One year removed from winning only two games, Spencerport’s hockey team rebounded in a big way with 17 wins overall and going 11-1 to win their first Division title since the 1998-99 season. They capped their season with a convincing 7-1 win over Aquinas on Senior Day led by junior Mark Neu’s hat trick and four-point game.
The Rangers jumped out to a 1-0 lead as senior defenseman Anthony Miceli flipped a backhand into the back of the net for his first goal of the season 5:03 into the contest.
The Rangers made it 2-0 as junior Luc Fedele and sophomore AJ Giannavola worked a perfect give-and-go on the power play to give them a 2-0 at the end of the first period.
Neu began his pursuit of the hat trick 9:35 into the second period as he gathered up a loose puck at center ice and picked the top-left corner of the net to make it 3-0 Rangers.
Just 27 seconds after Aquinas cut the lead to 3-1, Neu took a feed from freshman Ryan Plouffe and scored his second of the game to retake the Rangers three-goal advantage.
In the third period, Neu completed his hat trick during a four-on-four situation as he found himself alone on net and scored glove side at 7:55.
“We’ve been playing more controlled and getting the job done,” Neu said. “We came together as a team and we’re looking to Sectionals now. Our original goal was ten wins, but we surpassed that. We’re division champs and looking for more.”
Fedele later made it 6-1 as he swatted in his own rebound after a feed from Neu before Giannavola scored on the backhand at 12:24 as he was in all alone for the final tally.
“They put in the work and then it was up to us (the coaches) to give them confidence,” first year head coach Ryan Ford said. “We redefined our goals, but they kept moving forward and got this ship righted. From day one they have given us every ounce of effort.”
Spencerport junior goaltender Trevor Wiesner made 16 saves to pick up his 13th win of the campaign.
The Rangers earned the second seed in Class B behind Webster-Thomas and a first-round rematch with Aquinas in the Section V playoffs.
