On the doorstep Jameson Motyka gets stopped by Victor's goalie. Photo by Steve Ognibene
Sometimes, the puck does not bounce your way, and last night, everything clicked for Victor Blue Devils as they defeated Batavia Notre-Dame by a score of 6-3.
Victor’s Simon Kowal scored early and took a 2-0 lead after the first period. Jameson Motyka had a chance early on when he had the goalie beat on the right-side post but could not get the puck in the net.
BND scored on the power play by Motyka early in the second to cut Victor's lead to one.
Victor answered back shortly after.
Two minutes later, a nice pass to Chase Cummings on a breakaway led to a goal, reducing the deficit again to one, Victor leading 3-2.
However, on a key power play BND failed to connect, and Victor went on the power play a short time later and scored, then added two more before the end of the period to lead 6-2.
In the third period, with nine minutes left, Sam Pies passed the puck to Motyka to give BND’s last goal.
BND United bench excited from the third goal scored in the first period. Photo by Steve Ognibene
In the quest to go to the Section V hockey finals two years in row is not an easy task. #2 seed BND United did this last evening at The McCarthy by a score of 5-3 over #3 seed Webster Schroeder.
Batavia Notre Dame United beat Webster Schroeder 5-3 on Saturday in the Section V hockey semifinals.
United, the #2 seed in the tournament, scored three goals in the first five minutes.
Chase Cummings scored on the power play; then Chase added another goal after Sam Pies shot one near the faceoff dot deep in Webster Schroeder's zone.
Webster Schroeder scored two quick goals before the period ended.
Both teams battled back and forth in the second period, and United caught themselves on a penalty with two minutes left in the second.
Down by one man, Jameson Motyka found himself on a breakaway to score a short-handed goal past goalie Connelly Springer to lift United ahead 4-2 after 2.
In the last period, United’s Chase Cummings scored his third goal for a hat trick at 20 seconds in to extend the lead by three, 5-2. Schroeder answered to score four minutes later to make it 5-3.
The win gives United a shot at winning back-to-back Section V titles, which Coach Marc Staley said has been the goal since the first face-off of the season.
"It's hard to go back to back. It's hard to coach a team the year after you win everything," Staley said. "And you know, we went through some months. We went through some learning curves earlier this year. We had to realize you don't have the (Ivan) Milovidov off on the bench and the (Joe) DiRisio on the bench and (Noah) Whitcomb and all those great players, right? So it's like, we got other guys who can step up. It took us some time, but you can see right now, I think, seven, zero and one over our last eight games. We're moving in peak, and I think, at the right time. So it's exciting, I mean, to be back with a chance to bring home another championship."
Point totals for BND United:
Chase Cummings, 3 goals
Jameson Motyka, 1 goal, 2 assists
Sam Pies 1 goal, 1 assist
Brady Johnson, 2 assists
Jake Hutchins, 1 assist
Rhys Tanner stopped 40 of 43 shots on net
#2 seed BND United plays #1 Victor at RIT on Monday March 3rd at 730pm for the Section V Class B Championship
Jameson Motyka scores a goal early in the first period for BND United. Photo by Steve Ognibene
A packed house on Thursday for the Section V Class B quarterfinal in hockey had plenty of reasons to cheer as Batavia Notre Dame United dominated Churchville-Chili for an 8-1 win.
United outshot CC 38-17.
Jameson Motyka scored 5 goals, a hat-trick, coming within in the first eight minutes.
"In the first couple minutes, we started off kind of slow, but once we put the first one in, they just started coming real quick," Motyka said. "In the second period, we kind of took a step back, and then we went back at it in the third. It was a good period to end on going into the next game."
Churchville-Chili’s lone goal was in the second period on a shot by Anthony Indiano.
Point totals for BND United:
Jameson Motyka – 5 goals, 2 assists
Brady Johnson – 1 goal, 3 assists
Jake Hutchins – 1 goal, 1 assists
Sam Pies – 3 assists
Cadan Shamp - 1 goal
Chase Cummings - 1 assist
Will Stevens - 1 assist
Maggie Buchholz - 1 assist
Luke Staley - 1 assist
Goalie- Rhys Tanner - 1 assist, stopped 16 shots in net
BND United, seeded second in the tournament, plays this Wednesday at home vs #3 seed Webster Schroder at 6 p.m.
A battle of top section V hockey teams at The McCarthy friday evening, BND United beats McQuaid 3-2. Photo by Steve Ognibene
A 3-2 victory over McQuaid by Batavia Notre Dame United was a big win for the program said Coach Marc Staley after the game.
The difference came down to United killing a penalty while scoring on its own power play in the third period.
We had that one chance," Staley said, "and we scored on it. We talked about it going into the third period, if we could score on a power play and get the lead, I felt comfortable that we could shut them down."
Staley said the team went with a 1-1-3 defense in the third and it was effective.
"We had 38 clears in the third period, which is crazy, but the kids really committed to blocking shots, getting in lanes, limiting second chances, winning face-offs, doing all that stuff that doesn't show up on the score sheet," Staley said.
Ten minutes into the first period, Luke Staley took a slap shot from the point, and Jameson Motyka redirected a tip-in goal to start the scoring.
McQuaid, one of the top-ranked Class A teams in the state, scored in the second to tie the game when Lou Zaari passed to Sean Donlon.
Two minutes later, BND answered on a fast break from Sam Pies to Jameson Motyka to regain the lead 2-1.With two minutes left in the second, McQuaid scored a goal from Conor Edgecomb to tie the game.
