By KEVIN OKLOBZIJA
Even though the Rochester Ice Center was essentially in his backyard, an hour-and-a-half drive to and from games or practices was nonetheless the norm the past few years for Hunter McDonald.
He spent 2015-16 and 2016-17 commuting to Syracuse to play for an elite travel team. Last season he was going back and forth to play for the Buffalo Jr. Sabres. It was well worth the Thruway time last year; the team won USA Hockey’s Tier I Youth Only-15 national championship.
This season, however, the junior defenseman has been right at home, playing his first — and what will be his only — season of high school hockey with the Fairport Red Raiders.
This, too, has been very well worth it. Fairport advanced to the Section V Class A championship game on Thursday night by storming past Penfield 7-3 at RIT’s Gene Polisseni Center.
The Red Raiders will play for their first sectional title since 2014 when the puck drops at 8 p.m. on Monday at the Gene. The opponent is long-time rival Pittsford.
Cory Forster scored two goals, Nick LaMendola, Caleb Kaiser, Colin Herington, Mitchell Zanon and McDonald each scored once, and Nick Krug had three assists as the second-seeded Red Raiders improved to 16-3-3.
“This is awesome,” said McDonald, who has verbally committed to play at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. “You score, everyone cheers your name. Someone else scores, everyone’s fired up. Everyone is coming together and we’re all excited.”
McDonald had a great deal to do with the early excitement on Thursday. His big body check on the game’s first shift created defensive chaos for Penfield, resulting in a goal for Foster just 41 seconds into the game.
LaMendola pushed the lead to 2-0 at 9:43, then Kaiser steered home a perfect shot/pass by Krug at 13:42 and Fairport was in command.
“We talked about that being a goal going in, that we have to really have a great first period,” Fairport coach Chris Moretter said. “If we can get a couple goals in the first period, we’re a different team.”
Penfield (16-5-1) clawed back when Matt Rockhill roofed the rebound of a Jack Schlifke shot just 3:22 into the second period.
Herington retaliated at 11:28 but the Patriots were credited with a buzzer-beater as Nathan Sobko’s rebound shot was ruled to have found the net in the final split second of the period.
No matter. McDonald rocketed home a shot on a power play 1:32 into the third period, restoring the three-goal cushion and the Red Raiders rolled to the victory.
This it’s my cousin. Facts I am very proud of him. WTG Tom in getting him in the shape he is in.