D’YOUVILLE WVB UPSETS DAEMEN AND MERCY, WINS FIRST EVER CONFERENCE TITLE
For the first time in program history, the D’Youville Saints women’s volleyball team is headed to the NCAA Division II Tournament, as they claimed the East Coast Conference Championship over the weekend.
Five Saints seniors, including four WNY natives, will enjoy this victory to its fullest, having embarked on a long trek to the summit of the ECC. Eve Musielak (Eden HS), Emma Wlostowski (Alden HS), Elizabeth Murphy (Mount St. Mary Academy), and Kendal Haberer (Lake Shore HS) along with senior libero Samantha Killane (Vero Beach, FL) have been with the Saints since their journey in Division II started.
Back in the Fall of 2021, D'Youville athletics began their transition from Division III to Division II, joining the same conference as the Amherst-based Daemen Wildcats. In their first three years in Division II, the Saints went 14-65, winning just five league games. DYU was slowly but surely building toward success, and this fall, the Saints reached the mountaintop.
On October 10th, D’Youville beat top-ranked Daemen, three sets-to-two, in the Wildcats’ gym. It was the first time they beat the Wildcats in their then-eight-meeting history. That win showed the self-proclaimed “Dawgs” they could compete with, and beat, the best in their league.
This past weekend, the Saints marched into the Lumsden Gymnasium once again, this time for the ECC Postseason Tournament, as the fourth seed. D’Youville defied the odds for a second time this season and took down the Wildcats with an emotional, five-set victory, advancing to the Conference Championship match.
On Saturday night, the Saints defeated the 3rd seed Mercy Mavericks, three sets to one, to claim the ECC Championship, punching their ticket to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history.
D’Youville will find out where they are headed and who they will face during the NCAA Selection Show online tonight at 7:30.
SABRES WIN BACK-TO-BACK, SWEEP THREE GAME CALIFORNIA ROAD TRIP
For the first time this season, the Buffalo Sabres have won back-to-back games. With their wins against Anaheim and San Jose over the weekend, the Sabres swept their three-game road swing in California.
On Friday night, it took some physicality and post-whistle aggression to get the Sabres into the game in the second period. After suffering the first two goals against, Buffalo responded late in the second frame with two goals in the span of fifty seconds from Alex Tuch and Jason Zucker, tying the game before the intermission. In the third, both teams played with a defensive posture, equally as satisfied with the free point awarded for a tie after sixty minutes in an interconference game. In Overtime, Jiri Kulich followed up an Alex Tuch rebound and threw it home to give Buffalo the 3-2 win in extra time.
On Saturday, the Sabres came from behind again, this time, twice, erasing 1-0 and 2-1 deficits. Just hours after Sharks’ legend Joe Thornton’s number 19 was retired and hung in the rafters, Buffalo’s Peyton Krebs ripped the puck in for the Sabres first goal on the night, celebrating with a point to the 19 on his own back. Dylan Cozens notched the second tying goal in the third period for Buffalo, amid a period bogged down by Sabre penalties. Fortunately for them, Buffalo’s penalty kill has been stout as of late, and their backup goalie James Reimer was fantastic in his Sabre debut. Buffalo killed four penalties in the final frame and Tuch netted the eventual game winner shorthanded. Rasmus Dahlin’s empty net goal sealed the deal on a 4-2 win for Buffalo, sweeping the road trip.
The Sabres, now 11-9-1 on the season, host the wounded Minnesota Wild for a Thanksgiving Eve battle on Wednesday night. With the way they’ve been playing, I would argue vehemently that the blue and gold deserve a jumpin’ crowd at KeyBank Center Wednesday night. Puck drop is set for 7PM.
FOUR WNY HS FOOTBALL TEAMS ADVANCE IN STATE PLAYOFFS
Four high school football teams advanced the state playoffs this past weekend, with one team claiming a league championship with emphasis. The Health Sciences Falcons, Salamanca Warriors, and Clymer-Sherman-Panama Wolfpack each took victories in the Far West Regional and advanced to the NYSPHSAA Semifinal, while the Canisius Crusaders defeated the St. Joe’s Marauders in the Monsignor Martin Athletic Association Championship game.
KIMBLE’S CANISIUS CRUSADERS CLAIM MMAA TITLE OVER ST. JOE’S
What an environment it was on Saturday afternoon in West Seneca, as Canisius hosted their rivals at the Stransky Sports Complex. Students from both schools began the day in separate parking lots, with St. Joe’s faithful wearing all white, and the Crusaders opposing in black. Just before kickoff, the students stormed the Complex and set up camp behind their respective classmates on either sideline, cheering, singing, and taunting the students across the field. Each section had a flag with their schools’ colors waving in the air through the mist and rain that came throughout the afternoon, all adding to the one-of-a-kind atmosphere for high school football in Western New York.
