I know we’ve been down this road before … have you seen what’s left on Pelham’s schedule?
The Pelicans are running another gauntlet, and are upstate this week. First up is Williamsville East (5-1), then they get Niagara Wheatfield (2-1). When they get home, there’s a meeting with ETB, and then Mamaroneck, White Plains and Suffern. Not much rest for the weary.
And there are more challenges the last month of the season.
Pelham is back in the Suffern tournament, playing Ithaca and Salmon River. That weekend is followed by two very emotional games against Scarsdale and Rye. The next two weekends are going to be spent on a bus for games against New Hartford, Rome Free Academy, Massena and Salmon River.
The regular season finale is against Sleepy Hollow/Irvington/Dobbs Ferry.
Needless to say, getting a high seed for sectionals is not the priority. Just for kicks, the Pelicans are 2-1-2 right now, what will their record be heading into the playoffs. (It has to add up to 20).
Dec. 27
Pearl River vs. Sleepy Hollow/Irvington/Dobbs Ferry, 10:45 a.m. at Palisades
Nyack/Tappan Zee vs. Byram Hills, 12:45 p.m. at Palisades
Williamsville East vs. Pelham, 3:30 p.m. at Northtown Center
John Jay vs. Pawling, 3:30 p.m. at Trinity Pawling
Stepinac vs. St. Francis Prep, 5:30 p.m. at Ice Hutch
Clarkstown vs. Bethlehem, 7 p.m. at Bethlehem YMCA
Mount Pleasant vs. RTH, 9 p.m. at Ebersole
50 Comments
Also today stepinac/st francis 530 ice hutch
Suffern and Rye both #1 as of 12/23
Mamaroneck #14 in Division 1
Pelham #5 in Division 2
Pearl 8 vs. Sleepy 7 OT
Pelham schedule is absolutely brutal. Witz does the right thing getting team ready for February and March.
Pelham will be battle tested by the end of the regular season, for sure. Good luck in Buffalo boys!!
Williamsville east beats Pelham 4-0.
Anyone concerned that this “fiscal cliff” will negatively effect High School Sports as we know it? Like lower the amount of games in a season to 18 or 16?
Some say that high school sports will be a thing of the past one day… it’ll all be rec and travel etc.
Personally, I can’t picture it. Seems unamerican.
But this financial mess is a ….. well, it’s a mess. How Parents can afford to have their kids play travel hockey at minimum 2k per season is beyond me. That does not include, gas, tolls, hotels, equipment that is grown out of every year, sticks that break etc. Hockey is right there with gymnastics and golf as elitist sports where if you don’t have $$$, you have no shot. At least not in this area.
Our kids at NW have to pay about $800 per year to play. Our school doesn’t cover all of the expenses. Modified sports were just eliminated this year. Future sure doesn’t look good. It’s too bad for the kids
Just an innocent question: Why does Pelham get so much coverage? Dougherty does a fantastic job writing articles and covering games, but historically it seems like Pelham gets a disproportionate amount of press (I’ve even seen articles written about games that Pelham lost and the lead photo is off a Pelham player instead of one of the winning team). I could be wrong, but it seems that way. My apologies if I’m off base here.
Here we go ^
Maybe because they have had three final four Utica appearances in the last four seasons?
Anyone have a JJ /Pawling score?
I don’t know, weather its pro sports or college sports the successful and winning teams are usually covered more than the others right? The consistent winners or contenders always get the most exposure. Makes sense to me
Any color on Mamaronecks opponent tomorrow…Bethel/Brookfield/Danbury ??
Mike, I think that the Combotowns game vs Beth was postponed?
JJ 8
Pawling 0
Jay looking strong. Needs a test, though. To answer Mike’s question, I think Pelham ends up 9-9-2. Probably a 5 seed who knocks off Scarsdale a 4 seed and then Greeley a 1 seed before playing the Rye/Jay semi winner at West Point.
Pelham is not knocking off Scarsdale.
