Monday, August 10, 2009
A Look Back
This blog is an archive of the Greece Thunder web page (http://www.eteamz.com/GreeceThunder/) from the 2008-2009 season. Enjoy!
Thursday, August 6, 2009
NYS Division I Final: Greece Athena/Odyssey 3, Mamoronek 2, (Utica Aud).
Greece 3, Mamaronek 2
VIDEO
PHOTOS
From D&C:
UTICA — The Greece Athena/Odyssey hockey team had completed the arduous comeback, erasing the almost-instant 2-0 deficit to finally forge into the lead late in the third period on Sunday. Sophomore winger J.T. Stenglein, Mr. Big Goal himself, produced yet again at clutch time for the unbeaten Thunder. His eighth playoff goal provided a 3-2 lead with only 4:12 remaining.
But then the clock seemed to be stuck as Mamaroneck attacked with utter desperation in search of the tying goal. Why isn't it moving, the Thunder players said to themselves. Tick, dang it, tick.
"That was so intense," junior defenseman Dan Vyverberg said of the frantic last 75 seconds. "I was jumping for joy inside but I kept wondering why it wasn't over." Goalie Parker Bonis, though, was once again as cool as could be in the pressure-cooker. Through traffic he found, and then gloved, the last shot by state Division 1 Player-of-the-Year Sean Hagan with 2.5 seconds to play. When the buzzer sounded, the celebration began.
Gloves, sticks and helmets were hurled into the air from the Memorial Auditorium ice and the Thunder celebrated a rare feat of utter perfection in New York State Public High School Athletic Association hockey. Athena/Odyssey became just the second team to run the table, going 27-0 en route to the first hockey championship for the combined program. Albany Academy in 1990 was the other. Mamaroneck finished 26-3-1. "I'm still in shock," junior defenseman Steve Hebberecht said. "It was crazy afterward. I didn't really know what to do. There were so many people to congratulate and hug."
The Thunder fell behind 2-0 in just five minutes but a first-period goal by sophomore winger Riley Bourbonnais cut Mamaroneck's lead to 2-1, then a Bourbonnais steal and pass to the slot set up senior winger Greg Ryan for the tying goal 9:45 into the second period.
"That was a little scary when we fell behind, but we knew what kind of team we have," Ryan said. The defense-first approach was fine for Athena/Odyssey. "Our philosophy is, we don't lose the third period," sophomore defenseman Scott Tam-Grimshaw said. "Keep chill. Just play smart hockey and don't make mistakes."
Stenglein then provided more tournament heroics by scoring the winning goal off an end-to-end rush on a power play. In six playoff games, he scored six goals. He needed some luck this time, though. As Stenglein darted down the left of the slot, he tried to pass to the goal mouth. The puck, however, hit a defenseman or goalie Luke Glaser and just trickled in over the goal line. "I just threw it to the front of the net," Stenglein said, "and the next thing I knew was everybody was coming toward me, so I figured it must have went in." Said senior defenseman Eric Gunderson: "That's what he plays hockey for, to do what the team needs him to do."
While Stenglein performed huge when it mattered most, the Thunder went 27-0 and won the Section V title because of the team approach. That was personified in the final minute of defensive-zone play. "The whole year, that's how we've played. Everybody just does what it takes," Stenglein said.
VIDEO
PHOTOS
From D&C:
UTICA — The Greece Athena/Odyssey hockey team had completed the arduous comeback, erasing the almost-instant 2-0 deficit to finally forge into the lead late in the third period on Sunday. Sophomore winger J.T. Stenglein, Mr. Big Goal himself, produced yet again at clutch time for the unbeaten Thunder. His eighth playoff goal provided a 3-2 lead with only 4:12 remaining.
But then the clock seemed to be stuck as Mamaroneck attacked with utter desperation in search of the tying goal. Why isn't it moving, the Thunder players said to themselves. Tick, dang it, tick.
"That was so intense," junior defenseman Dan Vyverberg said of the frantic last 75 seconds. "I was jumping for joy inside but I kept wondering why it wasn't over." Goalie Parker Bonis, though, was once again as cool as could be in the pressure-cooker. Through traffic he found, and then gloved, the last shot by state Division 1 Player-of-the-Year Sean Hagan with 2.5 seconds to play. When the buzzer sounded, the celebration began.
Gloves, sticks and helmets were hurled into the air from the Memorial Auditorium ice and the Thunder celebrated a rare feat of utter perfection in New York State Public High School Athletic Association hockey. Athena/Odyssey became just the second team to run the table, going 27-0 en route to the first hockey championship for the combined program. Albany Academy in 1990 was the other. Mamaroneck finished 26-3-1. "I'm still in shock," junior defenseman Steve Hebberecht said. "It was crazy afterward. I didn't really know what to do. There were so many people to congratulate and hug."
The Thunder fell behind 2-0 in just five minutes but a first-period goal by sophomore winger Riley Bourbonnais cut Mamaroneck's lead to 2-1, then a Bourbonnais steal and pass to the slot set up senior winger Greg Ryan for the tying goal 9:45 into the second period.
"That was a little scary when we fell behind, but we knew what kind of team we have," Ryan said. The defense-first approach was fine for Athena/Odyssey. "Our philosophy is, we don't lose the third period," sophomore defenseman Scott Tam-Grimshaw said. "Keep chill. Just play smart hockey and don't make mistakes."
Stenglein then provided more tournament heroics by scoring the winning goal off an end-to-end rush on a power play. In six playoff games, he scored six goals. He needed some luck this time, though. As Stenglein darted down the left of the slot, he tried to pass to the goal mouth. The puck, however, hit a defenseman or goalie Luke Glaser and just trickled in over the goal line. "I just threw it to the front of the net," Stenglein said, "and the next thing I knew was everybody was coming toward me, so I figured it must have went in." Said senior defenseman Eric Gunderson: "That's what he plays hockey for, to do what the team needs him to do."
While Stenglein performed huge when it mattered most, the Thunder went 27-0 and won the Section V title because of the team approach. That was personified in the final minute of defensive-zone play. "The whole year, that's how we've played. Everybody just does what it takes," Stenglein said.
