POTSDAM BOWS TO UNBEATEN WEST GENESEE IN N.Y. OPENER

By Bob LaRue, North Country SportsNet
March 6: Potsdam’s Seth Adams netted a first period goal to give the Sandstoners a 1-0 lead, but a pair of second period goals powered unbeaten Section III champion West Genesee (22-0) past upstart Potsdam 3-1 in the New York State Division I Final Four. Adam King scored two Knights’ goals while Erick Hanley added a goal and two assists to power the win. Potsdam goalie Evan Drummater collected 36 saves, while West Genny’s Anthony Millitello registered 14 saves.
 

ASTOUNDING COMEBACK LIFTS LARRIES TO N.Y.S. FINAL FOUR

By Bob LaRue, North Country SportsNet
March 6: It looked bleak in the first 11½ minutes. Three Burke Catholic goals, including two breakaways and a short-handed marker all by the same player, put the Larries in a serious hole in the New York State quarterfinal game on the road. But then came one of the most astounding comebacks in state playoff history. St. Lawrence Central rallied for five unanswered goals – all in the final 3:17 of the opening frame – that only the hockey gods could have cast. Josh Koerner scored three times before the Larries responded. But right out of the next faceoff, Brady Helmer snapped a power play goal in just 13 seconds with an assist from Dylan Patterson. Then Brett Mahoney scored and unassissted Charlie Dullea pulled the trigger on a third Larries’ shot just 33 seconds later. And with lightning speed, the Larries were even. And while the Eagles were still reeling, Patterson lasered a shot from the high slot only 40 seconds later and Helmer polished off the barrage with another marker just 16 ticks later. With the total momentum shift at the end of the first period, it must have seemed like a heavy punch in the gut for the Eagles. But it was not over. Just 59 seconds into the second period, Dullea punched home another shot from Blake Helmer. Zach Baldwin added Goal #7 at 12:59 of the second period to cap a 7-3 win and catapult the Larries into the N.Y. State Final Four next week against Section II’s Queensbury on Saturday at 5:45 p.m. With the win, their seventh in their last eight outings, the Larries improved to 17-7 overall.
 

POTSDAM EARNS DIVISION I TITLE IN 3 O.T. VS. MASSENA

Massena's Cullen Banes (2) wrists the puck past Potsdam goaltender Evan Drummatter and into the lower-left corner of the net to give Massena a 1-0 lead at 13:40 of the first period.  It was the lone goal Drummatter allowed against 24 Massena shots.  The Sandstoners outshot Massena 39-24 over three periods and three overtimes.   (Jordan Bond photo)
Game Gallery   Game Broadcast

By Bob LaRue, North Country SportsNet
It took an almost unbelievable goal with less than two minutes left in regulation to turn Potsdam’s fortunes, after numerous quality scoring opportunities for both sides in the second and third periods. Ryan Merriman simply threw a long-range 70-foot wrister just over the center red line that wired the upper right corner of the net for his eighth goal of the season that tied Potsdam with the Massena Red Raiders 1-1 with 1:41 remaining. The goal came after Massena opening the scoring at the 13:40 mark of the first period after slipping the puck into the lower left corner of the net in the midst of a scrum off a rebound. Potsdam netted the game winner at 1:55 in the third overtime period when Taylor Hzaen buried the game-winner, his seventh of the season, on a pass from Seth Adams sending Potsdam to its first title since 2006. Potsdam has the tough task of traveling taking on undefeated 21-0 Section III champion West Genesee, the top-ranked team in New York State this Saturday at 5:30 p.m. in the state quarterfinals. Massena finished its season at 10-9-2.
 

POTSDAM ADVANCES TO FINAL AFTER 2-1 O.T. WIN VS. CANTON

Potsdam goaltender Evan Drummatter blocks the puck, seen just off the stick of Canton's Matt Flynn (14) that was targeted for the lower right corner of the net.  Potsdam's Greg Burkum broke a 1-1 tie with the game-winning marker at 5:52 of the first overtime period to seal the victory for the Sandstoners in the Section X Division I semifinal.  Mike Ellis staked Potsdam to a 1-0 lead at 5:48 of the first period.  Canton's Trent Durocher knotted the game at 1-1 less than six minutes later.  Both teams played wide-open hockey for the next two periods, but Drummatter and Canton goalie Dakota Sharp made several great saves to force the game into overtime.  (Steve Besaw photo)   Game Gallery    NCSN Broadcast of the Semifinal Game

Burkum's bedlam:  Potsdam unleashes celebration on ice after forward Greg Burkum stepped across the final blue line and unleashed a 30-foot slapper that lasered low and into the opposite corner of the net for the sudden-victory goal.

