Spartans defeat Canisius, win 300th game for program
by PATRICK J. NAGY Reporter

The Williamsville North Federation hockey team had beaten Canisius before, but its 3-2 win on Sunday at Buffalo State Sports Arena meant a little extra for Spartan coach Bob Rosen and his staff.

It was the program's 300th win. North hockey began 18 years ago.

"It's hard to believe it's been 18 years," said Rosen, who said with the win moved him into the state's top 10 ranking for coaching victories. "Where we have been the last 10 to 12 years (three New York State title, six state finals appearances, four Federation titles) has been great to be a part of."

Rosen said the Canisius win was bittersweet.

"Canisius historically has played us well," said Rosen. "In the past, we've had more talent than them. To beat them when the shoe is on the other foot is bittersweet for us."

Canisius scored the only goal in the first two periods, Max Christ from Peter Creighton on the power play, at 7:17 of the first period.

North responded with three goals in the third period before Creighton scored with 58 seconds left in the game.

Spartan junior forward Marc Kadish got the scoring started at the 7:30 mark of the third from Josh Liddle and Nick Fronczak. Kadish rushed down the right side of the boards, cut to the middle of the ice, used a defender as a screen and beat Canisius' goalie with a snap shot from the top of the circle.

Junior forward Nick Angelo buried a goal in the top corner of the net at 5:44 off assists from Jake Newton and Cam Sroda.

Sroda made it 3-1 on the power play, with 1:42 remaining, from Angelo and Fronczak. Fronczak's shot initially missed the net and bounced off the backboard, and Sroda picked it up and tapped it into the left side of the net.

"It was a real heads-up play by Cam," said Rosen.

Senior goalie Branden Komm played great as North was outshot 8-4 in the first period and 9-7 in the second period.

"We didn't play well in the first two periods," said Rosen. "We didn't forecheck well and weren't doing enough to grind out a win. In the third period, we competed well and really took it to them. We outshot them 10-6."

The Canisius win capped off a great week for North. The Spartans beat Frontier, 2-0, last Thursday on the Amherst Pepsi Center Olympic Rink and Lancaster, 4-1, last Saturday on the Pepsi Center Feature Rink. All three wins gave North qualifying points for the Division I state playoffs.

"All three games certainly could have gone either way," said Rosen. "In close games, we found ways to win."

The Frontier game was scoreless until Kadish scored at 12:37 of the third on the power play on a deflection from Matt Austin and Mark Smith.

With two seconds remaining, sophomore Chris Marsack blocked a point-blank shot from a Frontier player and outraced a Frontier defender for the puck in the neutral zone and scored an empty-net goal.

North outshot Frontier, 28-12, but Rosen felt his team did not take many quality shots and the quality shots they did take, Frontier's goalie made the saves.

The Lancaster score was not indicative of the type of game that was played.

Liddle's power-play goal from Angelo at 8:14 of the second was the only goal scored in the first two periods.

Lancaster tied the game at 1-1 at 5:18 of the third when Mike Schalberg scored on the power play from Jordan McGraw.

Sroda broke the tie 1:27 later from Steve Pizzuto and Kadish. Angelo extended the lead from Marsack 1:52 after Sroda's goal on a two-on-one.

Liddle outmuscled a Lancaster player for an unassisted goal with 30 seconds remaining.

North outshot Lancaster, 22-19.

The Spartans (9-1, 6-0) play Section III's Whitesboro at 5 p.m. on Thursday as part of the Morrisville Tournament, held in Morrisville, N.Y., south of Syracuse. North plays Section III's Clinton at 4 p.m. on Friday. North has won the tournament the last three years.