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Marko leads skilled Sweet Home offense
After sporting a Federation best 12-1-3 record last year, 17-4-3 overall and qualifying for the New York State playoffs for the first time in school history, the Panthers will be the hunted. Several players have helped the Panthers along the way to its success, but none have meant more to the Sweet Home program than Ryan Marko. Already the school's all-time leading scorer with 111 points (49 goals, 62 assists), the senior forward won the Federation scoring title despite missing nine games. He finished his junior year with 43 points (16 goals, 27 assists). He had six game-winning goals and five short-handed goals. Besides Williamsville North's Nick Fronczak, Marko is the only other returning Federation player who earned New York State all-star honors. Marko is the only returning player who earned First Team honors. Fronczak was an honorable mention. Marko's vision to see teammates for passes and his stick work are what makes him stand out above other players. "He can see the ice like no one else," said Sweet Home coach Dave Gerspach. "I've been hollering at him to shoot the puck once in a while because he always trying to set up teammates with great passes. He's too unselfish." "When he grabs the puck, everyone gravitates to him," he added. Marko doesn't have his buddy, Alex Esposito (Sweet Home's second all-time leading scorer, all-state honorable mention, graduated in June) anymore, but he will center the top line with juniors Ryan Gutt and Chris Covel. Gerspach feels the Marko-Gutt-Covel line will generate a lot more offense than Marko's line did last year. Another solid line will see 6-foot-2, 205-pound senior Jim Cardinale center his brother, Colin, the JV's leading scorer last year, and senior Mike Campise. Gerspach feels splitting Marko and Jim Cardinale on separate lines will only help his team's chances of winning. "We don't have to lean on one line," said Gerspach. "Separating Ryan and Jimmy will help us a lot. If teams shut down Ryan, they'll have a tough time stopping Jimmy's line." The third line features senior assistant captain Rich Beaudet, who plays much bigger than his 5-foot-11, 160-pound frame, centering sophomore Pat McMahon and freshman Adam Titanic. McMahon came up from JV halfway through last season. Adam Titanic is the son of Morris Titanic, the No. 1 pick by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1973 entry draft. Adam Titanic was the leading goal scorer on modified last year. The Sweet Home defense will be led by seniors Justin Reich and Daryn Cavalier and junior Dominic Puntello. Reich is a four-year varsity player; Cavalier a three-year player. Cavalier is co-captain with Marko. They will also debut 6-foot-2, 225-pound juniors Cam Hollander and Ricky Brooks, both from JV, and return senior Alex Gilmour, who broke his collarbone on the first day of tryouts last season. In goal will be senior Rob Castiglia. Senior goalie Derek Mohney, a Division II all-state goalie, is playing for the Buffalo Junior Sabres. Gerspach said scoring goals won't be a problem for his team. What concerns him is how his players can mesh at the Federation level. Sweet Home is 1-2-1 (see other story) They face Niagara Falls at 1 p.m. on Saturday at the Amherst Pepsi Center's Feature Rink.
Gerspach said the team's ultimate goal is to get back to states. They lost 2-1 to Section IX's Monroe Woodbury in last year's state quarterfinals. |
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