberg took another one for the team, coming out to challenge the shooter and blocking a shot in the high slot with his chest to preserve the SO. Notice I didn't say it? Well, Dan Miller did and thus he had to hold his breath for the final 1:55 for fear that he may have jinxed us. Miller wiped the sweat from his brow as the fourth line shut things down and the building erupted. Way to go Thunder!
First star of the game goes to Riley Bourbonnais with the Hat; second star goes to JT Stenglein with a goal and 2 assists; and third star goes to Matt Lane for leading the way with the winner and a no-quit forecheck all day. Shots were 28-18 in Thunder's favor with Parker Bonis gloving everything that came his way as he pitched his 4th shut-out and recorded his 14th win on the season. With a third victory over Aquinas in the books, Thunder advances to the semifinal round still perfect at 22-0.
No rest for the weary as we prepare for the 'Battle of Greece' to be waged in Henrietta when the Greece Athena/Odyssey Thunder Hockey Team faces storm rival Greece Arcadia/Olympia Lightning in the Section V Class A Semifinals, 6pm on Tuesday, February 24th @ ESL Sports Centre. Be there or be somewhere else missing out on history in the making!
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