Sweet Home returns plenty for sectional run
by PATRICK J. NAGY Reporter

Jenna Guadagnino, far left, Laura Price and Kelsey Schiappa will captain this fall's Williamsville East varsity field hockey team. Pictured next to Guadagnino is East head coach Kate Zgoda.

It's been four years since Sweet Home has won a Section VI title but Lady Panthers coach Dawn Kauderer-Kromer said her team has to do a few things well to end the drought.

"We just have to play our game, play hard and play together as a team for 60 minutes," Kauderer Kromer said. "I think we have some very skilled players with a lot of experience so that helps."

Sweet Home lost 3-1 to Williamsville North in last year's Class A final.

Kauderer-Kromer returns the bulk of the team, led by senior captains Brianne Galli, Sara Heron, and Lauren Peczkowski. Galli moves from midfield to attack, Heron plays midfield, and Peczkowski is at attack. Galli and Heron are returning ECIC Large School Second Team all-stars. Kauderer-Kromer is looking for a solid season from Galli.

"She's a very skilled player and tough on the field," she said. "We're looking for her to maintain possession and distribute to teammates."

Galli and sophomore Lauren Korniczky played for the Western Region at this past summer's Empire State Games.

Other players who will see playing time are senior Rachel Mc- Ness and juniors Chrissy Strom and Betsy Forster on defense, senior Marisa Kelly in the midfield, and seniors Alivia Ruiz and Amanda Leffler and juniors Katie Mazuchowski and Moneta Kandakai at attack.

Sophomore goalie Leann Stiver, who started as a freshman, returns between the pipes. Stiver split time in net as an eighth grader.

"She's been improving every year," said Kauderer-Kromer. "She's a solid goalkeeper with a lot of skill. She's been playing for

years so she has a lot of experience. We're looking for her to have a big year."

The team has played together for a number of years so team chemistry is a strength.

"I think that's crucial any year," said Kauderer-Kromer. "You have to have that team chemistry. You can have as much (individual) skill as you want and it's not going to get you there. I tell the kids that all the time. We've also been lucky with our teams when it comes to teamwork and camaraderie, which is nice to see."

"A number of these kids have been playing year round and it shows," she continued. "They're showing continuous improvement."

Kauderer-Kromer takes it one game at a time.

"I have never been one to look ahead and I won't do that and I won't let my kids do that," she said. "We take one game at a time and are not looking past anyone. We know we need to get the job done everyday and work hard."

Sweet Home finished 12-8 last year.
  Sweet Home 2006 Schedule
9-13 at Iroquois............ 4:30 p.m.
9-15 at Holland ............ 4:30 p.m.
9-18 Orchard Park....... 4:30 p.m.
9-20 Lancaster.............. 4:30 p.m.
9-22 at Starpoint .......... 4:30 p.m.
9-25 Pioneer ...................... 5 p.m.
9-27 at East .................. 4:30 p.m.
10-4 North..................... 4:45 p.m.
10-6 at W.S. West ......... 4:15 p.m.
10-11 at W.S. East........ 4:30 p.m.
10-13 Clarence ............. 4:45 p.m.
10-16 Amherst .............. 4:30 p.m.
10-18 at East Aurora... 4:30 p.m.

Williamsville South

The motto of this year's Williamsville South varsity field hockey team is pretty simple.

"We're going for the best season ever," said South head coach Mary Ferenczy. "That's our motto. We're hoping it pans out. We're working hard."

Ferenczy has a ton of players with field hockey experience who should help make it the team's best season, led by senior captains and four-year players Rachel DiNunzio and Claire Gerlach. Both were captains as juniors. DiNunzio, one of four returning All-Western New York First Team field hockey players in the area, will play at center forward. DiNunzio, who scored 15 of South's 27 goals last season, is also a returning ECIC Small Schools First Team all-star. Gerlach is a returning Small Schools Second Team selection. Both are in the Futures Field Hockey program. DiNunzio plays year round in the Elite program. DiNunzio also plays with a tournament team of out of Rochester, the Blizzard.

"Rachel has impeccable stick skills and this season, has really been raising the bar of just going after it and being a high-intensity player," said Ferenczy. "Claire controls the midfield, delivers (passes) and gets into the scoring too."

Joining DiNunzio at forward are senior four-year player Robin Donovan (left wing) and junior Lauren Falzone (right wing). Donovan has scored more goals (two) than she had last season.

Gerlach centers a midfield line with sophomore Ashley Ferenczy, Mary's daughter, on the right and senior four-year player, Elena Hozdic, on the left.

Ashley Ferenczy and DiNunzio played for the Western Region at this past summer's Empire State Games. Ferenczy, who was brought up to varsity for sectionals as an eighth grader, started as a freshman and was the youngest all-star selection last year (returning Small Schools Second Team). She also plays in Futures.

