Ritzel's first shutout paces Rangers

Junior goaltender Curtis Ritzel picked up the first shutout of his high school career and Chris Farnsworth accounted for the only goal of the game as Spencerport beat Churchville-Chili 1-0 in high school hockey February 1.

After a scoreless first period in which Rangers had four power play chances including a five-on-three opportunity, Saints goaltender Jeremy Rossignolo made two point-blank saves in the second minute of the second period. He added another save on a Joe Zaccaria shot to keep the game scoreless.

Five minutes into the second period it was Ritzel's turn to shine, stopping Colby Hawthorne and Tim Sawyer. At 8:17 of the period, Farnsworth was in the right place at the right time to knock home a rebound for the only goal of the game.

"We were worried about a letdown after last night," said Ranger head coach Tom Donnelly about playing their second game in two days. "We didn't have any legs in the second period, but we were able to hang onto the lead. We all but secured a playoff spot with this and, if the seedings stay the same, we would play Canandaigua in the first round. We matched up well with them when we played them earlier this season."

Ritzel faced 23 shots flawlessly in leading the Rangers to their sixth win of the season. Rossignolo made 28 saves in net for the Saints. The matinee also marked the final home game for Saints seniors Phil Gurbacki, Jay Kiem and Brian Sarubbi.