By Bob LaRue, North Country SportsNet
In hockey, it’s every young skater’s dream. Overtime…game on the line…season on the line in front of the hometown crowd. Snare the pass, slap a blast, beat the goalie clean and be the hero. Several players for both Potsdam and Canton had the chance in five minutes of overtime play in the Section X Division I semifinal. For Potsdam’s Greg Burkum that dream became reality. Burkum drew in the head-man pass from Shane McHenry, stepped across the final blue line and unleashed a 30-foot slapshot that lasered low and into the opposite corner of the Canton net for a sudden-victory goal that propelled the #2-seeded Sandstoners to a 2-1 win and into the Division I title game against the Massena Red Raiders on March 1. Mike Ellis’ opening goal for Potsdam and Trent Durocher’s equalizer in the first period seemed a distant memory after two hard-skating wide-open periods and the overtime that followed. Dakota Ford picked up the assist on Ellis’ goal, while Mike Witherhead and Josh Mousaw assisted on Durocher’s marker. Goaltenders Evan Drummatter of Potsdam and Canton’s Dakota Sharp made save after spectacular save, as each faced a 5-on-3 penalty kill in the third period and constant traffic jams staged in front of the net, but both goalies were equal to each test to backstop their teams into the overtime. Canton finished its seaon t 10-7-4 overall. Potsdam improved to 13-7-1.
 

PATTERSON LEADS LARRIES TO 4-2 WIN OVER ALEXANDRIA BAY

St. Lawrence Central's Charlie Dullea leads the traditional rush in front of the Larries bench after scoring an insurance market, late in the third period.  (Steve Besaw photo)   Game Gallery   NCSN Broadcast of the Quarterfinal Game

St. Lawrence Central goaltender Jordan Gary (30) peers through the mesh to keep an eye on Alexandria Bay's Justin Ward, attacking from behind the net.  Defensemen Hayden Beaulieu (20) and Dylan Paterson (18) tangle with Ward.  Paterson ripped a goal and assisted on two others to lead the St. Larries to a 4-2 comeback victory over tAlexandria Bay in the Section X Division II quarterfinals.

By Bob LaRue, North Country SportsNet
St. Lawrence Central’s Dylan Patterson ripped a goal and assisted on two others to lead the St. Larries to a 4-2 comeback victory over the Alexandria Bay Purple Ghosts in the Section X Division II quarterfinals. Patterson set up Helmer who jammed the puck past goalie Aziel Snyder on the game’s first goal just 1:55 into the contest. But Alexandria Bay countered just over two minutes later when McKenzie Garlock slid a perfect feed across the crease to Josh Slocum who redirected the puck behind Larries’ goalie Jordan Gary. At 12:26, Slocum capitalized on a partial break, stepped over the blue line and blasted a 30-foot shot to the opposite corner of the net to give the Ghosts a 2-1 lead. The Larries recovered quickly in the second period when Andrew Fiske slapped home a pass from Patterson just 3:50 into the frame. Patterson scored what proved to be the game winner on an unassisted marker at 11:07. Jobie McCarthy set up Charlie Dullea at 1:04 of the third period to close out the scoring. The Purple Ghosts closed out the 2009-2010 campaign at 9-13 overall. St. Lawrence Central will host Salmon River in a Division II semifinal on Wednesday.
 

OGDENSBURG TURNS BACK UPSET-MINDED MALONE 3-0

Ogdensburg's Eric Sweeney (12) tipped home the puck past Malone goaltender Dan Rondeau (30) for a first-period lead.
The last-seeded Malone Huskies would not go quietly against the league’s overall top in the Section X Division II quarterfinals. After the opening goal, the Huskies held the Blue Devils at bay until midway through the third period when O.F.A.’s Erik Whitcombe and Jake Garrison scored insurance markers to seal the 3-0 win. (Mike Webb photo)  Game Gallery

Malone's Shawn Mulverhill (23) gets a breakaway on O.F.A. goaltender Chris Harper (32).  Harper collected the shutout with 13 saves in net.  Malone finished its season at 2-18 overall. Ogdensburg will host Thousand Islands in the
Division II semifinal on Wednesday.
 