Greece 5, West Genesee 2 (State Semifinal - Utica Aud)
Greece 5, West Genesee 2
From D&C:
UTICA — Sophomore winger J.T. Stenglein scored three goals just 3:55 into the first period and led Greece Athena/Odyssey to a 5-2 victory over West Genesee in the semfinals of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association hockey tournament this evening.
The Thunder are now one win away from becoming just the second team to go unbeaten en route to a state championship.
Athena/Odyssey (26-0) plays Mamaroneck (26-2-1) at 3:30 p.m. today in the title game. Mamaroneck of Section I breezed past Section VI champ Niagara Wheatfield, 7-2.
Riley Bourbonnais scored the fourth goal for the Thunder, then assisted on Greg Ryan’s goal that extended the lead to 5-2 at 5:05 of the third period.
West Genesee (22-4-2) used the power play to open 1-0 and 2-1 leads in the first 6:18, but Stenglein retaliated each time.
He scored an unassisted short-handed goal at 5:46, connected on the power play at 8:05, then gave the Thunder their first lead at 9:41 when his pass or shot from behind the net hit a skate and caromed past goalie Evan Mazzoni.
From D&C:
UTICA — Sophomore winger J.T. Stenglein scored three goals just 3:55 into the first period and led Greece Athena/Odyssey to a 5-2 victory over West Genesee in the semfinals of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association hockey tournament this evening.
The Thunder are now one win away from becoming just the second team to go unbeaten en route to a state championship.
Athena/Odyssey (26-0) plays Mamaroneck (26-2-1) at 3:30 p.m. today in the title game. Mamaroneck of Section I breezed past Section VI champ Niagara Wheatfield, 7-2.
Riley Bourbonnais scored the fourth goal for the Thunder, then assisted on Greg Ryan’s goal that extended the lead to 5-2 at 5:05 of the third period.
West Genesee (22-4-2) used the power play to open 1-0 and 2-1 leads in the first 6:18, but Stenglein retaliated each time.
He scored an unassisted short-handed goal at 5:46, connected on the power play at 8:05, then gave the Thunder their first lead at 9:41 when his pass or shot from behind the net hit a skate and caromed past goalie Evan Mazzoni.
NYS Western Regional: Greece Athena/Odyssey 1, Ithaca 0, (SUNY Brockport)
Thunder 1, Ithaca 0
PHOTO GALLERY 1
PHOTO GALLERY 2
The offensive heroes seem to change from game to game for the unbeaten Greece Athena/Odyssey Thunder, who just keep marching on toward a season of perfection.
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"It's a different guy — it seems like — every day," coach Dan Webb said after Saturday's 1-0 victory over Ithaca in the New York State Division I regional at Brockport State's Tuttle Ice Arena.
On Saturday, forward J.T. Stenglein took his turn in the scoring spotlight, breaking the scoreless tie off a dynamic two-zone dash with only 1:05 remaining in the second period.
But while the goal-scorers gladly rotate for the 25-0 Thunder, there has been one constant; the super play of goalie Parker Bonis.
Bonis wasn't busy on Saturday as the Thunder outshot Ithaca 34-13, yet he was still required to make game-saving stops.
"All year he hasn't faced a lot of shots but there are always one or two really, really good opportunities and he's been coming up really big," Webb said.
None was bigger than his save with just 4:16 to play, when he flicked out his glove to snare a point-blank redirection by A.J. Fiore, preserving the one-goal lead.
"I knew I had to make every single save for us to win the game, so I made sure I did," Bonis said.
The one-goal nail biter wasn't necessarily expected, but Ithaca (10-8-6) was content to weather first-shot pressure with goalie Zach Wilder and then hope to catch a break offensively.
"We executed our game plan to a 'T'; we had some chances and it didn't work out," coach Rich Armstrong said.
Wilder may have had luck on his side — Pat Sofia, Stenglein and Eric Gunderson all hit posts in the first 30 minutes — but he also came up with several clutch saves.
"Any other goalie, it's a 5-0 game," Stenglein said. "We couldn't find the back of the net to save our lives."
Except once, and Stenglein was the goal-light bloodhound.
He picked up the puck in his own end, darted through the neutral zone, angled into the Ithaca zone on the left wing, and, from the circle, zipped a low shot that beat Wilder low to the far side.
"Once the puck got on my stick, I knew I was going to score," he said. "Sometimes you get the puck, you just know you'll go the distance."
Perhaps 15 seconds earlier, Bonis kicked away a slap shot from Mark Thompson off an Ithaca two-on-one, keeping the game scoreless.
"He plays great every single game," Stenglein said.
The Thunder are trying to go the distance on an undefeated season. They play West Genesee (22-3-2) at 5:45 p.m. Saturday in the state semifinals at Utica's Memorial Auditorium.
"No one ever expected this at the beginning of the year," Sofia said. "We knew we'd be good but we didn't expect to be this good.
"It feels good to be one of four teams left, to be fighting for the state championship."
PHOTO GALLERY 1
PHOTO GALLERY 2
The offensive heroes seem to change from game to game for the unbeaten Greece Athena/Odyssey Thunder, who just keep marching on toward a season of perfection.
Advertisement
"It's a different guy — it seems like — every day," coach Dan Webb said after Saturday's 1-0 victory over Ithaca in the New York State Division I regional at Brockport State's Tuttle Ice Arena.
On Saturday, forward J.T. Stenglein took his turn in the scoring spotlight, breaking the scoreless tie off a dynamic two-zone dash with only 1:05 remaining in the second period.
But while the goal-scorers gladly rotate for the 25-0 Thunder, there has been one constant; the super play of goalie Parker Bonis.
Bonis wasn't busy on Saturday as the Thunder outshot Ithaca 34-13, yet he was still required to make game-saving stops.
"All year he hasn't faced a lot of shots but there are always one or two really, really good opportunities and he's been coming up really big," Webb said.
None was bigger than his save with just 4:16 to play, when he flicked out his glove to snare a point-blank redirection by A.J. Fiore, preserving the one-goal lead.
"I knew I had to make every single save for us to win the game, so I made sure I did," Bonis said.
