By KEVIN OKLOBZIJA
When it’s win-or-go-home time, a lopsided loss is often easier to accept than a crushing overtime defeat.
You get blown out, you know you weren’t the better team. But lose in overtime, on a head-high shot that deflects in off your own player’s facemask, and, well, that’s a bitter way to see it all end.
But in the wake of a 3-2 overtime loss to Section III power West Genesee in the state Division 1 quarterfinals, Hilton High School coach Chris Monfiletto said in retrospect, the game epitomized the Cadets season.
“All season long, these guys just believed,” Monfiletto said after the Cadets (14-9-1) played in the program’s first state tournament game. Until Monday, they had never even played in a Section V championship game, let alone won the brick.
So while Saturday night’s OT heartbreak was difficult for the Cadets to accept, they left Lakeshore Hockey Arena knowing they had brought the program to new heights.
“If there’s anything we’ve learned,” Monfiletto told his team afterward, “don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do something.
“If you believe, and you’re surrounded by others who believe, then anything can be accomplished.”
They have the sectional Class A trophy to prove it. They have a scoresheet from the state quarterfinals that showed even after falling behind 2-0 late in the second period, they weren’t done.
“They went out fighting,” Monfiletto said.
Indeed, the Cadets erased that 2-0 deficit on a second-period power-play goal by Liam Porter and Lucas Grizzanti’s wrap-around goal 9:25 into the third period, and then applied serious pressure late in regulation.
But West Genesee (19-4-1) finally prevailed, capitalizing just eight seconds into its only power play of the game.
The Wildcats won a faceoff to the left of goalie Lennon Suplicki and moved the puck to Schneid at the right point. His shot sailed high into the far right of the crease, where it struck defenseman Liam Porter on the left side of the facemask and plopped down just inside the left post.
There was nothing Suplicki could have done. The senior goalie finished with 42 saves.
“I can’t say enough about Suplicki,” Monfiletto said. “He’s the reason we were here.”
West Genny senior forward Logan DeWaters scored the only goal in the first period. He pounced on a loose puck at center, sped in on right wing and zipped home a wrister at 9:32.
West Genny moved ahead 2-0 when Schneid scored on a breakaway at 12:53 of the second period. He hauled in a long home-run pass up the middle right at the Hilton blue line, sped down the slot and fired a shot past Suplicki to the far side.
But the Cadets retaliated before the period ended, converting on a power play at 15:50. Junior defenseman Luke Zelesnikar moved in on right wing and, as he neared the corner, passed across the slot and Porter was alone to fire into the open left side of the net.
The Cadets maintained pressure in the third period and finally tied the score at 9:25 on Grizzanti’s wrap-around goal.
His initial drive down the right of the slot was denied but he retrieved the puck, circled behind the net and, while still behind the end line, slam-dunked the puck just inside the left post.
“That was a good old-fashioned, back-and-forth heavyweight fight,” Monfiletto said. “Hats off to them, they deserved to advance.”
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