Bisons beat country's top team for tournament crown

The Buffalo Bisons 16U hockey team defeated 16U National Champion Assabet Valley U16 Red, 3-1, to win the 17AA division of the Connecticut Polar Bears Tournament. The Bisons went 7-0 in the tournament. Members of the team, pictured from left, are: laying, left - Kim Sass (East Amherst) and Kelly Mendola (Kenmore); kneeling - Kelsey Welch (East Amherst), Carolyn Wolcott (Syracuse), Mackenzie Lee (Caledonia), Maggie Giamo (Orchard Park), Julie Fleming (Grand Island), Brianna Murphy (Depew); standing - Robert Sass (East Amherst), Jay Waters (Clarence), Pam Zgoda (Checktowaga), Brigitte Cellino (West Seneca), Jacquie Greco (Clarence), Cassie Stein (Lewiston), Tenley Odenbach (Rochester), Kristina Moss (Webster), Erica Owczarczak (West Seneca), Danielle Drabin (Rochester), Abby Runyon (Fairport), Gary Moss (Webster), and Scott Welch (East Amherst).

The Buffalo Bisons 16U team compiled a 7-0 record, including a 3-1 shootout victory over defending 16U National Champion Assabet Valley U16 Red, to win the 17AA division of the Connecticut Polar Bears Tournament.

Assabet Valley is the No. 1 16U team in the country.

The Bisons opened the tournament with a hard-fought 3-0 victory over Markham-Stouffville, followed up with a dominating 6-0 win over the New Hampshire Lady Monarchs.

A 4-1 victory over the Springfield Jr. Pics and a 3-0 win over the Michigan Capitals closed out round robin play.

The Bisons opened the playoff round with a 2-0 quarterfinal win over a determined Team Prince Edward Island, setting up a semifinal game against a talented NAHA Red team.

The Bisons held leads of 1-0 and 2-1, but a late NAHA third period goal tied the score at 2-2. After nothing was decided in a five-minute overtime, it was on to a five-player shootout. The Bisons scored on their second shot while NAHA failed to score on any of their five opportunities to advance to the championship game against Assabet Valley.

After a scoreless first period, Assabet Valley opened the scoring with a goal midway through the second period. The Bisons tied the score at 1-1 with a goal midway through the third period. Each team had several scoring opportunities throughout the remainder of the period but could not covert, as regulation ended with the score tied at 1-1.

As two tension-filled five-minute overtime periods could not determine the outcome, it was on to a five-player shootout. After five attempts from each team failed to produce a goal, five more shooters were selected and the shootout continued. With the Bisons scoring on their first and third shots, and Assabet Valley failing to score on each of its first three attempts, the pressure was on the fourth Assabet shooter to score. The shot was taken and the save was made, earning the Bisons their first ever Connecticut Polar Bears Tournament Championship.

The team has compiled an outstanding record of 36-2-4, including two tournament championships. With the win over Assabet Valley, they have beaten the top 16U team in the United States as well as the No. 1 17U team in Canada (the Toronto Aeros) this season.