The skates are up for a couple of days, nothing to watch until Saturday, and the snow is providing a clean slate for a new year.
Yesterday
Suffern 5, Northern Highlands (N.J.) 0
Burke Catholic 4, Lakeland/Panas 3
I’m sure Lakeland/Panas would’ve liked to leave Sport-O-Rama with one victory. Now the Rebels have to get healthy and wait until the playoffs to make a bigger impression. The remaining schedule includes Byram Hills, Yorktown (2x), Kennedy/Putnam Valley (2x), Mahopac, Carmel, Ossining, Brewster, Pawling and Somers/North Salem.
There’s been a lot of criticism on the blogs about Lakeland/Panas being unproven, which raises a question. How difficult is it to gain acceptance? Think about it. Economics have forced Section 1 to cut back, so each team is playing 20 games. The elite squads all get invited to play upstate, and they go because it provides them an opportunity to improve against strong competition. They also play the best local teams, often twice, for the same reasons.
How many open dates are left after league obligations are met?
Only a precious few. I don’t know whether the Rebels asked Suffern or Pelham or White Plains or Rye or Mamaroneck for a date, perhaps that’s a good topic for a story down the road, but I’m sensing it’s no easy feat moving up from the kids’ table.
Thoughts?
20 Comments
It is really a simple formula. Join the New York State HS Hockey Coaches Association. Go to the State Final Four in Utica. Introduce yourself around,mingle with the upstate coaches,schedule some games. That’s how it’s done.
Suffern started it many years ago followed closely by Rye and I’m talking about the late 70’s early 80’s. As those 2 teams got better and better some other section teams followed the formula Mamaroneck, Pelham,Clarkstown North. Mahopac,New Rochelle,ETB, North Rockland and some other teams are venturing out of our safe little section.
Don’t be affraid to lose. Don’t be affraid to get buried. Learn what it takes to get better and your players will follow.
Historically Suffern and Rye took their lumps early on but gained respect and soon success followed not only against upstate teams but also against prep schools,New Jersey and Connecticut powers and even some great teams in Norway.
It takes work, courage and a lot of ambition but it will make many kids in your school district want to play for your school.
Happy New Year to all of you involved in the great sport of HOCKEY.
The JN’s Rick Carpinellio did a great article on the memorable athletes and games of the decade. Very disappointing to see that hockey good very little mention. Hagan was mentioned – but it was more for baseball. How about John Foster D1 2x national champ, The Daniels, who got drafted in 3rd and 7th round, and Joe Hutchko who still holds the state scoring record for Dmen with 84 pts and was named 1st team all state when only 2 defensmen use to get that honor(now the break the teams up by division).
Lets not forget no hokey games mentioned in the games of the decade – not 1 was mentioned in his article!
Mamo beating suffern in the final seconds to win the section and end the undefeated and Number 1 ranked mounties undefeated season
The great CN suffern finals – especailly in 2006 when suffern won in 2 0T – all controversy about having to play at Sport O only added to the disdain CN had for Suffern.
But the all time best game I ever saw and witnessed at any level was in 2001 when CN and Mamo clashed in the final:
In front of a standing room only crowd at Sport O Rama Clarkstwon North defeated Mamorneck in triple overtime to win its first ever Section 1 championship. North was down by 1 late in the third when Joe Hutchko tied it up. In the firts OT Joe Herman won the game on a breakaway but the ref was out of position and called the goal back (CN was already on the ice celebrating and it took a good 5-10 min to get everyone back to their respective benches). The game continued for another two overtimes until Alex Schenker (most unlikely of heroes on a team full of superstar talent) put a chip shot in for the win. Rick I believe you were at that game and would have to agree that it was an absolute classic.
That win propelled CN all the way to the state title game
I just found this link…its a choate vs. canterbury game….I don’t know what #’s anyone is but Lawrencville prep did an amazing job with this video, and its free. I know that Alex Hagen is supposed to be on Choates line, and pearl rivers Surace is on Canterbury. There are also a few players on the ice hear who have already been offered D. 1 scholorships…I think #15 on Choate is one of the them.
http://www.totalwebcasting.com/view/?id=tls
Freshman SHI goalie Matt English’s brother Jack is also a foward on canterbury
Wow, hard to believe they didn’t include the fact that two teams went to the state finals last year. What a shame. Why do you think hockey was ignored?
For the first time ever Section 1 had two teams go to the state finals and no mention of it in the paper as a top story. Its ussually tilted toward football and basketball which is a shame
Perhaps Mike can give us some insight on this? How could the hockey accomplishments be left out of this article?
