Following a school record 18 wins and just the second division title in team history, Hilton’s hockey team entered the Section V playoffs as the second seed; the highest in program ahead of the 2002-03 season when they were third.
Irondequoit, ranked the top team in New York State in Division II, was seeded first while Hilton was ranked eighth as of early February.
The Cadets began their postseason with a convincing 10-0 victory over the Greece Lightning behind hat tricks by Frank Gaffney and Jake Palumbo and a three-assist game by Jesse Edwards and a three-point game from Ryan Gurski.
The game was virtually over in the first nine minutes as Hilton netted five goals, including two power play markers.
Gaffney opened the scoring just 1:03 into the contest when he picked up the puck at center ice, skated down the left wing, around a checker and scored short-side.
Palumbo made it 2-0 when he scored off a scramble in front of the net with assists from Gurski and Edwards. The third goal followed an offensive zone power play draw won by Sean Robson back to the right point. Alex Whitehair’s shot was stopped, but the rebound was pounded in by Gaffney.
At 6:45 of the first period, Brian Mangene found Gaffney for a power play tally to finish off his hat trick and put Hilton up 4-0.
Edwards did the dirty work to create the fifth goal winning a corner battle before passing to Palumbo at 8:58.
The Cadets added four more goals in the second period. Whitehair moved in from the right point and his wrister from the face-off circle found the net at 1:02 with assists to Edwards and Gurski.
Palumbo finished off his hat trick at 10:51 of the second period when he tucked the puck inside the post from behind the net for the Cadets seventh tally.
Gaffney scored his fourth goal off a rebound from Austin Bull’s shot at 12:42 and Gurski scored a shorthanded goal converting a two-on-one with Whitehair in the final minute of the second to make it 9-0.
With their top line and top defensive pair on the bench for all of the third period, the Cadets made it 10-0 with a power play goal at 14:21 as Cody Edwards passed to Dillon Spall who came off the half wall to the net and scored.
Sophomore goaltender Patrick Dennehy made 18 saves to register his third straight shutout and extend his consecutive shutout minutes streak to 146:15; creeping up on the school mark held by Mike Collichio from the 2002-03 campaign.
“We were able to play everyone but, in a game like this, you hope not to develop any bad habits,” said Hilton head coach Chris Monfiletto. “We did play our game though and stuck to the plan.”
The Cadets advanced to play seventh seed Canandaigua in the Class B playoff quarterfinals. The winner will play the victor of Aquinas vs Webster-Schroeder in the semifinals.
