LoHud Hockey Blog

Here are the other award winners picked by the Section 1 coaches last night. For those asking how the All-League process works … a league title comes with five all-league slots, second place gets you gets you three picks, and so on down the line. You have to be All-League to be considered for All-Section. The actual selections are up to individual coaches, and they do have differing philosophies. Most look to honor the upperclassmen first. A few spotlight the kids based solely on skill, and some go off the stats.

The all-league picks are up on Section1Hockey.com, click here to visit.

I’m going to start a new tradition when I name the Section 1 program of the year. My pick will go up on the blog tomorrow.

Player of the year awards
Division 1: John Redgate, Suffern
Division 2: Colin Reilly, Pelham
Conference 1A: Randy Ashe, Yorktown
Conference 1B: Joe Wegwerth, Brewster
Conference 2: Colin Reilly, Pelham
Conference 3: Jamie Ketchabaw, Ryetown/Harrison
Conference 4: John Redgate, Suffern

Doc Rasbeck Scholarship Award
Conference 1A: Jake Proscia, Yorktown
Conference 1B: Matthew Solnick, Hendrick Hudson
Conference 2: Ian Palfrey, ETB
Conference 3: Eric Appel, Byram Hills
Conference 4: Mike McGivney, Nyack/Tappan Zee

Russ Simon Sportsmanship Award
Conference 1A: Mike Sclafani, Mahopac
Conference 1B: Kevin Nash, Pawling
Conference 2: Matt Landis, Pelham
Conference 3: Adrian Crasto, Fox Lane
Conference 3: Ryan Rogers, Rye
Conference 4: Lowell Hunt, Pearl River
Conference 4: Ian Mueller, North Rockland

Howie Kosel Team Sportsmanship Award
Conference 1A: Somers/North Salem Sabers
Conference 1B: Hendrick Hudson Sailors
Conference 2: Mamaroneck Tigers
Conference 3: Byram Hills Bobcats
Conference 4: North Rockland Red Raiders

Coach of the Year
Division 1: Steve Forzaglia, Ryetown/Harrison
Division 2: Jim Mancuso, Scarsdale
Conference 1A: Bob Fritsche, Yorktown
Conference 1B: Alex Smith, John Jay Cross River
Conference 2: Jim Mancuso, Scarsdale
Conference 3: Steve Forzaglia, Ryetown/Harrison
Conference 4: Tony Capone, Pearl River

Here’s the list of 17 players who made All-Section this season. They were chosen by a room filled with excitable hockey coaches in a spirited process. Again, don’t slam any of the chosen few. They are all deserving choices. It’s fine dropping the names of those you feel were overlooked.

Forwards
Ian Adler (Suffern) Sr.
Frazier Bostwick (John Jay) Jr.
Ian Palfrey (ETB) Sr.
John Redgate (Suffern) Sr.
Colin Reilly (Pelham) Sr.
Ryan Rogers (Rye) Sr.
Willie Sanchez (Suffern) Sr.
Paul Variano (White Plains) Sr.
Joe Wegwerth (Brewster) So.

Defensemen
Chris Alexander (Pearl River) Sr.
Matt Landis (Pelham) Sr.
Steve Scholer (Suffern) Sr.
Graham Lambdin (Pelham) Sr.

Goalies
Randy Ashe (Yorktown) Sr.
Jaime Ketchabaw (RTH) Sr.
Tyler Stark (Suffern) Sr.
Connor Wolfe (Scarsdale) Sr.

In case anybody is looking for something to do on Sunday, the state championship game between Long Island powerhouse St. Anthony’s and upstate challenger St. Francis will be played at Nassau Coliseum after the Islanders and Devils get done. (Insert you favorite ice cut punchline here). You can watch both games for $20, or pay $34 and get a buffet in between games at Doolin’s Pub.

The Devils and Islanders start at 3 p.m. The high school game is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Here’s what the regional brackets look like, with everyone but Pelham one win away from Utica. All of these games are scheduled for Saturday. It’s going to be tough sledding in the semifinals for the Pelicans, and for Suffern, if the Mounties get by Monroe-Woodbury.