Rick Carpinellio is a huge hockey fan from all his years being the JN beat writer with the Rangers. This had to be an editorial decision.
I was present at only one of the “greatest games” selected. That is the Nyack vs Cornwall football regional championsip game. That was a good game but the previous poster is very correct, it was nowhere near as dramatic or as entertaining as the Mamo, Suffern, CN hockey contests of this decade.
(Actually the Nyack vs Ossining section 1 football championship, played just one week earlier than the Cornwall game, was a much better and more dramatic football contest. This game featured a Nyack running back literally dragging 3 Ossining players for 5 yards into the endzone for the winning TD and the nezt series featured a goal line stand by Nyack to win the game. ......I know This arguement is for another blog and I may venture over to the Varsity Central blog or Carpinellio’s blog to argue football and hockey points.)
for all of you rockland hockey fans here is a nice article on the suffern / Highlands game . this is from a web site for rockland sports.
http://rocklandsportsnews.com/default.aspx
forgot the link sorry
The craziest games were almost identical. They were both played at SOR, and they both featured Suffern vs. Mamaroneck. Both games were for championsips, one the section championship, the other the league championship. Both games were heading for OT, and both games were won with less than 20 seconds in the game. Both games were won by Mamaroneck. Last years league championship was huge because the #1 seed had an easy road to the finals. #2 had to face either white plains or CN. Suffern just needed a tie to get the 1 seeding. Mamk pulled the rug out from under them twice in two seasons. But breaking Sufferns undefeated season and their legit shot at a state title was the most agonizing loss in section 1 history.
Mamaroneck spoiling sufferns undefeated season (and legit shot at a state championship) In the section 1 championship game was the craziest game of the decade. Goal with 16 seconds left to break the tie.
The two teams were mentioned in the athletes and teams made 2009 memorable segment, unfortunately none made it to the games of the decade, as hockey takes a back seat to almost all sports in section 1:
Athletes, teams made 2009 memorable
Tappan Zee’s Jillian Hudson won two titles at the state gymnastics championships, in the vault and the all-around.
For the first time ever, Section 1 sent two hockey teams to the state final and — on the weekend where the section’s only state champ ever, Suffern in 1992, was inducted into the state Hall of Fame — Pelham (D2) and Mamaroneck (D1) both came up short. Sean Hagan of Mamaroneck was the state player of the year.
Not as dramatic as the others but Mahopac beating an overwhelming favorite Clarkstown North at Sporto in double OT (section semis) in 2005 was as classic a game as ever. Also, Mahopac beating Mamroneck AT Hommocks 1-0 in 2002 in the quarters was as good a game as there ever was. Chappy still fuming over that one!!! (of course, he has a few rings since then!)
I’ll bet the hockey games were WAY more intense than any other games mentioned. IMHO of course.
Any coach who doesn’t make it mandatory that all players wear a neck guard during all games AND practices is a total shmuck. I know some travel coaches who tell kids that they don’t have to. I implore all parents to make their kids wear neckguards even if their coaches don’t. It could save their lives.
Everyone is an expert on Suffern Hockey…” I guarantee their lines will dwindle to two”...Schelling will do this and Schelling will keep mom and dad happy” Obviously outsiders who know only what they read on blogs. Schelling will be little swayed by what mom and dad say or want. The talk about Suff taking talent from other schools…their goalie Stark is a SOPHOMORE transfer..an unestablished goalie!!! He didn’t start at St.Joe’s. Bloggers would have you believe they stole a star from another program. He may turn into a star but to make it sound as if Suff is raiding other schools is ludicrous. I believe he did play for the Ramapo Saints…that would make him a local kid..it’s a non story to most..not for those jealous of Suff success
Ok viola rd. The whole suffern goalie thing seemed like a dead issue as far as bloggers go. I was wondering if stark and team wanted u to open up that debate once again? As far as I know people were wondering where the kid lived last year. And where the other kid defenseman lives right now.i don’t know where. But the bottom line is, as long as sufferns administration is fine with it, as well as the residents and parents and players, then it is a non issue.
Instead of rye not playing for 2+weeks after mamo would have loved to see them play LP(or anyone else).
Nothing beat the Clarkstown North-Suffern rivalry this past decade. Those games, especially the 2006 and 2007 Section champsionship games, were some of the best hockey games, and atmosphere (with a packed Sport-O) you’ll ever see down here in Section 1.
Can of worms
Yes, I can confirm that the Suff Team and goalie reached out to me and asked me to post that on the blog…huh????
It doesn’t appear to be a dead issue with some, only to those that are just interested in the hockey aspect of the game.