SALMON RIVER RIPS PAST TUPPER IN QUARTERFINAL

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The puck sits on edge along the goal line, but trickles into the net before Tupper Lake goaltender Marcus Richer (30) can corral the puck sent in Salmon River’s Derek Hopps (3).  Salmon River immediately jumped all over Tupper Lake with eight goals in the first period and six more in the middle frame in trouncing the #3-East Lumberjacks 15-0 in the Section X Division II quarterfinals.   (Eric Foote photo)   Game Gallery

Salmon River’s Trey Smoke (9) makes a pass over the out-stretched log of a Tupper Lake defenseman.   In balanced scoring attack, five Shamrocks – Eric Sisto, Ben Treptow, Derek Hopps, Trey Smoke and Evan Thompson netted two goals apiece while five others each scored once. Salmon River, 2nd seeded in the West, pounded the Tupper Lake goal for 55 shots in the first two periods alone. Tupper Lake closed out its season at 2-18 overall. Salmon River will travel to St. Lawrence Central for the Division II semifinal on Wednesday.
 

LARRIES ADVANCE TO FINAL IN 5-3 WIN OVER SALMON RIVER

St. Lawrence Central’s Charlie Dullea (9) celebrates one of his two goals, the Larries' third of the game, which turned out to be the game-winner in a 5-3 win over the defending-champion Salmon River Shamrocks in the Section X Division II semifinals.  After a scoreless first period, the teams opened the middle frame with a barrage of shots and scores. St. Lawrence's Brett Mahoney lit the lamp first on a power-play goal at 0:22 of the second period.  Salmon River's Derek Hopps and Oakley Thomas came right back with back-to-back goals just two minutes apart to shift the Shamrocks into the lead 2-1.  St. Lawrence restored their lead on goals from Zach Baldwin and Dullea.  The Larries advance to play O.F.A. for the title. 
(Eric Foote photo)  Game Gallery

Salmon River’s Chris George (77) and Evan Thompson (8) jam at a rebound, but were unable to jar it loose from St. Lawrence Central goalie Jordan Gary.  Brady Helmer provided the Larries with an insurance marker at 7:48 of the final period, which proved to be crucial to the win when Oakley Thomas countered with a Shamrock goal to trim the deficit to 4- 3. Dullea ended the Shamrocks hopes with an open-netter with just 0:21 remaining. Larries’ goalie Jordan Gary backstopped the win with 30 saves. Salmon’s Matt Healy stopped 19 shots. Salmon River ended its season at 8-11-2 overall. 
(Eric Foote photo)  Game Gallery
 

QUICK O.F.A. "GOAL PAIRS"
SINK VIKINGS IN SEMIFINAL 5-1

Ogdensburg's Grant Prudhomme goes flying into the boards when checked by a pair of Thousand Islands players, Andrew Kellogg (4) and Kaleb Barton.  Prudhomme had a goal and an assist. O.F.A.'s Erik Whitcombe buried two goals, the first of a quick pair in both the first and third periods, that powered the Devils to a 5-1 win over the Vikings in the Section X Division II semifinals.   (Besaw photo)  Game Gallery   NCSN Broadcast

Thousand Islands' Drew Parisian celebrates after scoring the lone Vikings' goal of the contest late in the third period, the only blemish on a solid goaltending effort by Ogdensburg goaltender Chris Harper.  Harper made 26 saves, while T.I.'s Tyler Sorrell stopped 31 shots. O.F.A. blitzed two quick goals just 15 seconds apart from Erik Whitcombe and Jake Garrison in the first period.  The Blue Devils held the 2-0 lead into the third period.  Thousand Islands nearly closed the margin when a shot rang off the goalpost to start the third period, but Whitcombe and Ross Klossner buried goals at 1:08 and 1:16 of the period to secure the win and a berth in the Division II final on Monday.  (Besaw photo)  Game Gallery   NCSN Broadcast
 

THOUSAND ISLANDS UPSETS
N-N ICEMEN IN QUARTERFINALS

Thousand Islands goalie Tyler Sorrell makes a point-blank glove save on a shot from Norwood-Norfolk's Tyler Murray. Sorrell guarded the net in a flawless 23-save shutout performance as the Vikings upset the East Division’s top seed, the Norwood-Norfolk Icemen in the Section X Division II Hockey quarterfinals.   (Eric Foote photo)   Game Gallery

Norwood-Norfolk’s Thomas Plumb (12) reaches to poke check the puck off the stick of a Thousand Islands player.  The Vikings' Nate Kemp buried a goal and dished out two assists to lead the scoring attack. Ben Lauraine, Drew Parisian and Ethan Whitton each netted goals for Thousand Islands who finished as fourth seed in the West. The Vikings tallied two first-period goals and carried a 2-0 lead into third period before securing the win with another pair of goals. The Vikings will travel to Ogdensburg for the Division II semifinal on Wednesday. Norwood-Norfolk finishes its season at 11-9-1 overall.
(Eric Foote photo)   Game Gallery