Federation hockey to debut new playoff format
by PATRICK J. NAGY Reporter

A new playoff format will give every team in the Section VI Western New York Varsity Hockey Federation a shot of going to the New York State tournament. But the new rules are a little confusing.

To clarify, here are the changes.

For the first time in league history, there will be a small school and large school Federation champion. In the past, only one overall Federation champion has been crowned.

In addition, the winners of the small and large school Federation titles are the teams who will advance to state regional games. The old rule stated whichever large and small school teams that have the best state qualifying records would move on.

But here's the catch. The teams in the finals each have to be public schools to advance to states. If one of the teams is a Catholic school, the public school who won the regular season league championship will go to states, even if the public school defeats the Catholic school to win the large or small school Federation crown.

Catholic schools have their own state championship. St. Joe's, Canisius, Bishop Timon-St. Jude and St. Francis are the Catholic schools in the Federation.

"I think they want to catch the teams that are playing their best hockey at the end of the year," said Sweet Home coach Dave Gerspach, whose team has never played for a Federation title.

"It makes it a little clearer now for who deserves to go (to states)," added East coach Mike Torrillo. "Winning the league does mean something."

The Federation is also two teams bigger. Clarence joins Williamsville North, St. Joe's, Frontier, Canisius, Kenmore West, Orchard Park and Lancaster in the large school division while Niagara Falls is placed in the small school division with Sweet Home, Williamsville East, Williamsville South, Amherst, Timon, St. Francis, and Kenmore East.

Each Federation team will also play four crossover games (large school versus small school) which do not count towards state qualifying purposes.

e-mail: pangy@beenews.com