ETB Mom- Pelham plays a statewide schedule, has a super coach and has won the last 2 section champs. The trips to Utica following the last 2 section titles were a formality (2011 was a regional win over a 4-14 Burke team in its last game in program history and 2012 was a regional bye due to Burke’s demise), but as coverage notes, those Pelican teams did get to the frozen four. They deserve the coverage until someone knocks them off their perch.
I think you guys are giving way too much credit to Pelham. They will be battle tested, and they have a tough schedule, but I don’t see them as being any better than WP or Scarsdale, or mamaroneck at this point. It is anybody’s to take. Much will depend on the development of the second and third line and the intangibles, like how the power play and penalty kills go.
I do agree, however, that they deserve the coverage.
Latest computer rankings of all the NYS schools (DI and DII combined) has Rye at 2, Suffern at 10, Mamo at 29 and Pelham at 30.
Pelham will beat Scarsdale which is basicly a 1 line team, and the 1 line is ok at best and I would say over rated, lets see that line put up points against a good team, they put up big numbers against bad teams like North Rockland, Sleepy Hollow and ETB!! Big Deal…..
Rye 2…..and Suffern 10th…..Sounds like Someone is putting incorrect data in to the system, the Goverment does that to get results they want the public to belive
Yes we are a one line team but they are LEGIT, far from overrated. That being said I can certainly see Scarsdale getting screwed by being the 4 seed and playing a 5th seeded pelham in the quarters BECAUSE the game would be at Witz’s hut as opposed to Murray’s b/c Murray’s can’t have playoff games because they can’t risk fogouts. 2013 is going to be a wild ride all across Section 1. Can’t wait!
WHEN SCARSDALE BEATS SOME REALLY GOOD TEAMS, COME TALK TO ME, GO PLAY SUFFERN AND SEE HOW YOU DO??
ETB Mom
Winning is a big part of the equation and Pelham has done plenty of that. And the Pelicans also drive a lot of discussion on the blog. Even in a bad year, that team is going to get covered because it moves the needle. Look at your own team. I did a lot of ETB write-ups because the program was at a high point and was forever being dissected on the blog. Of course, there are some folks in New Rochelle that believe Ed Witz actually plays a role in editorial decisions. As for the photos, best shot gets in no matter which team wins.
Before making statements you should get some facts so you do not disparage folks. IF Scarsdale is a higher seed than Pelham and Scarsdale meets Pelham in the sectional playoff, yes as of now Scarsdale cannot play playoff games there. But they knew that I m sure when they moved the team there. Having said that it would NOT automatically go to the lower seeds rink (Pelhams home rink). It would Scarsdales home game and they would procure ice where they want to play that home game of theirs. Pelham or any lower seed never controls a game against a higher seed in the playoffs so its probably a good idea to know the facts before you insinuate a conspiracy.
Shots Fired….that comment is still cracking me up.
Scars as a 4 seed could play Pel as a 5 seed at places like WSA or Brew, instead of the Hutch. WP has the same issue. They have hosted playoff games at Playland and Brew in recent years.
@FOTG— Which site are you using for rankings? I see Rye 9, Pelham 15, JJ 30, Scars 31 in D2. D1 = Suff 8, Mama- 17 , WP 18 and New Roc 24. The problem with the rankings is that it is simply formulaic, so Rye’s very easy schedule so far has them up there. 5 games not enuf of a sample size to really make an educated ranking. MYHockeyrankings.com
Very good points about Pelhams schedule however I was watching all the games yesterday and Williamsville east is very good maybe the creme of the crop in division two up here. Todays game for Pelham is going to be very challenging Niagara Wheat is maybe the best division one team here and they are playing well. Couple that with Pelhams best forward Scheuer being out and yesterday Pelhams number one starting keeper was injured and will not play today so that will be a freshman goalie out there. Williamsville east is deep with skill and the play with Pelham was back and forth and even mostly with Pelham having more shots but Williamsville east capitalizes on every chance so they are hard to beat, they also have a very strong keeper. Pelham plays a hard game, they had a couple of guys get nicked from blocking shots but in the long run they will contend
To hkyfnatk- I was looking at the computer rankings off the link on the Section One Hockey website. Agree that at this point in the season, the data points are too few for an accurately calculation. Looks like Pelham needs to find some offense. if they can do that against top competition, they should be fine come playoff time. All the results I see leads me to believe we should be treated to some great playoff action, especially in DII.