The one-goal nail biter wasn't necessarily expected, but Ithaca (10-8-6) was content to weather first-shot pressure with goalie Zach Wilder and then hope to catch a break offensively.
"We executed our game plan to a 'T'; we had some chances and it didn't work out," coach Rich Armstrong said.
Wilder may have had luck on his side — Pat Sofia, Stenglein and Eric Gunderson all hit posts in the first 30 minutes — but he also came up with several clutch saves.
"Any other goalie, it's a 5-0 game," Stenglein said. "We couldn't find the back of the net to save our lives."
Except once, and Stenglein was the goal-light bloodhound.
He picked up the puck in his own end, darted through the neutral zone, angled into the Ithaca zone on the left wing, and, from the circle, zipped a low shot that beat Wilder low to the far side.
"Once the puck got on my stick, I knew I was going to score," he said. "Sometimes you get the puck, you just know you'll go the distance."
Perhaps 15 seconds earlier, Bonis kicked away a slap shot from Mark Thompson off an Ithaca two-on-one, keeping the game scoreless.
"He plays great every single game," Stenglein said.
The Thunder are trying to go the distance on an undefeated season. They play West Genesee (22-3-2) at 5:45 p.m. Saturday in the state semifinals at Utica's Memorial Auditorium.
"No one ever expected this at the beginning of the year," Sofia said. "We knew we'd be good but we didn't expect to be this good.
"It feels good to be one of four teams left, to be fighting for the state championship."
Section V Class A FINAL: Greece Athena/Odyssey 3, Fairport 1, (ESL)
Thunder 3, Fairport 1
PHOTOS
D&C Staff Reports 3/01/09
A day that began with Parker Bonis feeling sick to his stomach ended in a jubilant celebration at the ESL Sports Centre Sunday evening. Bonis and his Greece Athena/Odyssey (24-0) hockey teammates captured the Section V Class A championship with a 3-1 win over Fairport, denying the Red Raiders (18-3-5-1) their third consecutive crown.
Stout defense, two goals from sophomore forward J.T. Stenglein and steady play in net from Bonis, who stopped 21 of 22 Fairport shots, led to the Thunder winning its first sectional title since 2006. Athena/Odyssey advances into the regionals of states against Section IV's Ithaca at 4 p.m. Saturday at SUNY Brockport's Tuttle North Ice Arena.
"This feels great, especially after last season's devastating (double-overtime) loss to Fairport in the AA title game," said Bonis, a sophomore who has stopped 52 of 53 postseason shots. "I wasn't confident coming in because when I woke up this morning I felt real sick and threw up, but I felt I had to play because my team needed me. I felt sick all game but thinking of that perfect season kept me going. This is amazing."
Playing in front of more than 2,500 people, the Thunder, the state's top-ranked Division I team, struck first when Jordan Grills rifled a shot from outside the right circle for a power-play goal 6 minutes, 55 seconds in. It was the senior's first varsity goal. "We knew it would be a low-scoring game and we just came out and made a lot of great plays," said Stenglein, who earned MVP honors. "Once we get the first goal, we usually take the game and after the first goal we knew we were going to win."
The second-seeded Red Raiders (18-3-5-1) enjoyed a 5-on-3 advantage for 56 seconds and mustered five shots during their power play, but couldn't get one past Bonis. After being shut out twice by the Thunder during the regular season, Fairport finally got on the board with 2:38 remaining in the first. Chris Button stole the puck outside his own blue line, skated into the right circle and fired on goal. The shot bounced off the crossbar to Tim Modesti, who hammered home the rebound.
Stenglein regained the lead for Athena/Odyssey on a power-play goal with 65 seconds left in the first. As Stenglein emerged from the penalty box, Riley Bourbonnais put the puck on Stenglein's stick and Stenglein skated along the left side and shot into the upper-right corner for a 2-1 lead. "J.T. has absolutely picked it up in sectionals. In the middle of the season he became one of the hardest working guys on the team and he's been just terrific ever since," Greece coach Dan Webb said. "When he's taking the puck to the net, he's got defensemen back on their heels because of his size and speed."
It appeared Cole Bardreau netted the tying goal with 4:12 remaining in the second, but despite the goal light going on, the goal was disallowed and the score remained 2-1 heading into the third. Despite another 5-on-3 power play opportunity, Fairport never could get the equalizer. "When our defenders would throw the puck on net, we needed a few more bodies in front. Parker pretty much saw all the point shots," said Fairport coach Chris Moretter. Stenglein finished the scoring with 7:01 remaining in the third.
Wes Vyverberg Reports
Game Report
Is it just me or does that first scrimmage against the Lightning or even that first official game of the season against Webster, way back in November, seem like an eternity ago to anyone? I feel like I have aged from all the emotion of this unprecedented and once in a lifetime e-ticket ride. While Thunder's storied journey on the road to the 2008-2009 Section V Class A Crown has been well-documented in pictures and in prose, it will more importantly remain forever etched in the hearts, minds, and souls, of all those who truly bleed black, purple and gold. It is a story that will be told for generations to come as the proud heritage of Greece Thunder Hockey lives on. Maybe even a best-seller someday or a made for TV movie starring Michael Richards or a documentary starring Sacha Baron Cohen... or not.
With the ink from Thunder's semifinal win over the Lightning barely dry, our very own Energizer-Kimmy activated the PROJECT SECTIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP launch sequence, putting the HIGH SCHOOL FAN CLUB on notice that they were responsible for filling the stands with positive signs and people in purple. Then there was the finishing/flying of the Thunder freak flag, unveiling of the purple thundies and the all-important re-decorating of the Presidential Thunder Sectional Championship Jeans, otherwise known as "Pants One" (now on display at Place One).