The Canisius game plan was no secret entering the game, given their starting quarterback, Matteo Brusco, being sidelined with an injury. The Crusaders were going to run the ball with the most sought-after sophomore in New York State, Eli Kimble. With collegiate offers from Oregon, Penn State, Ohio State, and plenty others, Kimble proved why he is a front-runner for the Connolly Cup Trophy, given to WNY’s top football player each year. In the first quarter, Kimble ran for two highlight reel touchdowns to give the Crusaders a lead they would never give up. Kimble ended the game with just under 200 rushing yards and four touchdowns to secure the 32-22 victory.
It’s the first MMA Championship won by Canisius’ third year Head Coach Kraig Kurzanski (CHS Class of ‘84). After the game, in an interview with WNYAthletics, Coach Kurzanski aired his grievances with the Trench Trophy committee in an interview, which failed to name a single Crusader as one of the twelve finalists for the award given to the area’s top lineman.
It's always about guys up front, right? For us not to have people represented on the Trench Trophy [Award Finalists] is ridiculous. I mean, this is the best offensive line I've coached...Canisius HS Football HC Kraig Kurzanski '84 // @WNYAthletics
According to the Trench Trophy’s website, their selection criteria requires at least one finalist from each class in Section VI and the MMAA. This season, two Monsignor Martin linemen were named finalists: Jeremiah Guerrero (St. Joe’s) and Michael Harris (St. Francis).
Canisius advances to the NYS Catholic High School Football Championship next week, when they host Iona Prep on Saturday. Kickoff from Koessler Field is set for noon. Tickets are available here.
HEALTH SCIENCES, SALAMANCA, CSP ADVANCE TO NYSPHSAA SEMIFINAL
On Saturday, the Health Sciences Falcons defeated Section V’s Eastridge 32-0 to claim the Class B Far West Regional Title. The Falcons (9-3) will take on the powerhouse from Section IV, the Maine-Endwell Spartans (12-0) at Vestal High School on Saturday 11/30 at 3PM.
In Class C, the undefeated Salamanca Warriors repeated as Far West Regional Champs, taking down East Rochester-Gananda 42-20. The Warriors (12-0) advanced to the state final four to face another historically dominant program in the Chenango Forks Blue Devils (11-1), who knocked off the defending state champs, Waverly, two weeks ago. The Class C state semifinal will also be held at Vestal High School, with kickoff set for Saturday 11/30 at Noon.
Finally, in Class D, the Clymer-Sherman-Panama Wolfpack won their program’s fourth Far West Regional title, crushing Section V’s Avon 48-14. The Wolfpack (9-2) will battle with the Section III’s Dolgeville Blue Devils (11-0) at Vestal HS to open the weekend of state semifinal games on Friday 11/29 at 3PM.
HIGH SCHOOL: FALL SPORTS STATE PLAYOFF RESULTS
To put a bow on the fall sports season, we highlight the programs from Section VI that made deep postseason runs in the New York State playoffs.
Just yesterday, the Portville Panthers girl's volleyball team won their fourth straight State Championship, defeating Mount Academy (Section IX) in four sets. It’s the Panthers’ eighth state title in its history, including seven championships in the last decade.
The Ellicottville girl's volleyball team fell just shy of victory in the Class D title match, as the Eagles lost in five sets to Section IV’s Candor. Ellicottville was just four points away in the final set from claiming their first state title since 2012.
For the second straight year in Cross Country, the East Aurora Blue Devils took home the NYS title for both boys and girls team scores. For the EA Girls team, it’s their fifth straight State Championship victory. For the two programs combined, East Aurora has claimed 20 State Titles all time, with 11 championships coming in the last decade.
In a hard fought three sets, the Clarence boy's volleyball team fell to Section XI’s Eastport South Manor in the Division II State Championship match. The first two sets were won by two points each, as the Red Devils gave their all till the very end.
On the soccer pitch, Clarence had a stellar season with both their boy's and girl's teams winning the Far West Regionals. Unfortunately, the Red Devils girls lost in the Class AA State Semifinal, while the boys lost in the AA State Championship Game.
Two other boys' soccer teams made runs into late November in Class B and Class C. East Aurora’s powerhouse program lost in the Class B State Semifinal, while the Allegany-Limestone boys soccer team lost 2-1 in the Class C State Final to Section I’s North Salem.
