North lacks intensity in loss, tie
by PATRICK J. NAGY Reporter

It was a rough week for the Williamsville North Federation hockey team.

The Spartans dropped a 3-0 game to Lancaster last Thursday on the Amherst Pepsi Center Feature Rink and tied Orchard Park, 2-2, on Monday on the Olympic Rink. Both were Division I New York State qualifying games.

The common theme in both games was a lack of intensity for three periods.

"They wanted it more than us," said Rosen of Lancaster. "Lancaster did a much better job of getting to the puck in the first two periods. We didn't get into the traffic areas and that really hurt us."

"I think we could have won against Orchard Park but we didn't play with the same level of intensity," he added.

The loss to Lancaster was especially crushing. The Redskins are 7-4 in state qualifying games. North is 5-2-2.

North was outshot 7-5 and 10-4 by Lancaster after the first and second periods, respectively, and 27-20 overall.

Lancaster scored a goal in each period. North mishandled a faceoff on the first two goals.

Redskin senior forward Ryan Rogolski punched in a rebound from a shot by sophomore Nick Berst at 8:43 of the first period. Senior Joe Karl beat Branden Komm to the glove side with 22 seconds left in the second period. Junior PJ Brown (Karl) scored an empty-net goal with 51 seconds left.

North killed two five-on-three opportunities in the second period.

Adrean Copeland (Ryan Hart) gave OP a 1-0 lead at 7:01 of the first period. Twenty-five seconds into the second period, Nick Angelo tallied from Josh Liddle. It was North's first goal since a 2-1 win over Kenmore West on Jan. 5 (North tied St. Joe's 0-0 on Jan. 12).

Liddle made it 2-1 on the power play from Mark Maraschiello and Marc Kadish at 7:29 of the second. Maraschiello passed it across to Liddle, who one-timed it into the net. OP's James Kelly tied the score at 2-2 with 1:30 left in the second.

"It was disappointing," said Rosen of not getting a win. "We outshot them 16-8 in the second period and didn't play with the same intensity in the third."

North outshot OP, 29-19, overall.

North (11-4-2) has a huge week, beginning with St. Joe's at 7 p.m. on Thursday on the Feature Rink.

"It's a huge game that we have to win," said Rosen. "We need our top players to be top players because we don't get that all of the time."

North also plays Williamsville South at 1 p.m. on Saturday on the Feature Rink and Frontier at 1 p.m. on Sunday at Buffalo State Sports Arena.