Panthers compete in nationals
The SHAHA U14AA Tier 2 team set five goals for the hockey season. With a national championship secured earlier this month, the Panthers reached all five of their objectives.
First, they captured the regular season banner. Second, they grabbed the league championship, winning the playoffs. Next, they went undefeated against local teams, 5-0, won the Mid-Am District and earned a berth in the USA national hockey championships.
The Panthers opened national tournament action edging New Canaan, 2-1. Then, they defeated the New Jersey Wildcats, 5-3, and crushed the Chelsea Chiefs Gold, 8-1. After shutting out the Greater NY Stars, 3-0, the Panthers dispatched Palmyra Black, 6-4, to reach the finals.
In an overtime thriller, played on April 9 at the Northtown Center in Amherst, the Panthers edged Skaneateles, 3-2, to claim the national title. The victory avenged a previous loss, 5-2, to Skaneateles back in December.
“We have the utmost respect for that team and how they play hockey,” said long-time Panthers coach Brett Adelman. “They’re unbelievably smart and they’re unbelievably gifted. We knew what we were up against. We knew that it was going to take perfection, almost, to get them.”
Though Charlie Majors gave Skaneateles a two-goal lead with scores coming at the start and the end of the first frame, the Panthers recovered.
Anthony Carone narrowed the gap by converting a penalty shot in the second stanza. He tied the contest with 35.8 seconds remaining in the third period to send the game into overtime.
Two penalties 38 seconds apart afforded the Panthers a two-man advantage midway through the extra period. Nick Nagy, off an assist from Carone, scored on the power play giving the Panthers the championship.
The Panthers will also remember this title. All agreed it was a “once-in-a lifetime” event. It was also the ending of a lifetime for Adelman, who retired after coaching the Panthers to the national championship.
“It’s been an emotional rollercoaster for not just me, but the players,” said Adelman. “You couldn’t write a movie script the way this happened. It was absolutely crazy.”
With their six victories at nationals, the Panthers finished 54-6-6 overall for the season.
In addition to Carone and Nagy, the team featured: Kyle Rohrich, Jacob Ball, Jake Adelman, Kirk Stewart, Tanner Mahoney, Hunter Fairman, Charlie Eberle, Zach Kalinowski, Tyler Mahoney, Carson Kress, Brady Rotolo, Ryan Gates, Colton Shiry, Jeremy Buehler, Zach Fairfull and Hunter Suarez.
Dave Rohrich, Andy Marcosky, Bart Gates, Scott Stewart and Rick Kalinowski assisted Adelman with the coaching duties.