Leading off today: Greece Athena/Odyssey overcame an early 2-0 deficit yesterday in Utica to defeat Mamaroneck for the NYSPHSAA Division I hockey championship, 3-2.
Sophomore winger J.T. Stenglein's eighth goal in six postseason games, coming with 4:12 remaining, proved to be the winner as the Thunder (27-0) became the first team to go unbeaten and untied en route to a championship since Albany Academy in the 1990-91 season.
Athena/Odyssey fell behind 2-0 in the first five minutes but a first-period goal by sophomore winger Riley Bourbonnais cut Mamaroneck's lead to 2-1, then Bourbonnais set up senior winger Greg Ryan for the tying goal 9:45 into the second period.
"Everyone knew it was basically an overtime game from there," coach Dan Webb told the Democrat and Chronicle.
In the Division II final, Tommy Fiorentino and Andrew Kelleher scored 12 seconds apart late in the first period to start New Hartford on its way to a 6-1 victory against Pelham.
Six different New Hartford players scored goals to secure the team's first championship since 1997. The Spartans dropped the 1998 final to Aquinas in overtime, 3-2.
Rice boys triumph: Miami-bound senior guard Durand Scott scored six of his game-high 27 points down the stretch to break open a one-point game as Rice earned a 67-58 win against Christ The King in the CHSAA's Class AA Intersectional championship game.
Rice coach Maurice Hicks became the first CHSAA coach to win six city titles.
Jermaine Sanders added 11 points for Rice, which will play next weekend's PSAL Class AA champion in the Federation semifinals in Glens Falls on March 28.
In the PSAL semifinals, Bronx JFK scored a 61-58 win over Thomas Jefferson in OT as Naquan Pierce's jumper with 12 seconds to go broke a tie. Top-seeded Abraham Lincoln eliminated Boys & Girls, 76-64, to keep alive its hopes for a fourth straight title. Lance Stephenson led the way with 33 points.
St. Michael's gets it done: St. Michael's Academy defeated St. Peter's, 66-43, and claimed the CHSAA Class AA state championship. The Eagles bridged halftime with a 24-0 run and held the Eagles without a field goal for the entire third quarter. Jennifer O'Niell led St. Michael's with 22 points.
Mount Mercy wins: Buffalo's Mount Mercy won its first state CHSAA title in 14 years by capturing Class B against Bronx Aquinas, 44-35, at Christ The King. Senior Melissa Graham had a game-high 23 points and four assists for Mount Mercy, which returns to the Federation tournament for the first time since 1995.
Keeping track of track: Lancaster junior Melissa Kurzdorfer won the weight throw yesterday with an effort of 54-11½ in the National Scholastic Indoor Championships at
