Panthers place second in Rome tourney debut
Hockey
by PATRICK J. NAGY Reporter

The Sweet Home Federation hockey team got a glimpse last week of the kind of competition it could face if they advance to the New York State Division II playoffs this March.

The Panthers split games last Thursday and Friday at the Rome Free Academy Tournament held in Rome, N.Y. located east of Syracuse and west of Albany. It was the first time the team had played in Rome.

Sweet Home won a wild 4-3 double overtime shootout in the opening round over Section I's Rye Thursday night and fell 3-0 in the final to Section II's Queensbury on Friday afternoon.

Rye and Queensbury were state semifinalists last year. Rye fell 5-2 to eventual state champion, Section IX's Monroe-Woodbury, in the state semis. Monroe-Woodbury eliminated Sweet Home, 2-1, in the state quarterfinals.

Despite outshooting Rye, 25-14, in the third period and two 7.5 minute overtimes, the game was still knotted at 3-3 and had to be decided by a shootout.

Rye's Jordan Eck was the first shooter in the shootout and scored. Sweet Home senior forward Ryan Marko followed with a top corner goal. Rye's Paul Mudinger tried to use a backhand shot to score but Panther senior goalkeeper Rob Castiglia filled up the net and made the save. The Panthers' Chris Covel used his own backhand shot and flipped the puck in the air and into the goal. Castiglia secured the win with a glove save on Rye's Kevin Gardner.

"I think getting the first victory the way we did was great because we had never played in a shootout before," said Sweet Home coach Dave Gerspach.

Sweet Home trailed the entire game. Rye's Chris Wenzel banked the puck off Castiglia's leg 17 seconds into the game. Colin Cardinale tied it from Jim Cardinale at 11:43.

The second period featured three goals from each team - Rye's Mudinger, Chris Fudenurder and Ellie Beper of Rye and Sweet Home's Colin Cardinale and two goals by Jim Cardinale - but Sweet Home was never ahead. Justin Reich, Covel and Rich Beaudet tallied assists for the Panthers.

Sweet Home outshot Rye, 45-35.

The Panthers beat Queensbury in shots, 24-23, but not on the scoreboard.

Tournament MVP Anthony Soprano gave Queensbury a 1-0 lead at 12:07 of the first period after a Sweet Home defenseman accidentally kicked the puck into the net. Matt Soprano and Kevin Valenti added third period goals.

"I thought we played well," said Gerspach. "It was the best we moved the puck on defense all season. I thought in the third we had more scoring chances but they got the goals."

"I don't think anyone on the team was overly disappointed with how we played in the second game," he added.

Sweet Home's Ryan Gutt had a breakaway in the second period but the Queensbury goalie got a piece of it and deflected it wide.

Sweet Home's Jim Cardinale and Dominic Puntillio were chosen to the all-tournament team.

Besides playing good competition, the Sweet Home coaching staff and players bonded.

"We spent two full days together which is good for us because we have so many new kids on the team," said Gerspach. "It will help us grow as a team."

Sweet Home (5-5-2, 1-1-1) plays Amherst at 9 p.m. on Thursday on the Amherst Pepsi Center Olympic Rink and Williamsville South at 1 p.m. on Saturday on the Pepsi Center Feature Rink.