The third period brought McQuaid their first penalty of the game. Brady Johnson capitalized a power-play goal, from Jameson Motyka past goalie Owen Salinas.
In the net, Rhys Tanner stopped 28 of 30 shots on goal.
BND United is now 9-5-2 on the season and plays on the road versus McQuaid next Saturday at Rochester Ice Center at 3:45 p.m.
Batavia Notre Dame United's historic season—a sectional title and 22 wins—came to a disappointing end in the state semifinals of hockey in Buffalo on Saturday.
United lost to Skaneateles, the defending Division II champions, 7-2.
Jameson Motyka scores a goal in the second period. Motyka added two more goals to get the hat-trick including the game winner in overtime. Photo by Steve Ognibene
The third goal, the hat-trick for Jameson Motyka, was the game-winner in overtime for Batavia Notre Dame United in its regional state qualifier at RIT on Saturday.
United beat Kenmore 3-2 to advance to the state semifinal game on Saturday at Harbor Center in Buffalo. Game time is 2 p.m.
BND had a chance to jump to an early lead when Kenmore got into penalty trouble in the first period, at times, being down by two men, and while United managed 14 shots, none made it into the net.
The game was scoreless after the first period of play.
Kenmore took the lead midway into the second period and then with three minutes left, United tied it up on a pass from Noah Whitcomb to Sam Pies to Jameson Motyka.
In the third, United took a penalty with eight minutes remaining in the game, and Kenmore scored shortly after to lead 2-1. With 1:48 left, Motyka netted his second goal with assists to Whitcomb and Brady Johnson to send it into overtime.
Motyka's game-winning goal came eight minutes into OT.
Coach Marc Staley praised his team for its second straight post-season OT effort.
"I can't be more proud of this team," Staley said. "These kids are the most resilient team I have ever had the pleasure of coaching. They believe in each other. They commit 100 percent to the systems and structure we have laid out. They play for each other. They love each other, and they just never get rattled.
"The support we have received from the community has been overwhelming," he added. "Truly overwhelming. Local businesses, our youth hockey program here in Batavia, the entire staff at the McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena, family, friends, alumni, you name it. There are so many people along for the ride with these kids right now. It's a 'feel good"' story for Batavia, and nobody wants it to end. One way or the other, it's going to end this weekend."
The win put United in rarified company in high school hockey, Staley noted.
"There are only four teams in New York State still playing hockey right now, and we are one of them," Staley said. "I feel in my heart that nobody deserves this more than these kids do. I do know one thing: whatever happens this weekend, we are coming to play. We are not afraid. We're going for it."
BND will play its semifinal game against Skaneateles. That team is the defending state champion and is 22-1 on the season. United, which won its first Section V title this season, is 22-2.
BND United's first-ever Section V, Class B championship after three years as a unified program. Photo by Steve Ognibene
Batavia Notre Dame, a merged hockey team in its third year as a united unit, won its first Section V Class B championship Monday in dramatic fashion -- pulling out an overtime victory.
United struck first in the first period.
Brennen Pedersen came off the bench to keep the puck from crossing the blue line for offsides, taking a pass from Jameson Motyka and opening up the scoring for United 1-0 with seven minutes left in the opening period.
Nine minutes into the second period, Ivan Milovidov scored unassisted, which gave United a 2-0 lead.
Webster Thomas cut the lead by one goal, scoring with four minutes left in the period to make it 2-1.
In the third period, after two penalty kills, United maintained the lead with under four minutes left. Webster Thomas scored again to tie the game 2-2 and send it into overtime.
In overtime, each squad had opportunities until Joe DiRisio scored the game-winner on a rebound to give BND the Class B title.
BND United had 34 shots on goal. Rhys Tanner made 32 saves for United.
Section V awards were given to Joe DiRisio, named MVP, and Ivan Milovidov, player of the game.
United moves on to the Regional round versus Kenmore East at Noon on Saturday at RIT.
Coach Marc Staley said he told his team going into overtime to take a couple of deep breaths and go out and do what they've done all year, to trust the process.
"This game could have gone either way," Staley said. "I mean, their goalie made some great saves. Our goalie made some great saves. We ended up getting a loose puck in front of the net, and we banged it home. That's how it goes."
He added, "You know, you get a little luck when you need it. We got a little luck when we needed it."
DiRisio, who scored the winning goal, credited the win to the close bond between team members.
"We just stayed together, really, DiRisio said. "We're brothers. We're family. We love each other. And we knew we had to stay level for it. I feel like being level mentally is 80 percent of the game. It's just it's huge."
The win, making history for the program, was a magical moment, he said.
"Obviously, it's history. It's kind of a numbing feeling because you're just so excited; at least, I am. It's just, it's incredible. It really is."
Ivan Milovidov receives a pass from Jameson Motyka for a goal in the second period. Photo by Steve Ognibene
Batavia Notre Dame United opened sectional play on Thursday as the #1 seed in Class B and came away with the expected victory over Geneseo/Avon/Livonia.
United (19-2) won 6-1 at the David M. McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena.
United scored first on a pass by Jake Hutchins and Orion Lama to Ivan Milovidov.
Five goals in the second period gave United a 6-0 lead.
Three goals were scored by Ivan Milovidov, giving him more than 100 career points.
Brady Johnson and Jake Hutchins also scored.
Goaltender Rhys Tanner lost his shot at a shutout when Matt Mulvaney scored for Geneseo with four minutes left in the game.
United plays next Wednesday at home against #5 seed Canandaigua. The game time has not yet been announced.
