New York Hockey Journal

NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2023 | NEW YORK HOCKEY JOURNAL 31 had that run last year and got practice time and learned our system should be ready to go." Kenmore/Grand Island/ Lockport — two-time Section VI champions — should be a threat again with junior Isa- bella Burt (Grand Island) cen- tering a top forward line with juniors Isabelle Bourgeault (Kenmore West) and Isabella Jayme (Grand Island). "Bella and Izzy are so dy- namic and confident with the puck," said coach Matt Miller. "They make such a good tan- dem." Other key players are Ken- more West senior goalie Sa- mantha Horne, Grand Island sophomore forward Teagan Willats and Kenmore West sophomore defender Alexa Denning. It's the first year Miller has been the head coach af- ter serving as assistant coach for 13 years. Previous coach Jeff Orlowski resigned aer the 2022-23 season due to work commitments. Miller's assistants are Andy Page and Heather Lewis, and volunteer assistant Marc Bourgeault. "I have done so much co- coaching with Jeff that we think the game the same way," Miller said. "Last year, he became president of the Kenmore Teachers' Associa- tion and there were a lot of practices last year when he was either late or couldn't be there, so it was a good tran- sition year. It is still going to be different because the buck stops with me." Section VI runner-up Ni- agara County returns its top three scorers with sophomore center Sam Latini (Starpoint), junior forward Abby Zimmer- man (Niagara Wheatfield) and senior forward Madison Malone (Starpoint), and top two defensemen, seniors Faith O'Connor (Starpoint) and Marina Mansfield (Star- point). In net will be sopho- more Kennedy Ruest (Lewis- ton-Porter). "Our goal this year is to win the whole thing," coach Gregg Groskopf said. Hamburg/Eden/West Sen- eca/Holland, which lost to Niagara County, 2-1, in triple overtime in the section semi- finals, returns a strong defen- sive core led by senior Hailey Cooper (Eden), sophomore Kelsey Barrett (Eden) and freshman Morgan Cooper (Eden), and freshman goalie Ella Buczynski (West Seneca). Also returning at forward are senior Hanna Barrett (Eden) and sophomores Brynn Hol- land (West Seneca) and So- phia Phillips (West Seneca). Frontier/Franklinville/Or- chard Park/Lake Shore returns senior goalie Kerrigan Mc- Carthy (Orchard Park), senior forwards Mya Dalton (Lake Shore) and Emily Patton (Fron- tier), and junior forward Maya Griffin (Orchard Park). Se- nior Lillah Cudney (Franklin- ville) and sophomore Jocelyn Smaczniak (Frontier) pace the defense. Section I added a third team, the North Avalanche, which will encompass North- ern Westchester and Putnam counties, to join the East Green Wave, which makes up lower Westchester schools, and the Rockland Rockies, which makes up Rockland counties. Confirmed schools join- ing forces to play for the East Green Wave are Ardsley, Blind Brook, Edgemont, Harrison, Irvington, Mamaroneck, New Rochelle, Rye, Rye Neck and White Plains. Confirmed schools for the North Ava- lanche are Brewster, Carmel, Croton Harmon, Fox Lane, Horace Greeley, John Jay Cross River, Lakeland, Ma- hopac, North Salem, Ossin- ing, Panas, Pawling, Pleasant- ville, Putnam Valley, Westlake, Byram Hills and Haldane. Stacey Wierl, who previ- ously coached the East Green Wave to Section I titles the past three years, will coach the startup North Avalanche. The East Green Wave and North Avalanche are expected to feature between 25 and 30 players. Westlake junior Kathryn Lonergan, who previously played for the East Green Wave and is the reigning Sec- tion I Most Valuable Player, will be the first captain for the North Avalanche. She is one of five players moving from the East Green Wave to the North Avalanche. Abigail Roberson, a sopho- more defenseman from Rye who tallied four goals and six assists last year, will be a key returning player for a young and fast East Green Wave squad. The East Green Wave should be solid in net with Ardsley sophomore goalie Si- enna Kay. "We're just thrilled about the expansion in Section I," Wierl said. "What is chal- lenging for us is that we lose a tremendous amount of tal- ent to boarding schools and prep schools in Westchester County. Girls also have the op- tion of playing boys varsity or girls varsity and we still have a handful of players, specifical- ly goaltenders, who choose to play boys varsity. We've over- come those hurdles so we're over the moon to now be at three teams for the 2023-24 season." Section X champion Can- ton returns senior forwards Emily Estabrooks and Ava Murphy, junior forward Tay- lor Stoll, junior forward/de- fender Madelynn Southwick and sophomore defender Eli- za Creurer. Franklin Academy (Malone) returned to Section X, leaving Beekmantown and Saranac- Lake Placid as the only teams le in Section VII. Beekman- town and Saranac-Lake Placid will face each for the Section VII title and play Section II in an outbracket playoff game. In Section IV, Ithaca, which did not field a team last year due to players deciding to play for their club team, returns this year. Tyler Wagenet is the head coach. Section V debuts its inau- gural team, Webster, and will play several non-league con- tests. Ally Watrous is the head coach. Bill Baburchak Adirondack United goalie Ava Reynolds and blueliner Madison Macaulay celebrate the team's state semis win against Canton last season.

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