Playoff picture set as B.I.H.G. wraps up regular season

by Rich Gurbacki
Grand Island Dispatch, March 24, 2006

With two weeks left in the Buffalo In-line Hockey Group winter season, the Red Raiders and the Blue Falcons entered Week 9 in a tie for the lead in the Orr Division. The schedule for this particular week provided a real showdown as these two teams faced each other on March 11 to determine who would win the division title. In the end, the Raiders prevailed with a 9-4 victory. Josh Grant, Pat Smith, Ryan Okon and Marcus Palmisano scored for the Raiders. Zac Snyder, Zac Pronti and David Campuzano all had strong games for the Falcons.

In other Week 9 action, the Vikings shellacked the Hurricanes 10-3. Player of the Week honors were shared by Vikings goaltender Matt Baran and forward Adam Rainey who picked up five assists in the victory. Sam Wiclacz and Rob Russell each scored three goals for the Vikings.

Taylor Setlock recorded four goals and two assists as the Black Knights beat the Tornadoes 7-5. Justin Swan led Tornadoes in scoring. The victory propelled the Knights into a tie with the idle Whitehawks for the lead in the Howe Division.

The last week of the Buffalo In-line Hockey Group winter season saw a very strange scheduling phenomenon. Since the regular season schedule was unbalanced based on the respective divisions, the last games of the season turned out to be a normal sequencing of that schedule. It so happens that the first round of the playoffs will see the teams playing the exact same opponent as they did to close out the regular season.

The final week of B.I.H.G. regular season action saw Co-Players of the Week, Matt Gretchen and Mike Roman, both score their first goals of the season as the Grey Ghosts defeated the Black Knights 11-6. Taylor Setlock led the Knights with three goals.

Joe Coyne and Frankie Cefalu led the Whitehawks to a 9-5 victory over the Tornadoes. Drew Cellitiocz scored three goals for the Tornadoes.

The Red Raiders topped the Hurricanes 5-3, courtesy of a Josh Grant hat trick, while the Vikings edged the Blue Falcons 4-3.

B.I.H.G. is one of the premier youth in-line hockey league in Erie County. The league plays every Saturday morning at the EPIC Center on Wehrle Drive in Amherst. New players are always welcome. The group is looking to add a division for players, ages 14-17 or 15-17, for the spring league, which will start in April.

For more information, call 773-1188 or 689-4090.

Rich Gurbacki is a longtime youth hockey and baseball coach from Grand Island. A co-founder of B.I.H.G., he can be reached for constructive input at 773-1188.