Division 1
Monroe-Woodbury (9) vs. Suffern (1)
West Genesee (3) vs. Niagara-Wheatfield (6)

Saratoga Springs (2) vs. Massena (10)
Ithaca (4) vs. Pittsford (5)

Division 2
Pelham (1) bye
Batavia Notre Dame (5) vs. Kenmore East (6)

Saranac Lake (7) vs. Queensbury (2)
Oswego (3) vs. Salmon River (10)

Here’s my final list of the season, with a heavy emphasis on what played out in the postseason. Scarsdale is on the list. The Raiders leapfrogged a number of teams because they proved they belong on the ice with Rye and Pelham, who are valid measuring sticks for outstanding play season to season.

LoHud Hockey Power Rankings
Final

1. 1. Suffern (19-2-2): Nobody can argue with three straight titles
2. 2. Pelham (16-5-2): Pelicans continually find ways to win close games
3. 3. ETB (19-4): Stayed committed all season long
4. nr Scarsdale (15-9): No longer a team under the radar
5. 8. RCDS (15-8): Saved its best hockey for the final month
6. 4. Rye (14-6-2): Not the luckiest team in the section
7. 5. Brewster (18-3): Hard to stop and start a scoring machine
8. 6. New Rochelle (16-7): Ready to join the contenders next season
9. 9. Mamaroneck (12-11): Patched together a decent year after bad start
10. 8. John Jay (15-6-1): Getting closer to becoming an elite program

Division I
1. 1. Suffern
2. 2. ETB
3. 3. New Rochelle
4. 4. Mamaroneck
5. 4. Clarkstown
6. 6. RTH
7. 7. Mahopac
8. 8. White Plains

Division II
1. 1. Pelham
2. 5. Scarsdale
3. 2. Rye
4. 3. Brewster
5. 4. John Jay
6. 7. Greeley
7. 6. Yorktown
8. 8. Pearl River

Please stop the nonsense, it’s overshadowing the work Suffern and ETB put into this season and ruining the effort that goes into making the blog a spotlight for a game that’s sometimes overlooked. I have deleted some 30 comments that violated our terms of service. I have thrown a couple people off, permanently.

We need some perspective.

Scarsdale and Pelham went back and forth, playing what had to have been the game of the year. Suffern and ETB were relatively close until Willie Sanchez lifted one in with 33 seconds to go in the second period. Yes, a couple of Suffern kids were talking on the ice. Yes, a couple of ETB kids lost their minds. Don’t trivialize what all the kids who played the right way accomplished.

Let the coaches and parents and school officials handle the rest behind closed doors.

The garbage that I had to delete only give the powers that be more reason to pick on hockey. So let’s end it now. Talk about the kids who gave us plenty of good memories to discuss.

Steve Scholer, John Redgate and Willie Sanchez pose with the winner’s plaque after Suffern defeated Eastchester/Tuckahoe/Bronxville 6-1 in the boys hockey Section 1 Divison 1 championship game at Tate Rink at West Point Feb. 26, 2012. (Frank Becerra Jr / The Journal News)

To view a gallery of photos from this game, click here.

From left, Pelham’s Andrew Schauer (15) tries to get a shot by Scarsdale goalie Connor Wolf (1) during the boys hockey Section 1 Divison 2 championship game at Tate Rink at West Point Feb. 26, 2012. Pelham won the game 3-2. (Frank Becerra Jr / The Journal News)

To view a gallery of photos from the game, click here.

I cannot believe they don’t hand out some kind of award for a player of the game in hockey.

Heck, at the County Center this week, they will hand out plaques left and right to kids who did a little extra in the spotlight of the playoffs. So to right a wrong, I’m naming an MVP from each game today at West Point.

Divison 2 Player of the Game

Colin Reilly, Pelham

He scored the first goal on a deflection and set up the last with a perfect feed to Andrew Schauer as the Pelicans repeated with an enthralling 3-2 win over Scarsdale.

Division 1 Player of the Game

Willie Sanchez, Suffern

He chatted up every player Eastchester/Tuckahoe/Bronxville put on the ice and backed it up with four goals in a 6-1 win over the Eagles. Suffern has won three Section 1 titles in a row.