The Orchard Park boys hockey team lost a tight 3-2 contest versus Lancaster on Sunday, Dec. 18. The loss makes the Quakers winless in their last three games and moves the team to a 1-3 mark this season.

Freshman Robert Zwirecki and junior John Januszkiewicz scored for Orchard Park.

Here’s just how close the Quakers came to tying the game late in the third period:

Orchard Park was inches away from tying Lancaster late in the third period of Sunday's loss.

Justice Rogers

Justice Rogers
Senior, OPHS
Volleyball, Hockey, Track

I want to visit: Hawaii
Favorite teacher: Mr. Swords
Top Gun name: Deadlock
Dream job: NHL hockey coach
I can’t live without: Sports
Favorite meal: Subway sub
Best concert: Three Days Grace
Favorite OP athlete: Matt McCormick
Last thing I read: Sports Illustrated

Joe Mesi – Junior, Orchard Park High School
Hockey, Baseball

Joe Mesi

Favorite sports team:
New York Yankees
Favorite tv show: Keeping Up with the Kardashians
Favorite teacher: Jay and Fonz
Favorite movie character:
Lieutenant Doofy (Scary Movie 1)
I would want this professional athlete to be my teammate: Jennie Finch
Hidden talent: Dancing abilities
Hobbies other than sports:
Archery, Tap dance clubs
I would like to have dinner with: Kendra Wilkinson

The Orchard Park/Frontier girls hockey team defeated Williamsville in overtime, 3-2, to capture the Section VI Championship on Wednesday, March 2.

Here is the team photo, courtesy of Mike Ditonto.

Orchard Park/Frontier Girls Hockey - Section VI Champions

Nick Friol won the MVP for the NJCAA hockey tournament.

Nick Friol, a 2009 OP graduate, scored two goals in Erie Community College’s 4-2 win over Monroe Community College in the National Junior College Athletic Association hockey championship on Sunday, Feb. 27.

Friol was named the tournament’s most valuable player.

The national title is the 51st overall for the ECC athletics department.

Five days after losing to Williamsville in the WNY Girls Varsity Hockey Federation* championship, 6-0, the Orchard Park/Frontier girls hockey team won its rematch with Williamsville to capture the sectional title on Wednesday night in overtime, 3-2.

Megan Sarles, Chelsie Hausberger, Kelsey Zawodzinski

The combined squad of Orchard Park and Frontier lost its previous four games to Willamsville and were outscored 18-4 in those contests.

The sectional title win gives the OP/F squad an overall mark of 10 wins, 10 losses and two ties.

*The Federation is comprised of seven teams including, Orchard Park/Frontier, Williamsville, Monsignor Martin, West Seneca, Amherst/Sweet Home, Kenmore and Lancaster. Monsignor Martin is not eligible for the sectional title.

Mikaela Ditonto

The Orchard Park/Frontier girls hockey team stunned Monsignor Martin (17-1 in regular season) in the semi-finals of the Federation playoff hockey tournament Thursday afternoon, 2-1.

The girls lost three previous contests to Monsignor Martin; 7-0, 5-1, and 5-2, but were able to neutralize their opponent’s offense by adjusting their defensive alignment.

“They are so strong offensively,” OP/F assistant coach Lucian Forcucci said. “We brought our strong side winger down to support the corners so we could outnumber them low and brought our weak side winger over to split the two defensemen.
Their defensemen were open, but we took our chances with their defense beating us with point shots than letting their forwards come out of the corners.”

Tied 1-1 late in the third period, OP/F earned its second goal of the contest to go ahead. From there, the girls went into a trap defense to preserve the win.

“Once we were up, 2-1, we went into a trap and sent a girl into the fore check and kept our other four in the neutral zone and held on for dear life,” said Forcucci.

An outstanding performance was provided by eighth grade goalie Mikaela Ditonto, who stopped what appeared to be surefire goals by Monsignor Martin.

“Our goalie played amazing,” said Forcucci. “She probably had five and six point blank guaranteed goals that she kicked out. We had a few bounces go our way, but it was one of those games where things fell into place.”

Orchard Park/Frontier, now with a 10-8-2 overall mark, will play Williamsville in the Federation title game on Friday, Feb. 25 at the Northtown Center in Amherst at 8 p.m.

Bernadette O'Connell

Bernadette O’Connell scored a hat trick in the Orchard Park/Frontier girls hockey team’s 3-2 playoff win over Kenmore on Tuesday.

The victory put the girls into the semi-final championship against top seed Monsignor Martin in a game to be played on Thursday at the Northtown Center in Amherst at 11:30 a.m.

Charlie Kritkausky made 15 saves in OP's loss to Will North on Monday.

The Quakers lost in their bid to advance to the large school championship with a 1-0 loss to Williamsville North at the Northtown Center at Amherst Monday evening.

Freshman goalie Charlie Kritkausky was brilliant in goal stopping 15 of 16 shots.

The Quakers did a great job containing a potent Will North offense, but failed to produce a goal offensively.

Orchard Park finished the season with 10-10-2 record.

Carl Lester and the Quakers take on Williamsville North tonight.

The Orchard Park hockey team is set to take on the Williamsville North Spartans, the number one ranked team in New York State, in the semi-finals of the large school playoffs.

The game is scheduled to be played at the Northtown Center in Amherst at 7 p.m.

Williamsville North won both regular season contest defeating OP, 6-1 and 3-0.

The Quakers advanced to the semi-final by defeating Niagara Wheatfield on Friday, Feb. 18, 2-1.

