Knuckleheads crowned national field hockey champs

The Knuckleheads, featuring players from Williamsville North, Lancaster, Williamsville South, Akron and Iroquois, won a pool championship at the National Hockey Festival over Thanksgiving weekend. Members of the team, pictured from left, are: first row - Rachel Sluberski, Nicole Lewis, Allie Ahern, Melissa Ciurzynski, Emily Curry, Emily O'Gorman, Adriana Meholick, Chantae Miller; second row - coach Kris LaPaglia, Leslie Ahern, Lauren Weber, Miana Campbell, Ashley Ferenczy, Lindsey Morgan, Caitlin Formato, Gina Sanita, Caitlin Butler and coach Kathy Majeski.

The Knuckleheads was one of only two New York State field hockey teams to earn pool championships at the National Hockey Festival at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, Calif., over Thanksgiving weekend.

USA Field Hockey crowned 27 high school-age group division champions at the annual festival.

The world's largest field hockey event, the festival features 3,800 athletes competing in more than 700 games during the course of the four-day event.

The Knuckleheads has players from Williamsville North, Lancaster, Williamsville South, Akron and Iroquois high schools.

The team ended with a 5-0-1 record, defeating Wash Wolves (Maryland), 3-1; Maine Event (Maine), 5-1; Spirit Eagles Blue (New Jersey), 1-0; Team Michigan (Michigan), 4-0 and RAM (Pennsylvania), 2-0. They tied the Saints (Virginia), 0-0.

The Knuckleheads allowed only two goals.

"The competition was extremely intense," said Knucklehead coach Kris Lapaglia. "Almost all Division I, II and III coaches were in attendance recruiting future players, so the kids know they have to be playing at their best, especially when scholarships are on the line."

In addition to their championship medals, teams winning their pools receive a coveted automatic berth in next year's National Hockey Festival when it returns to Indio in 2008.

Chantae Miller, a senior at Williamsville North, scored eight of the Knuckleheads' 15 goals and contributed five assists. Akron's Miana Campbell had two goals. Getzville's Emily O'Gorman, Lauren Weber, Leslie and Allie Ahern and Lancaster's Lindsey Morgan earned single tallies.

The defense was anchored by Emily Curry and Adriana Meholick, both seniors at North, and Rachel Sluberski, a senior at Iroquois.

Others on the team were East Amherst's Nicole Lewis and Cailtin Butler, who attend North; Lancaster's Gina Sanita and Caitlin Formato; Williamsville's Ashley Ferenczy; and Akron's Melissa Ciurzynski.

The team is coached by Lapaglia (North), Kathleen Majeski (Lancaster) and Dalton Beaver (North). Lapaglia and Majeski are Elma natives.