Buffalo N.Y. – On the last Friday of February, the Quakers marched down to the home of the Buffalo Sabres, the Keybank Center, something most kids dream of doing.
“We were talking about this the other day–that we are the only Section that gets to play in a professional arena. To walk down this hallway that the Sabres do, sit on their bench, it’s a memory-maker for sure,” Mr. Dannecker said.
Even though the Legends ended up scoring the 1st goal, the Quakers set the tone by scoring 4 unanswered goals in the first period, with sophomore forward Gavin Reashor scoring 2 goals and Cameron McCarthy and Brennan O’Hara scoring 1 goal each.
“We wanted to get off to a fast start and put the game away early,” said Coach Ferrentino when asked about his game plan.
Even with all the goals scored by the Quakers, the win wouldn’t have been possible without the outstanding performance from freshman goaltender Matthew Schwarzott, who made an outstanding 16 saves for 19 shots.
“It feels good to win Sectionals by a lot like that; it means we have a lot of confidence going into States,” Schwarzott said postgame.
A lot of Orchard Park High School Students showed up to cheer on the team and keep the spirits high throughout the whole game. The large number of people in attendance made the atmosphere of playing in a big stadium like the KeyBank Center even more exciting and special. The Quakers’ love for their school’s athletics is unmatched when compared to neighboring schools; they always know how to bring the energy when it’s needed most.
The Orchard Park Quakers ended the game victorious, defeating the Lancaster Legends 8-3 to continue the streak, winning their fourth consecutive Section VI title. The Quakers finished their regular season with a record of 17-1-1-1, going into the Farwest Regional at the Harbor Center on March 8th.
Freshman goaltender Schwarzott hoped to “run it up and win it” in the big game but was ultimately disappointed. The team fell to the West Genesee Wildcats when they came from behind to topple the Quakers 6-4 in the Far West Regional, dashing the Quakers’ hope to take it all at States.