Next came a reading from the book of a motivational speaker who lives in a van down by the river (actually, it was from Cathie Graus):
Winning a Championship is what every team dreams of, but only one can earn the right to be called "Champions". Giving everything you have to your team is not enough and perhaps is a bulk understatement. You need more than everything you have to be a Champion, your team has to want it double the amount everyone else does, you need Sacrifice, Character, Purpose, Discipline, and Drive to achieve a goal as high as a Champion. Most Importantly, you need to work as a team, play for the guy sitting next to you on the bench, selfishness will never lead you down the road to being a Champion, but will lead you to a quick ticket home. Every shift is the most important and the biggest one of your life, every battle in the corner is the most important one, but what's more important? You not getting hurt and being too tired to play or putting your team in front of yourself and battling with everything it takes, battling with more tenacity than you've ever played with, wanting it so bad that you won't let anything get in front of the team to end your run for glory. So when it comes down to your decision of whether you want to do what it takes to be a champion or go watch with all the other teams that have been eliminated. Only you can make that decision. YOUR MOVE!
Followed by a poem from the President:
Today, we go to do something special.
Today we gather in that rink to support our boys and everything they have worked so hard to do
Today we go to do something that is beyond........
You'd think us parents were lacing 'em up ourselves with the title game upon us and our stomachs all in knots. Thankfully, we had the easier job of watching from the stands. It was a packed house inside the ESL Feature Rink with fans lingering from the Class B final as a sea of red filed in to the right facing a sea of purple across the way on the left. The atmosphere was quite palpable as Thunder and Fairport came out for warm-ups a few minutes after a couple of "big-checks" were thrown at center ice to fuel the local Skating for the Cure campaign. With a small Ithaca contingent on hand to catch a glimpse of their competition, Fairport sent out their mascot in a pirate costume to skate around waving the Red Raider flag. It was hard to hear the music what with all the commotion in the building and the fans getting into it, but as both teams returned to the ice after the cut, Prime Time Sound was loud and clear treating everyone with a six-piece brass anthem to beat the band. And did you happen to notice that the stripes had a pink hue to them or that the score-keeping attendants were all decked out in pink jerseys, in the name of Breast Cancer Awareness? Not only was Thunder #1 in the state coming into this game, but they were also #1 in the section by a landslide, having sold more pink pucks than any other team and raising over $1000 of the $4000 collectively donated by Monroe County High School Hockey teams to Skating for the Cure.
Both sides were off to a jittery start playing the baker (making a lot of turnovers) in this one and out game of high stakes. Fairport's Cole Bardreau, touted by their signage as a 2011 #1 NHL draft pick, dumped Eric Gunderson in the early going, when the puck was nowhere near, but instead of issuing an interference call, the ref brought Cole over to apologize to Gundo, leaving everyone scratching their heads, huh? Thunder had an early fire drill in their own end when the puck got behind Bonis and was sitting dangerously in the paint. Along came Scotty Tam-Grimshaw to sweep it to the corner so that everyone in Thunderville could breathe a sigh of relief. Then almost seven minutes into the contest, Thunder drew first blood, on the powerplay. Better save that biscuit, for at long last, Thunder senior Jordan Grills was credited with his very first varsity goal. It was a group effort for sure and went something like this. Matt Lane won the battle in the left circle bumping it out to Dan Vyverberg at the point, who went D-D hooking it over to Scott Tam-Grimshaw, who walked in and fired a slapper on net with Brandon Cheeseman and Jordan Grills setting up the screen in front. As Cheese jumped out of the way, Jordan got a piece of it, deflecting it by Carlston for the goal. Thunder enjoyed another long rally on their back to back powerplays, but they were unfortunately unable to get the 2-goal lead they were after. Then with less than 3 minutes to go in the opening period, Bonis' pad save on a blast by Chris Button kicked out to the slot where Tim Modesti was standing by ready to bury the rebound for the equalizer. And with only 16.4 seconds left on the clock, after receiving a long lead pass on the powerplay from Riley Bourbonnais, walking in on the left side, and megging a Red Raider defenseman, JT Stenglein picked the top-left corner on Carlston to regain the lead. Greece recorded 15 shots to Fairport's 6, taking a 2-1 lead into the first intermission.
Second period was a whirlwind and rather difficult to follow as both teams were mired with penalties from beginning to end making it a special-teams-showcase. JT hit the post on an early short-handed bid. Cheese spent the bulk of the period in the box for a check from behind. Mike Miller served his minor and made a nice stick check on the way back to the bench. JT took out the ref coming around the wall in front of the Fairport fans. Vypes turned away countless Fairport attempts on the PK including a couple of nail-biting 5 on 3 kills. Pat Sofia dumped Bardreau at center ice to answer the cheap shot he took on Gunda at the beginning of the game. Mike McNeil did a fine job defending our line as he got the puck out and roughed up his check. Then there was the one that got a away. Gunderson caught a pass in his skates all alone on the back door staring at three quarters of the net gaping wide open. As he eventually worked the puck out to his stick and directed it at the goal, we all figured it was money in the bank, but then Carlston came diving across out of nowhere and gloved it for the save of the game. Eric Hostetter made a brief appearance before the period was over, making a nice play to get the puck deep. JT went to the box for another alleged Louganis, this one from the 2 meter platform, as Cole slew-footed him at a stoppage in play. Bardreau lit the lamp for Fairport, or should I say the goal judge with an itchy trigger finger lit the lamp. The goal was immediately overturned without having to take it to Toronto as the goal judge admitted to the refs that the puck never crossed the line. I am sure there are some omissions but I did my level best to capture the essence of that wild and crazy second period, where Thunder logged only 5 shots to Fairport's 6. Speaking of essence, the essence of Thunder was well represented at the second intermission Score-O, with the Pres' showing off her yellow top and Pants One ensemble, while Eric Grills was sporting the #1 pink "skating for the cure" sweater and some sort of dead animal on his head.
