The rivalry between Niagara Falls and North Tonawanda is nothing new. And for years, Niagara Falls has come out on top when it comes to hockey.
This season, with some realigning of the divisions, the Wolverines are a division above the Lumberjacks. On Thursday night, the two teams faced off at Hyde Park, and the Wolverines were expected to win.
But North Tonawanda destroyed those expectations as they defeated Niagara Falls 8-5. Captain Curtis Vivian scored a hat trick, junior Spencer Scalise scored two goals, and each had two assists.
And sophomore goaltender Nick Pryzybylski earned his first varsity career win.
“Pryzybylski is our third string goalie,” Vivian said. “He had a [heck] of a game. It was his third start. Make sure you mention Pryzybylski. First varsity career win.”
Vivian and Scalise didn’t expect the game to be an easy one, but both were ecstatic after the win.
“We knew it was gonna be a tough game coming in,” Scalise said. “Just had to go out there and play, make some plays, get some goals. It’s just awesome.”
“We had to shut down their top line,” Vivian said. “I thought me, Scalise, and [Zach] Warner did a good job of that, and we buried our chances.”
Scalise started off the scoring just 2:34 into the first, and Nolan Horn gave the Lumberjacks a 2-0 lead six minutes later. But Niagara Falls scored twice in the last five minutes of the period on goals by Nick Kindzia and Dylan Mort to tie the game at 2, and it looked like the Wolverines might come back and take the lead.
But they never did. Vivian scored his first of the game just 1:58 into the second, and Scalise’s second of the game came a few minutes later. Anthony Schiavone increased North Tonawanda’s lead to 5-2 before Niagara Falls’ Michael Laurrie scored with 4:03 left in the second.
Warner put the Lumberjacks up 6-3 with less than two minutes remaining in the second period, and although Niagara Falls’ Alex Hailey finally added a goal to his three assists in the third period and Cody Bielec scored as well, Vivian’s second and third goals sealed the 8-5 win for the Lumberjacks. His third was an empty netter with exactly one minute remaining in the third.
“It feels nice to put up that many goals against a Division 3 team,” Vivian said. “And, you know, Falls has been our rivals for a long time, and to score that many goals against them, it feels even better.”
The game plan for the Lumberjacks was simple but not easy.
“Shut down Hailey, Kindzia, and Bielec, and then score,” Scalise said.
And it worked as well as it needed to as the Lumberjacks upset their rival and improved to 2-0 against Division 3 teams.
“They’ve had our number since me and Curt both started playing varsity,” Scalise said. “We only beat them once or twice, and it feels nice to come in. Nobody really expected us to give them a game.”
“Especially when they’re Division 3 and we’re a D4,” Vivian added.
“They expected just to roll us, and we came out there and got the win,” said Scalise.
With the win, North Tonawanda improved to 2-0 against Division 3 opponents and 3-1 overall.
“Two-and-oh against Division 3!” Vivian and Scalise said. “NT hockey!”