Why bring up new ro. They have 3 of the best players in 10, 14 and 27 and never complain about being mention in the paper
To hkyfnatk- wouldn’t say Rye’s early season schedule is “very easy”. If you go by ranked opponents played, only Pelham has had a more difficult schedule thus far. Here are the ratios of ranked opponents to total games thru this weekend for the 4 locals that venture upstate to play top opponents:
Pelham- 5 of 7 (71 percent)
Rye- 3 of 7 (43 percent)
Mamo- 4 of 10 (40 percent)
Suffern- 3 of 8 (37 percent)
Happy New Year to all …........ i learned a few things today, that Coach Witz can multi-task better than anyone. it is said he controls playoff sites, controls pictures in the sports section, draws the reporters and media coverage to games, runs the “witz hut,”with regards to games played there and has the time to coach a tremendous hockey program. i feel the coverage pelham gets is due to the respect they have earned over a long duration of time like other schools have. more sectional final appearances over the years brings out the jealousy in people for sure. there is a reward in life for hard work and the better programs can sustain success over time. one-year-wonders should take note of how a solid program is run rather than bash the teams who work hard and go out and play the game. yes it would be a shame if scarsdale lost home ice in the playoffs playoffs but it was their choice to leave the ice hutch. between the fog or the cold and windy conditions, murray’s is a tough place to play for sure.
Poor ETB Mom. Is she the hockey equivalent of a stage mother? Come on Dougherty, give her kid an “under the helmet” piece.
I think every coach who has come on here starts their post with the following lie.
“I never read this blog but….”
Or “someone informed me that I was mentioned on this blog…”
I’m waiting for one coach to be honest and admit he looks at the blog almost daily or daily.
Most coach’s have rats that do the behind the scene stuff. That’ how ice time is given out lol
Going to be a tough weekend for Sec I. Mamk plays BBD, don’t know a lot about BBD but usually pretty strong, read that they moved up from Div III to Div II in CIAC. RFA appears to be cream of the crop in Sec III this year having beat West Genny already. Looking at an 0-2 weekend. Pelham is also got their hands full. Losing to WillyEast yesterday they get maybe the best Div I team in Buffalo area.
Anybody know anything bout Glens Falls and Queensbury, Rye’s opponents this weekend?
Too bad there are no local tournaments. Not alot to do this week. But I ain’t going 4 hours to watch hockey. What happened to Mamaronecks Holiday Tournament? That used to be a staple every year?
Both Teams have losing records Glens Falls (2-7) Record and Queensbury (2-4-1) Record….both teams stink , Saratoga Just Beat Queensbury the other day 8-3
Slacrosse- Pelham went up to play GF and Qburry over Thanksgivng. Tied Qburry after pulling the goalie to get the late tying goal and then beat GF easily.
Thanks for all the feedback. Like I said, it was simply an innocent question from a curious fan. All of your comments made sense and were elucidating. I’m just a mother who enjoys supporting her children as they play a sport they love. To Section Won, get over yourself and don’t read too deeply into my questions. (P.S. my eldest son had an “under the helmet” piece) All I can say to you is: “what happens when a shot hits a stick and flies over the glass?”
Thx
Qburry had one bad game vs Toga. They are currently ranked 15th in Sportswriters poll.
Lot of good games this weekend. Hope everyone has safe travel upstate on their trips home. To ETB mom…...... well said.
PelhamFan- unless the Pelicans win or tie today, they too will have a losing record. And they lost by the same 5 goal margin recently. Not many here would say that Pelham “stinks”. And what do you mean when you say that a team Pelham had to pull the goalie to secure a tie against “stinks”?
@OK Horrific. I’m a coach, although not in section one and I will tell you not more than two days go by without taking a peek at the blog.
Pac completely dominated game against LP out shooting them 2 to 1, the only thing that gives LP a shot is they have a good goalie. LP’s goalie does keep them in a game they could be losing 7 or 8 to 1.