Thunder returned from the final break with a 49 second powerplay to start the third period after a scoreless second frame that kept it a 1-goal game. No can do for Thunder, so then Fairport took their turn on the powerplay and Greg Ryan had to "shoot the duck" at one point to get the puck out. The parade to the box continued and it was not long before Thunder found themselves defending yet another 2-man advantage for the Red Raiders. With Fairport on the attack, Vyper caught an edge and went down, but Gunderson had his back as he came across to force the attacker wide. Shortly thereafter Gundo's twig broke. Ever try killing a 5 on 3 with no stick? This was a defcon 4 situation, but Vyper and Gundo weathered the storm until they could get Gundo a new stick and eventually a 4th skater. After one of Thunder's short-handed clears, Bardreau came flying back on the attack and Go-Greggy Ryan turned on his own jets, catching Cole on the back-check to take away the shot. With a bumper crop of kills behind them, the gas light was on "E" for the Thunder D, but not for JT, as he lugged the mail down the left side and beat Carlston once again, this time to the right side, and it was 3-1 Thunder with only 7 minutes standing between them and their Holy Grail. Eric Gunderson recorded the lone assist. Ben McCubbin and Matt Keough took a few shifts to help out the cause making nice D-D passes to keep their team in control. Gunda make a couple of big hits at the clubhouse turn and into the home stretch. With less than 4 minutes to go the boys played it smart making the line and getting it deep. Fairport called a time out at the 2-minute warning as they were headed to the box. And while the last two minutes ticked off the clock, the fans took over with chants of UN-DE-FEA-TED, as the Greece Athena/Odyssey Thunder Hockey team won their 24th game of the season to claim the 2008-2009 Section V Class A Crown, their second title in Three years. Thunder... There is no other.
Hats off to the boys for all their hard work and a well-earned victory. Hats "on" to Bruce Rizzo, who believed in our team so much that he went out on a limb ordering SECTION V CLASS A CHAMPIONS 2008-2009 HOCKEY hats with the Thunder Logo on in advance so he would have them to wing out on the ice at the conclusion of the game. Yeah Rizzzzzzzzzzzooooooooo! Offensive player of the game went to Tim Modesti, who scored Fairport's only goal. Defensive player of the game was awarded to Eric Gunderson with 1-assist, and the MVP honors went to JT Stenglein with a pair of goals including the winner. Shots were 26-22 in Thunder's favor with Parker Bonis turning away 21 of 22 shots, netting his 16th win on the season. Well done!
Thunder advances to the NYS Regional Quarterfinal on Saturday, Mar 7, 4pm @ Tuttle North Ice Arena on the campus of SUNY Brockport, where they will face Ithaca from Section IV.
Section V Class A Semifinal: Greece Athena/Odyssey 2, Greece Arcadia/Olympia 0, (ESL)
Athena/Odyssey defeats Greece rival in Section V Semifinals
PHOTOS
D&C Staff Reports 2/24/09
BRIGHTON — As the unbeaten Greece Athena/Odyssey Thunder skated out for warmups before their sectional semifinals on Tuesday night, a student cheering section from cross-town rival Arcadia/Olympia tried to rattle the state's No. 1 ranked hockey team. Held high to taunt the Thunder was a sign that simply read 22-1. A wishful prediction by the Lightning followers.
Thunder defenseman Eric Gunderson saw it and had other thoughts. "I just wanted to make another sign that read 23-0," Gunderson said. Consider it made as the Thunder defeated the Lightning 2-0 at the ESL Sports Centre, thanks to Gunderson's two goals, Parker Bonis' 13 saves and a superior team effort. In winning, Athena/Odyssey moves into Sunday's 5:30 p.m. Section V Class A championship game against Fairport.
"Give credit where credit is due, they're a very good team," Arcadia/Olympia coach Chuck Dossier said. "They beat up some good teams this year." The Thunder didn't overwhelm the Lightning, but clutch goals by Gunderson provided the necessary comfort zone.
"A lot of people said we peaked early in the year but we've continued to play well," Gunderson said. "Today we just outplayed them." The Thunder outshot the Lightning 11-2 in the first period but didn't score until 13:43. Gunderson's shot from the top of the slot hit a player in front of the net but caromed right back to him in the left circle, and he fired in his own rebound. "I couldn't have done it without Greg Ryan's shoulder," Gunderson said of his teammate. "The shot bounced off him and right back onto my stick."
The goal was critical in terms of establishing superiority. "One of the things they (the Lightning) have been doing is jumping out and making the other teams chase them," Thunder coach Dan Webb said. "We wanted them to chase us." The chase became more desperate when Gunderson scored again at 10:40 of the second period on a power play.
This time the goal came on Brandon Cheeseman's rebound. After goalie Josh Opladen made two point-blank saves on Cheeseman, Gunderson calmly plucked the rebound out of the goal-mouth pile and swept it into the open side of the net. While Bonis wasn't tested more than three or four times in the Thunder net, Opladen was the reason the winning margin was just two goals. The freshman made several great saves. "I'm just so proud of these guys," said Dossier, whose team finished 13-9-2-1. "Everyone doubted us all year long."
Wes Vyverberg Reports
Game Report
Thunder is 22-1, pause, NOT, just ask Bob Newhart and he'll set the record straight. My name i' Borat, I like Thunder. I like a 23-0, it's niiiiiice! That's right, the Greece Athena/Odyssey Thunder Hockey Team remains unbeaten after turning out the lights on the Greece Arcadia/Olympia Lightning and blanking them 2-0 in their sectional semifinal at ESL Sports Centre Tuesday nite. Thunder felt right at Home, warming up in white to the sounds of Sharp Dressed Man, Mission Impossible, and Thunderstruck, as they welcomed junior forward Mike Miller back from an extended leave on the DL that was prompted by an undisclosed lower body injury early on in the season. As both teams took the ice after the post warm-up ice cut, Amanda Sherry, Odyssey graduate and sister of Thunder forward Andy Sherry, delivered her own cut, of the anthem that is. The hits keep on coming and they haven't even dropped the puck yet. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.
The first shift of the game was a little 'sloppy joe', resulting in an early wake-up call for the Thunder when they found themselves short-handed just one minute in at the first stoppage of play. Time to tighten up the screws. Thunder did just that as they killed off the first penalty of the game with authority, dictating the play and preventing Lightning from establishing any sort of measureable presence in their zone on the man advantage. As Thunder cleared the box, a 4-minute rally ensued, with heart-pounding, end-to-end action, before the next whistle would come along to give everyone a chance to catch their breath. The highlight of the rally was watching Eric Gunderson wait out the Lightning's attack on a late-developing 2-on-1, then dropping to his chest at the very last moment and swatting the Lightning puck carrier's pass attempt away with his 12-foot or better reach.