"She's a great transitional player," said Ferenczy.

Seniors Liz Gengo (Small Schools Second Team, four-year player, center back) and Emmy Schwartz (right or left back) and juniors Darragh Kerr (sweeper) and Danielle Mageria will start at defense. Kerr also plays in the Futures program.

Sophomore Sarah Hunt will be rotated in at forward or midfield.

Freshman Meagan Hull will start in net. She played modified last year.

As of this writing, South is 4-0-1 with non-league wins over Williamsville East (3-1) and Pioneer (3-2) and 2-1 league wins over Clarence and Amherst last Friday and this past Monday, respectively. South also tied 2-2 with Sweet Home last Wednesday. DiNunzio, Gerlach and Donovan scored against East, Di- Nunzio had a hat trick versus Pioneer, DiNunzio (Ferenczy) and Donovan (Hozdic) tallied against Sweet Home, and DiNunzio and Gerlach scored against Clarence. Alivia Ruiz scored both Sweet Home goals. Leann Stiver stopped 17 of 19 shots for the Lady Panthers.

DiNunzio scored the game winner against Amherst from a Gengo assist.

South lost 2-0 to Pioneer in the Section VI Class B prequarterfinals last fall.
        South 2006 Schedule
9-13 at Eden ................. 4:30 p.m,
9-15 at East Aurora..... 4:30 p.m.
9-18 Holland ................. 4:30 p.m.
9-20 Hamburg............... 4:45 p.m.
9-22 at Lancaster ......... 4:45 p.m.
9-25 at Iroquois............ 4:30 p.m.
9-27 Pioneer ...................... 5 p.m.
9-28 Orchard Park....... 4:30 p.m.
10-4 Starpoint............... 4:30 p.m.
10-6 at North ................ 4:45 p.m.
10-11 East ..................... 4:30 p.m.
10-13 W.S. East ................. 5 p.m.
10-18 at W.S. West ............ 5 p.m.

Williamsville East With only three players graduated from last year's team, the Lady Flames are senior loaded.

Head coach Kate Zgoda returns senior captains Kelsey Schiappa and Jenna Guadagnino at forward and Laura Price on defense. Schiappa and Price are entering their third years on varsity.

Other returning starters include senior Meagan Seward and junior three-year player Ali Bickelmann in the midfield, junior forward Bridget Steele, senior defender Amy Buffomante, and junior defender Aleece Burgio. Steele is a returning ECIC Small Schools First Team all-star; Buffomante is a Second Team selection. Burgio is on varsity for her third year.

Senior Natalie Edbauer will be rotated in the midfield as will seniors Jacklyn Gifford and Lauren Anderson and junior Nicole Bordonaro at forward. All are returning players except Bordonaro who was on JV her sophomore year.

Junior Erin Smith, who played her freshman and sophomore year at Mansfield High School in Mansfield, Massachusetts, gets the start in goal.

"We're excited to have her," said Zgoda. "She's got some experience under her belt."

Zgoda hopes that team chemistry, along with passing, stick skills, and game awareness, are team strengths.

"That's what we're hoping for," said Zgoda. "They work well together and communicate so we'll see as the season goes if they can put it all together."

East finished 6-10-1 and lost 1-0 to Newfane in the Section VI Class B prequarterfinals. With field hockey powerhouses like Orchard Park and Williamsville North on the schedule, Zgoda knows it will be a challenge this fall.

"It's a tough division," said Zgoda. "Every game is a challenge for us. We'll just have to go out with a positive attitude and get in there and play."

East opened its season with a 3-1 non-league loss on Aug. 31 to Williamsville South. Seward scored East's goal. They defeated Eden, 6-2, last Friday. Schiappa had four goals and an assist, while Guadagnino scored two goals. East beat East Aurora, 5-1, on Monday. Schiappa had two goals and two assists, Guadagnino had two goals, and Steele had a goal and assist.
        East 2006 Schedule
9-13 Holland ................. 4:30 p.m.
9-15 Hamburg............... 4:45 p.m.
9-18 at Lancaster ......... 4:45 p.m.
9-20 at Iroquois............ 4:45 p.m.
9-21 at Pioneer.................. 5 p.m.
9-25 Orchard Park....... 4:45 p.m.
9-27 Sweet Home ........ 4:30 p.m.
9-29 at Starpoint .......... 4:30 p.m.
10-6 W.S. East ................... 5 p.m.
10-10 North................... 4:30 p.m.
10-11 at South .............. 4:30 p.m.
10-13 at Amherst ......... 4:30 p.m.
10-16 W.S. West................. 5 p.m.
10-18 Clarence ............. 4:45 p.m.
e-mail: pnagy@beenews.com