The winter high school sports season began with the Thanksgiving holiday, so here is what we can expect from the local hockey teams:
Churchville-Chili
The Saints set a program record with 17 wins and saw their season end with a loss to Webster-Schroeder 3-1 in Class B finals. It marked the fourth time the team has lost in the finals, one win short of their first Section V championship.
They hope this is the year as they are led by junior Parker Farnham, who led Section V in scoring last season with 50 points and was second with 28 goals. The junior was named MCPSAC’s Division 2 Player of the Year in 2022-23.
“We are looking for continued scoring power from him,” Churchville-Chili 17-year head coach Brian Young said.
Other key players for the season include senior forward Jesse Prue, who tallied ten points in 20 games last season, with the defense anchored by senior Andrew Buxton.
Sophomore forward Ben Kanellis is among those who will be given the opportunity to make up for some of the offense lost from last season’s squad.
“Strong work ethic and hockey fundamentals will lead to a successful season,” Young said. “We have incredible depth that we have not had in years! Expect to run three to four lines consistently down the stretch.”
The Saints will again compete in Class B and begin with road games with Brighton and Williamsville South before their home opener December 5 against Fairport.
Hilton
The Cadets began last season with 16 new players and it showed as they finished 2022-23 with an 8-11-1 record, were the #11 seed, and lost in the first round of the Section V playoffs.
Fast forward to this season and the Cadets return all but one player from last year and have added a few key components.
Senior forward and captain Tanner Smith returns as last year’s leading scorer with 18 points. Senior forward Luke Manley is one of two assistant captains and is joined up front by plenty of depth in freshman Casey Hanrahan, who finished second on the squad with 17 points as an eighth-grader, sophomore Hunter Huttemann – third with 14 points – as well as juniors Aiden Kennedy and Andrew Paolini.
Add in sophomore transfer forward Cam Stewart, who was the second leading scorer for Aquinas last season, and you have two solid scoring lines.
Goaltender and assistant captain Aiden Hill returns after being a First Team All-County Selection last year. The blueline is loaded with experienced juniors in Josh Anstett, Phil Fiorella, Patrick Wiza, and Trent Letcher as well as sophomore Jack Palmer.
“We had 16 new players last season, and all have done an outstanding job in the offseason,” Hilton head coach Chris Monfilletto said. “We are excited about the upcoming season and the opportunity it brings.”
The Cadets have an early Buffalo-area trip to play Starpoint and West Seneca West the first weekend in December before an early December 5 measuring stick against Division I foe Pittsford, who finished second in the division and won the Section V championship last season.
Portside (Brockport and Spencerport)
The Royals finished 8-10-2 in 2022-23 before falling to Gates-Chili in the first round of the playoffs, but will return four key seniors in captains Frank Grad and Sal Balbi with alternate captains Zachary Neu and Kevin Eckard.
Grad led the team last season with 13 goals and 23 points while Balbi was second with ten goals and 20 points. Defenseman Neu and forward Eckard combined for 13 points with both playing every game.
They are among 12 returning players and the squad welcomes ten additions.
Players to watch are sophomore forward Zachary Haines, second on the team with 13 assists as a freshman, freshman forward Andrew Lamberton, eighth-grade forward Wyatt Pence and junior goaltenders Dan Kucmerowski and Liam Bischoping, who combined for eight wins and 488 saves last year.
“We have a relatively young group this year. One eighth, five freshmen, seven sophomores, eight juniors and four seniors,” Portside head coach William McGrath said.
“We have a great group of returning players supplemented by the addition of our 10 new players. The group has equity built from playing together in our JV program. This will be a fun year of development.”
The team will again compete in Class A while the schedule features a two-day holiday tournament in Batavia in late December.