Dan Vyverberg took charge in the pocket for a spell to keep Thunder on the attack, snapping off a series of crisp passes to the forwards regrouping in the neutral zone. Then Gunda did it again, breaking up yet another 2 on 1 rush with that amazing reach while "lying down on the job". And just in case that was not enough to get the boys fired up, Gundi came right back and put away a rebound that kicked out to him after he cranked a shot off the shoulder of teammate and fellow captain, Greg Ryan. It was a greatly anticipated one-hole-goal that would ultimately stand up as the winner in the end. But the Lightning would not quit as they were back in black and on the attack with under a minute to go in the period. Enter JT Stenglein with a solid back checking effort to catch David Powlowski, lifting his stick before he could get a shot off and sending play back the other way. Riley Bourbonnais was on the scene digging for one last shot at the buzzer and he had the corner picked, but Opladen was equal to the task. And so, Thunder would go to the first intermission with an 11-2 shot margin, enjoying a 1-0 lead.
A few minutes back from the first break, the Thunder powerplay was back in action, but they overstayed their welcome and Bonis was forced to save their bacon with 3 consecutive point-blank saves on Wood, a good while after we were back at even strength. Thunder promptly segued from PP to PK as JT went to the box for an alleged Louganis at the next stop. Out came Vyper to challenge the shooter, making his first save of the game on the PK and then half-way through the kill, JT had company, as Hebs got called for a high-stick. Gundo and Pat joined Vyper for the 45 second 5-on-3 kill before JT's sentence was up and then away went J with a short-handed bid that would also be denied by Opladen. Two minutes later Thunder was assessed a too-many-men penalty and Mike Briganti got the nod to serve. Steve Hebberecht made a nice clear off the glass to bolster this kill and then Lightning made it 4 on 4 as they touched up a delayed penalty of their own with an angry slapshot that banked off the boards into the vacant Thunder net (that's all you're gonna get). With Briganti clearing the box, Thunder was man up, and Mike saw a bit of action on his way back to the bench. Then in the waning moments of Thunder's abbreviated powerplay Eric Gunderson would cash #2, pulling the puck out of the pile and raking it into the gaping right side of the goal after Brandon Cheeseman took a couple of whacks of his own at close range. Was that a flip pass over the back of the net, by Go-Greggy? Way to mix it up! Two down, one to go.
The third period was fairly nondescript, although a few nice plays stood out, like Scotty's block at the beginning which led to a transition the other way. Or Riley's blue-collar efforts to pressure the puck and keep us in the O-Zone. Or Vyper's big block on Powlowski. Or the 2 on 1 break for Pat and Greg that missed to the right, a bit of a Norwood. Dan Miller was on the job in the stands, quickly quashing any inappropriate mention of another SO. Although, the most stressful part of the third and final frame was after Gunda was summoned to serve for falling on the puck. With only a two goal lead this was certainly no slam dunk as the Lightning pulled their goalie to get the 6 on 4 advantage for the final 49 seconds. In the end, Vypes, Hebs, JT, and Greg stood tall in front of Parker as they all worked together to fend off the Lightning's final act of desperation.
The Johnson & Johnson first star of the game goes to the one with the reach, Eric Gunderson, for a pair of goals and a pair of 2 on 1 breakups; second star goes to Dan Vyverberg with 2 Harry's and a solid all-around effort on the backend; third star goes to Josh Opladen with 18 saves for the Lightning, as it could have very easily been a 5-0 game without Josh in net. Shots were 20-13 in Thunder's favor with Bonis netting his 5th shut-out and 15th win on the season. With a third victory over the Lightning behind them, Thunder advances to the Section V Class A title game on Sunday.
The Greece Athena/Odyssey Thunder Hockey Team will return to ESL for their pound of flesh against Fairport in the Section V Class A Final, 5:30pm on Sunday, March 1st @ ESL Sports Centre. Be there or be somewhere else missing out on all the pom poms and circumstance!
PHOTOS
D&C Staff Reports 2/24/09
BRIGHTON — As the unbeaten Greece Athena/Odyssey Thunder skated out for warmups before their sectional semifinals on Tuesday night, a student cheering section from cross-town rival Arcadia/Olympia tried to rattle the state's No. 1 ranked hockey team. Held high to taunt the Thunder was a sign that simply read 22-1. A wishful prediction by the Lightning followers.
Thunder defenseman Eric Gunderson saw it and had other thoughts. "I just wanted to make another sign that read 23-0," Gunderson said. Consider it made as the Thunder defeated the Lightning 2-0 at the ESL Sports Centre, thanks to Gunderson's two goals, Parker Bonis' 13 saves and a superior team effort. In winning, Athena/Odyssey moves into Sunday's 5:30 p.m. Section V Class A championship game against Fairport.
"Give credit where credit is due, they're a very good team," Arcadia/Olympia coach Chuck Dossier said. "They beat up some good teams this year." The Thunder didn't overwhelm the Lightning, but clutch goals by Gunderson provided the necessary comfort zone.
"A lot of people said we peaked early in the year but we've continued to play well," Gunderson said. "Today we just outplayed them." The Thunder outshot the Lightning 11-2 in the first period but didn't score until 13:43. Gunderson's shot from the top of the slot hit a player in front of the net but caromed right back to him in the left circle, and he fired in his own rebound. "I couldn't have done it without Greg Ryan's shoulder," Gunderson said of his teammate. "The shot bounced off him and right back onto my stick."
The goal was critical in terms of establishing superiority. "One of the things they (the Lightning) have been doing is jumping out and making the other teams chase them," Thunder coach Dan Webb said. "We wanted them to chase us." The chase became more desperate when Gunderson scored again at 10:40 of the second period on a power play.
This time the goal came on Brandon Cheeseman's rebound. After goalie Josh Opladen made two point-blank saves on Cheeseman, Gunderson calmly plucked the rebound out of the goal-mouth pile and swept it into the open side of the net. While Bonis wasn't tested more than three or four times in the Thunder net, Opladen was the reason the winning margin was just two goals. The freshman made several great saves. "I'm just so proud of these guys," said Dossier, whose team finished 13-9-2-1. "Everyone doubted us all year long."
