BY JONATHAN SKUZA
BRIGHTON, N.Y.- – Every kid’s dream is to score the game-winning goal to win a championship.
Batavia Notre Dame’s captain Joe DiRisio got to live out that dream as he scored the game-winning goal to lift the United 3-2 over Webster Thomas for the first sectional Class B title since Notre Dame and Batavia high schools combined.
As the captain, DiRisio has had to lead by example and score key goals for his team throughout the season, much like he did Monday evening.
“He has scored big goals for us all year,” Batavia Notre Dame head coach Marc Staley commented. “I said to him after the third period, you know what time it is and six minutes later he scores the goal.”
The senior’s history-making goal came on the shot from the point from defensemen Maggio Buchholz that rebounded off the Webster Thomas goalie and DiRisio buried the puck top shelf to claim the title for the United.
”I think I’ll figure that out tomorrow,” DiRisio stated. “I have no feelings right now. I just want to get with my brothers over there and really enjoy tonight.”
Batavia Notre Dame had an edge in the early part of the contest. In a first period that felt like much a feeling out period, the United were able to break the ice and get on the board when Brennen Pedersen put home a shot from the top of the right face off circle. Jameson Motyka set up Pedersen with the early tally.
The United continued their pressure into the early part of the middle period. Ivan Milovidov picked off a clearing attempt by the Titans and was able to score one from the top of the right circle to extend Batavia Notre Dame’s lead.
Webster Thomas did battle back by picking up a goal late in the period when Logan Billone found Cam Hall all alone in front of the net and the sophomore buried a shot to cut the United’s lead in half.
The Titans pushed in the third period looking for an equalizer. Ryan Goel was able to find the tying goal with 3:38 to go in regulation after he threw a shot on net high in the zone that beat the Batavia Notre Dame goalie over his far shoulder.
”We just kept believing in our system,” said Webster Thomas head coach, Dave Evans. “We made some adjustments throughout the periods and our guys responded well and we were able to get the tie.”
Batavia Notre Dame never flinched and was able to keep calm as they headed into a sudden death overtime period that was for all of the marbles.
”I just said breathe,” Staley said of his message in the locker room. “I reminded the kids that last summer if we would have said we were going into overtime tied for the sectional championship game, would you guys take that? Every single one of them said we’d love to be in that situation.”
Both goaltenders shined for their respective teams as they were catalyst to keep their teams in the contest.
After falling behind 2-0, Webster Thomas’s senior net minder Michael Nappi was able to stop everything else he saw in regulation for the Titans. Nappi stood tall when the United put four quick shots on him to start off the third period to keep his team within one. The senior goalie made 30 saves for the Titans
”He’s been steady,” Evans said. “He takes a lot of pride in working hard and doing the right things each and every day. He studies his games and learns from it.”
On the opposite end of the ice was Batavia Notre Dame’s goalie Rhys Tanner, who stood just as tall even when they saw their 2-0 lead disappear.
”I just mentally thought that I know my team has this in the bag,” Tanner said. “We were rolling. I knew that I could do my part to keep it going. All I knew is I just wanted to make saves.”
The United continued a historic season in which they have gone undefeated against Section V opponents and a perfect 14-0-0 at home all season.
”This team has done a lot of firsts,” Staley stated. “They’re the first crew ever to win a sectional championship as a unified program and that’ll always be special.”
Despite falling short Monday evening, Webster Thomas will be advancing to the New York State tournament where will they will play the of the winner of the Section III title on Saturday, March 2.
“I thought we were just a bounce away and they got the bounce at the end and that’s how hockey goes,” Evans stated. “You got to pick yourself up and we get to live another day with an at large bid. So, we’re going to take that and we are going to have short term memory and move forward.”
Batavia Notre Dame will take on Section VI champion Kenmore East in the first round of the New York State tournament on Saturday.
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