Girls Hockey: State Champs

New York State Champions

By: Emily Laurenzi

This past weekend NSA’s girl’s hockey team traveled a short two hours to Albany, NY to compete in the New York State Championships.

In previous years there had been at least four other teams competing, but this year there were only two other teams.  NSA knew they were the top team, and they couldn’t play down.

The first game was against Troy Albany Ice Cats, the home team. It was the first time the two teams had played each other this season, and “we didn’t know what to expect,” said Carina Randazzo.

The game began at 8am on Saturday and NSA came out very slow. They finally found the back of the net about half way through the first period. “The team couldn’t skate with us,” said Bill Ward, NSA’s head coach. “We need to play our game.”

Not too long after NSA’s first goal Troy scored a power play goal tying the game 1-1 in the first period.  The game remained slow and scary until NSA finally picked it up, scoring seven consecutive goals, for a final score of 8-1.

With one game down, NSA knew they still had one game to put away before they became state champions. Earlier in the season, they faced Rochester Edge in a two game series at St. Lawrence University.  NSA pulled out two easy wins, scoring twelve goals to Rochester’s two goals in both games.

 The second and final game of the state championships started that same Saturday night at 8pm. NSA thought they were ready, however they did not show up to play.  The Edge managed to put one past star goalie Sarah Foss in the first shift of the game; however, it had been called off because their player had kicked it in.

The Edge had been fired up because of the call, and only had more determination to put in another one. “We were playing nervous,” said Kelsey Lynch. “It was scary.”

The players and the coaches knew it wasn’t meant to be a close game.  Megan Whiddon, a second year junior, scored the first goal for NSA halfway through the first period.  

The game was becoming sloppy and dirty when the referees decided to not call all the cheap penalties.  When T.T. Cianfarano had been knocked down for the fifth time with no call, she had had enough, she skated back towards the girl who had hit her, lined her up and dropped her. She received two minutes for body checking which gave the Edge a two-minute power play and their first goal. The first period ended with a score of 1-1.

The second period began, and the Edge continued to hit and trip our players behind the play. “It was frustrating,” said Carina Randazzo. “The refs were calling the game one way.”

NSA finally got a power play, and Jackie Arbour took a shot from the point, with a beautiful tip by Kelsey Lynch into the back of the net.  The second period ended with a score of 2-1 in NSA’s favor.

Both teams headed back to their locker rooms left for the ice to be cut.

In the locker room, Coach Ward urged the Mountaineers to focus on their own play.  “Stop worrying about the refs. let me handle them,” said Ward. “You need to start doing the little things right.” 

The teams left the locker room, some with grins other with frowns, fearing that it might be their last game to play with NSA. Five minutes into the third the Edge scored off an offensive face off, making the score 2-2 with ten minutes remaining in the game.

With about seven minutes left T.T. Cianfarano carried one down and stuffed it right past the goalies pad for the winning goal of the game.

NSA won the state championship for only the second time in NSA girl’s hockey history. They head to the National Championships in Marlborough, MA in two weeks to compete against the best teams in the country for the National Championship.