Wes Vyverberg Reports
Game Report
Thunder is 22-1, pause, NOT, just ask Bob Newhart and he'll set the record straight. My name i' Borat, I like Thunder. I like a 23-0, it's niiiiiice! That's right, the Greece Athena/Odyssey Thunder Hockey Team remains unbeaten after turning out the lights on the Greece Arcadia/Olympia Lightning and blanking them 2-0 in their sectional semifinal at ESL Sports Centre Tuesday nite. Thunder felt right at Home, warming up in white to the sounds of Sharp Dressed Man, Mission Impossible, and Thunderstruck, as they welcomed junior forward Mike Miller back from an extended leave on the DL that was prompted by an undisclosed lower body injury early on in the season. As both teams took the ice after the post warm-up ice cut, Amanda Sherry, Odyssey graduate and sister of Thunder forward Andy Sherry, delivered her own cut, of the anthem that is. The hits keep on coming and they haven't even dropped the puck yet. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.
The first shift of the game was a little 'sloppy joe', resulting in an early wake-up call for the Thunder when they found themselves short-handed just one minute in at the first stoppage of play. Time to tighten up the screws. Thunder did just that as they killed off the first penalty of the game with authority, dictating the play and preventing Lightning from establishing any sort of measureable presence in their zone on the man advantage. As Thunder cleared the box, a 4-minute rally ensued, with heart-pounding, end-to-end action, before the next whistle would come along to give everyone a chance to catch their breath. The highlight of the rally was watching Eric Gunderson wait out the Lightning's attack on a late-developing 2-on-1, then dropping to his chest at the very last moment and swatting the Lightning puck carrier's pass attempt away with his 12-foot or better reach.
Dan Vyverberg took charge in the pocket for a spell to keep Thunder on the attack, snapping off a series of crisp passes to the forwards regrouping in the neutral zone. Then Gunda did it again, breaking up yet another 2 on 1 rush with that amazing reach while "lying down on the job". And just in case that was not enough to get the boys fired up, Gundi came right back and put away a rebound that kicked out to him after he cranked a shot off the shoulder of teammate and fellow captain, Greg Ryan. It was a greatly anticipated one-hole-goal that would ultimately stand up as the winner in the end. But the Lightning would not quit as they were back in black and on the attack with under a minute to go in the period. Enter JT Stenglein with a solid back checking effort to catch David Powlowski, lifting his stick before he could get a shot off and sending play back the other way. Riley Bourbonnais was on the scene digging for one last shot at the buzzer and he had the corner picked, but Opladen was equal to the task. And so, Thunder would go to the first intermission with an 11-2 shot margin, enjoying a 1-0 lead.
A few minutes back from the first break, the Thunder powerplay was back in action, but they overstayed their welcome and Bonis was forced to save their bacon with 3 consecutive point-blank saves on Wood, a good while after we were back at even strength. Thunder promptly segued from PP to PK as JT went to the box for an alleged Louganis at the next stop. Out came Vyper to challenge the shooter, making his first save of the game on the PK and then half-way through the kill, JT had company, as Hebs got called for a high-stick. Gundo and Pat joined Vyper for the 45 second 5-on-3 kill before JT's sentence was up and then away went J with a short-handed bid that would also be denied by Opladen. Two minutes later Thunder was assessed a too-many-men penalty and Mike Briganti got the nod to serve. Steve Hebberecht made a nice clear off the glass to bolster this kill and then Lightning made it 4 on 4 as they touched up a delayed penalty of their own with an angry slapshot that banked off the boards into the vacant Thunder net (that's all you're gonna get). With Briganti clearing the box, Thunder was man up, and Mike saw a bit of action on his way back to the bench. Then in the waning moments of Thunder's abbreviated powerplay Eric Gunderson would cash #2, pulling the puck out of the pile and raking it into the gaping right side of the goal after Brandon Cheeseman took a couple of whacks of his own at close range. Was that a flip pass over the back of the net, by Go-Greggy? Way to mix it up! Two down, one to go.
The third period was fairly nondescript, although a few nice plays stood out, like Scotty's block at the beginning which led to a transition the other way. Or Riley's blue-collar efforts to pressure the puck and keep us in the O-Zone. Or Vyper's big block on Powlowski. Or the 2 on 1 break for Pat and Greg that missed to the right, a bit of a Norwood. Dan Miller was on the job in the stands, quickly quashing any inappropriate mention of another SO. Although, the most stressful part of the third and final frame was after Gunda was summoned to serve for falling on the puck. With only a two goal lead this was certainly no slam dunk as the Lightning pulled their goalie to get the 6 on 4 advantage for the final 49 seconds. In the end, Vypes, Hebs, JT, and Greg stood tall in front of Parker as they all worked together to fend off the Lightning's final act of desperation.
The Johnson & Johnson first star of the game goes to the one with the reach, Eric Gunderson, for a pair of goals and a pair of 2 on 1 breakups; second star goes to Dan Vyverberg with 2 Harry's and a solid all-around effort on the backend; third star goes to Josh Opladen with 18 saves for the Lightning, as it could have very easily been a 5-0 game without Josh in net. Shots were 20-13 in Thunder's favor with Bonis netting his 5th shut-out and 15th win on the season. With a third victory over the Lightning behind them, Thunder advances to the Section V Class A title game on Sunday.
The Greece Athena/Odyssey Thunder Hockey Team will return to ESL for their pound of flesh against Fairport in the Section V Class A Final, 5:30pm on Sunday, March 1st @ ESL Sports Centre. Be there or be somewhere else missing out on all the pom poms and circumstance!