Lancaster and Frontier are playing in the second semi-final at 9 p.m.

The Orchard Park hockey team defeated Niagara Wheatfield in the first round of the large school playoffs on Friday, Feb. 18, 2-1. The Quakers received goals from Mike Held and Joe Mesi.

Orchard Park Hockey

An excerpt from a conversation I had last night…

James (referring to the Sabres game lengthy shootout): Wow, that was a long shootout.

Nicole (@Buffalogal): Awesome game. Just awesome. Why I love hockey.

James: I guess I missed it.

Nicole (@Buffalogal): We may have an issue if you are not a hockey fan. I’m a little obsessed.

James: Haha. I like hockey just fine. I just prefer watching OP play.

Kelsey Zawodzinski

Kelsey Zawodzinski
Senior, Orchard Park HS
Field hockey, Hockey

Dream job:
Playing in the NHL
Favorite sports team: Buffalo Sabres
Favorite actor/actress:
Josh Duhamel
Favorite Orchard Park athlete: Mel Janulewicz
I would like to visit: Australia
Favorite teacher: Mr. Brach
I would like to have dinner with: Sidney Crosby
Hobbies other than sports:
Going to the beach
Fondest sports memory:
Winning the championship game with Orchard Park JV hockey in 2010
I am looking forward to: The summer and going to college

The Orchard Park-Frontier girls hockey team lost 5-2 to the Monsignor Martin squad, the league’s top team, at the Tacoma Rink in North Buffalo Thursday night.

The game featured two power play goals by OP-F; one each from Bernadette O’Connell and Madison Potenza.

The highlight of the game came late in the second period. A parent kept yelling for Orchard Park-Frontier to shoot. When the puck was cleared from the Monsignor Martin zone, an Orchard Park-Frontier player looked up and yelled back at the parent: “Shut up!”

Good stuff!

It reminded me of this commercial:

Charlie Kritkausky

Check out shots of the boys 2-1 overtime victory against Canisius this past Sunday.

View photos

[To see individual player albums, click on the keyword tag under the photo.]

Dan Murphy

Dan Murphy
Junior, Orchard Park HS
Football, Hockey, Lacrosse

Favorite sports team: Buffalo Bills
Favorite school subject: Math
Favorite number and why:
18, I have worn it since I was a kid
Dream job:
Professional athlete
Favorite Orchard Park athlete:
Kole Robinson – “K-Rob”
Favorite meal: Pasta
Favorite song:
“Back Door Man”, The Doors
I want to visit: California
I am currently looking forward to: Hockey playoffs

Two exciting sporting events will take place this weekend for Orchard Park High School athletics.

On Friday night, both the girls and boys basketball teams will host contests on the same evening in a rare varsity doubleheader.

The girls team will play Clarence at 6 p.m. with the boys scheduled to host West Seneca West at 7:30 p.m.

Last season, both basketball teams played on the same night at Clarence in what turned out to be an incredible evening of basketball between two successful athletic programs.

At Clarence, the charm of having both teams play back-to-back games in one night was helped by the fact that each contest was close, but the allure of playing on the same night and in the same gymnasium added to the enjoyment of the evening.

On Saturday afternoon, the girls hockey team will play its first game in its existence after last week’s snow storm postponed its debut.

The OP-Frontier team will have a tough challenge against a Monsignor Martin team that has won all three of its games convincingly against Williamsville (5-1), Lancaster (11-1) and Kenmore (4-0).

Puck-drop is scheduled for 3 p.m. at the North Buffalo Ice Rink on Tacoma Avenue.

Mike McParlane

Mike McParlane
Senior, Orchard Park High School
Hockey

Dream job:
Stay at home dad
Favorite tv show:
Jersey Shore
Talent I’d like to have: Flying
Favorite sport other than what I play: Basketball
Favorite OP athlete:
Martti Kalle Akseli Aura
Favorite sports team: Montreal Canadiens
Favorite OP sport to attend:
Football Games at the Ralph
Best concert I attended: U2
Hobbies other than sports:
Hanging out with friends, grabbing some grub, video games, and listening to music
Fondest sports memory: 2006 Sabres playoff Run
I want to visit: Germany

George Turco moves the puck up ice against Lancaster Friday morning at Leisure Rinks.

In its bid to capture its second win in as many games, the Orchard Park boys hockey team fell to Lancaster Friday morning at Leisure Rinks, 5-4.

Trailing 2-1 toward to the end of the second period, Orchard Park got back-to-back goals from Mike Held and Cullen Mangino less than 40 seconds apart to take the lead, 3-2.

However, the Quakers allowed a goal to the Redskins with 16 seconds left in the period and a power play goal 1:14 into the final period to relinquish the lead.

Lancaster added a short-handed goal to go up, 5-3, and earn the eventual victory.

Senior Cody Fenske skates away from defenders in Orchard Park's 5-1 win over Hamburg Thanksgiving morning.

In its opening game of the 2010-2011 season the Orchard Park boys hockey team defeated Hamburg on Thanksgiving morning at Leisure Rinks, 5-1.

Senior Cody Fenske scored the Quakers’ first goal and Hamburg tied the contest until Orchard Park went off for four unanswered goals beginning late in the second period.

With the score tied, 1-1, Joe Mesi gathered a loose puck and found the back of the net to break the tie with 2:42 left in the second period. James Ford, George Turco and Cullen Mangino each added a goal.

The Quakers will play their next game on Friday, Nov. 26 at 9:30 a.m. at Leisure.