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Central club hockey skates to pair of big wins over league opponents
By Steven Dlugosz Times
 | | LEADING THE RUSH...Cheektowaga Central senior Rob Szymkowiak sends a breakout pass away from a Lewiston-Porter player during the Warriors’ 6-2 victory on Saturday. (Times photo) |
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Even if Cheektowaga Central’s varsity club hockey team has a bit of an “off” night, opposing teams are still finding it difficult to beat the Warriors.
Central improved to 15-3-1 overall, 6-0-1 in the Small Schools Division, after defeating league rivals Starpoint and Lewiston-Porter last weekend by scores of 7-1 and 6-2, respectively.
However, Warriors head coach Steve Ferrentino stated that his team didn’t play up to its capability in beating Lew-Port at Depew Rinks.
“We didn’t really give up the puck when we needed to and Lew-Port was really the better team for the first two periods,” Ferrentino said. “We were lucky to come out on top.”
Senior forward Rob Szymkowiak had an outstanding weekend, tallying two goals and one assist against Lew-Port on Saturday, as well as two goals and two assists against Starpoint on Friday.
Szymkowiak’s two first-period goals helped the Warriors forge a 2- 2 tie before Central’s superior depth and speed took over in the final two periods.
In the second, Central defensemen Adam Bobek, a junior, and Ryan Klein, a senior, hit the back of the net for the locals. Bobek’s tally, which turned out to be the gamewinner, came on the power play when his slap shot trickled across the goal line after Lew-Port’s goaltender partially stopped the blast. Klein later scored from the slot.
Forwards Ryan Jaracz (sophomore) and Steve Nworyta (senior) each scored in the third to extend Central’s margin of victory.
The Warriors outshot Lew-Port, 43-15. Goaltender Jordan Kasprzak earned the win between the pipes, stopping 13 shots.
Central had pounded Starpoint at Niagara University, the site of a Warriors’ postseason victory over the Spartans one year ago. The matchup again had similar results.
In addition to Szymkowiak’s scoring effort, Bobek and senior center Jared Fischer each tallied two goals, with Fischer adding two assists and Bobek, one. Nworyta contributed one goal and one assist, while Klein notched two helpers.
After trailing 1-0, Central scored two goals in both the first and second
periods and three in the third.
Szymkowiak said the Warriors are using their best attributes– speed and depth– to continue their success from previous seasons.
“Starpoint had been our best competition over the last couple of years and we played well against them,” the senior told the Times. “We did lose talent, with nine seniors graduating from last season’s roster, but we’ve still got a good team and a good shot to go a long way this season.”
Central returns to action Saturday against league foe Tonawanda, with face-off scheduled for 9 p.m. at the Cheektowaga Recreation Center. Cleve Hill/JFK splits two,
improves to 8-2-2 overall
The Cleveland Hill/John F. Kennedy varsity club hockey team continues to earn points in the Southtowns League standings and has won eight of its first 12 contests.
The Highlanders (8-2-2 overall) defeated league rival Canisius on Friday at Leisure Rinks, 3-1, as senior forward and co-captain Paul Hockwater scored two goals, including the game-winner in the second period.
Senior co-captain Nick Torgalski, a defenseman, also hit the back of the net for the locals. Junior forward Jordan Halligan tallied one assist.
The Highlanders, who are currently in third place in the Southtowns Small School League behind St. Francis and Iroquois/ Alden, dropped a 3-2 decision on Monday to Iroquois/Alden.
Facing a 3-0 deficit, Cleve Hill/ JFK fought back to within a goal of the Chiefs on tallies by Torgalski and senior center Sean Olejniczak. However, the locals could not draw even.
The Highlanders will play in the Cheektowaga Christmas Tournament tomorrow, Tuesday and Wednesday against City Honors, Lockport and McKinley, respectively. Cleve Hill/JFK returns to league action on December 31 at 10:15 a.m. against Eden/Lake Shore at Leisure Rinks.
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