Section V Class A Quarterfinal: Greece Athena/Odyssey 6, Aquinas 0, (Lakeshore Hockey Arena)
Section V Quarterfinals Thunder 6, Aquinas 0
PHOTOS
D&C Staff Reports 2/21/09
If it looked like the Greece Athena/Odyssey hockey team was playing with an extra bounce in its step, that's because the 30 boys welcomed a familiar sight back to their bench during Saturday's Class A quarterfinal matchup with rival Aquinas. Dan Webb, the embattled ninth-year Thunder leader who resigned as coach of the state's top-ranked Division I team Feb. 6, returned to the bench at Lakeshore Ice Arena after serving his school board-mandated two-game suspension. The top-seeded Thunder (22-0), inspired by their coach's presence, responded with a 6-0 shutout of the Little Irish before more than 900 people inside a jam-packed Lakeshore. Sophomore forward Riley Bourbonnais, who has a penchant for scoring big goals in sectionals, found the back of the net three times, upping his season total to 21.
"It was awesome having them back, Coach Webb has done nothing but help me with everything and he's a great coach. No one can replace him," said Bourbonnais, who wore his emotions on top of his black Thunder helmet, which read "I miss Webb, W (for assistant coach Rob Weilert) and G (for assistant coach Erik Geller) who all returned to the bench Saturday. "It felt amazing and so right having them back. I was crushed by (coach) Webb not being there, so when I saw him out there I was happy and wanted to work hard for him and bring him back a state title."
No. 8 Aquinas (11-12-2-1) had several good scoring chances early on, but couldn't convert, thanks to an aggressive, hard-hitting Thunder defense. Matt Lane's goal with 2:53 remaining in the first gave Athena/Odyssey a 1-0 lead. Following a Thunder penalty, Athena/Odyssey defenseman Eric Gunderson caused a turnover and delivered a perfect pass to Bourbonnais inside Aquinas' blue line. Bourbonnais' fake forced Aquinas goalie Peter Dohr to make a play on the puck low, leaving the entire far side of the net open. Bourbonnais converted an acrobatic back-hander for a short-handed goal and a 2-0 lead 1:26 into the second.
"Riley's an amazing athlete and he always comes through at clutch times when we really need some offense," Webb said of Bourbonnais, who now has six goals in his last four sectional games. "He's one of our guys that seems to always produce those big-time, big goals. He's a play-maker all the time." With Bonis (18 saves) stifling every Aquinas opportunity, two goals was more than enough to lift the Thunder into Tuesday's semifinals against Greece Arcadia/Olympia (13-8-2-1).
Greece sophomore J.T. Stenglein was a little worried about facing tough, physical Aquinas for a third time, after the Thunder escaped with a pair of one-goal wins in the regular season. "If there was one team we didn't want to play, it was definitely Aquinas," said Stenglein, who made the score 4-0 on a power-play goal 9:22 into the second. "They were probably the best team we played all year, they always gave us hard games and we were nervous with the draw, but we came out on top. We have a deep team that can make a run" at sectionals and states.
After the loss, all Aquinas coach Steve Chinappi could do was praise the Thunder's all-around balanced play. "That's the best team I've seen," said Chinappi, who pointed to his team's lack of power play goals and poor special teams play with creating the deficit. "Today Greece was on top of its game and didn't make one mistake. Even when they were short-handed, their penalty killers didn't make mistakes and Bonis made every save he could to keep that lead."
PHOTOS
D&C Staff Reports 2/21/09
If it looked like the Greece Athena/Odyssey hockey team was playing with an extra bounce in its step, that's because the 30 boys welcomed a familiar sight back to their bench during Saturday's Class A quarterfinal matchup with rival Aquinas. Dan Webb, the embattled ninth-year Thunder leader who resigned as coach of the state's top-ranked Division I team Feb. 6, returned to the bench at Lakeshore Ice Arena after serving his school board-mandated two-game suspension. The top-seeded Thunder (22-0), inspired by their coach's presence, responded with a 6-0 shutout of the Little Irish before more than 900 people inside a jam-packed Lakeshore. Sophomore forward Riley Bourbonnais, who has a penchant for scoring big goals in sectionals, found the back of the net three times, upping his season total to 21.
"It was awesome having them back, Coach Webb has done nothing but help me with everything and he's a great coach. No one can replace him," said Bourbonnais, who wore his emotions on top of his black Thunder helmet, which read "I miss Webb, W (for assistant coach Rob Weilert) and G (for assistant coach Erik Geller) who all returned to the bench Saturday. "It felt amazing and so right having them back. I was crushed by (coach) Webb not being there, so when I saw him out there I was happy and wanted to work hard for him and bring him back a state title."
No. 8 Aquinas (11-12-2-1) had several good scoring chances early on, but couldn't convert, thanks to an aggressive, hard-hitting Thunder defense. Matt Lane's goal with 2:53 remaining in the first gave Athena/Odyssey a 1-0 lead. Following a Thunder penalty, Athena/Odyssey defenseman Eric Gunderson caused a turnover and delivered a perfect pass to Bourbonnais inside Aquinas' blue line. Bourbonnais' fake forced Aquinas goalie Peter Dohr to make a play on the puck low, leaving the entire far side of the net open. Bourbonnais converted an acrobatic back-hander for a short-handed goal and a 2-0 lead 1:26 into the second.
"Riley's an amazing athlete and he always comes through at clutch times when we really need some offense," Webb said of Bourbonnais, who now has six goals in his last four sectional games. "He's one of our guys that seems to always produce those big-time, big goals. He's a play-maker all the time." With Bonis (18 saves) stifling every Aquinas opportunity, two goals was more than enough to lift the Thunder into Tuesday's semifinals against Greece Arcadia/Olympia (13-8-2-1).
Greece sophomore J.T. Stenglein was a little worried about facing tough, physical Aquinas for a third time, after the Thunder escaped with a pair of one-goal wins in the regular season. "If there was one team we didn't want to play, it was definitely Aquinas," said Stenglein, who made the score 4-0 on a power-play goal 9:22 into the second. "They were probably the best team we played all year, they always gave us hard games and we were nervous with the draw, but we came out on top. We have a deep team that can make a run" at sectionals and states.
After the loss, all Aquinas coach Steve Chinappi could do was praise the Thunder's all-around balanced play. "That's the best team I've seen," said Chinappi, who pointed to his team's lack of power play goals and poor special teams play with creating the deficit. "Today Greece was on top of its game and didn't make one mistake. Even when they were short-handed, their penalty killers didn't make mistakes and Bonis made every save he could to keep that lead."
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