Frustrating would be an understatement to describe Lockport’s season.
After winning their non-league home opener over Gates-Chili, the Lions were, as coach Rick Eberhart put it, “decimated” by injuries. They limped into Thursday’s regular season finale against Amherst with 14 skaters on the roster, and not all of them played. Just two lines and three defensemen saw the ice for Lockport in front of senior goalie Jack Igoe.
And Lockport had more than a full game to play. In addition to a full game against Amherst, the two teams had to finish a suspended game from January 14 that was halted by a serious injury to an Amherst player with 2:15 left to play and a 1-0 Lockport lead.
Lockport took the first game 4-3 in overtime, and then the Lions set out to accomplish what they’d practiced for all week.
“This whole week of practice, we’ve been practicing for that two minutes and 15 seconds, just getting the puck out of our zone and just trying to keep it out, not giving them any chances,” said Lockport captain John Ottaviano.
And the Lions were able to keep the 1-0 lead and come away with two wins for their first four points of the season, a season that’s been tough on everyone.
Lockport players John Ottaviano, Ryan Boci, Jack Igoe, and Andrew Borek are all smiles after coming away with two wins in one night.
“We came into the season with a win, so we were looking up, thinking we were gonna have a lot of wins, but it just didn’t go our way,” Ottaviano said. “Dropping down a league, it was a good decision. It was better competition. These last two games we’ve had, we were looking forward to ’em because we knew they were winnable games, but other than that, we’ve just been working hard all season.”
“It’s been a frustrating season, a lot of ups and downs, a lot of off-ice problems, a lot of on-ice problems, but it was a good game,” said junior forward Ryan Boci. “It was a good season. We stuck to the system the last part of the season and it really paid off.”
It was Boci who scored first on Thursday night to give Lockport a 1-0 lead with 4:52 left in the first period.
“It’s a good way to start,” Boci said. “You always try to come out and start with the lead, and that’s what we did.”
Brennan Wilson added to the lead just 1:18 later, but Amherst came back to tie the game in the second period with goals from Jeff Tyler and Nick Smith. Just past the halfway mark of the third, Ottaviano scored to put his team ahead once more.
“I haven’t scored in a while,” Ottaviano said. “I haven’t scored a lot this season compared to last year, but I just wanted it, took it all the way down the ice, and just put it in the net.”
It didn’t help that he had to leave shortly after to get his skate sharpened, and Amherst’s Steve Vukelic tied the game at three while Ottaviano was gone.
“Actually, I lost an edge on my skate, so I left,” Ottaviano explained. “I didn’t know they really came back. I had to go get it sharpened, and I knew I would just have to come back and do something about it.”
Vukelic’s goal came with just 1:34 remaining into regulation, and the game carried into overtime, to no one’s surprise.
“We’re two even teams here,” Boci said. “It was a good game, back-and-forth, a lot of ups and downs, but the boys really battled today and got the W.”
With just 41 seconds left in overtime, Andrew Borek shot the puck from the point. It may have been tipped in front, but Borek was credited with the goal, and Lockport had the first of two wins on the night.
“I’m not sure if it was mine or not,” Borek admitted. “But I just put the puck up the boards, I got control of it, and I just threw it at the net — got tipped in.”
After another two minutes and fifteen seconds of scoreless hockey, Lockport had two wins to end the season. The players embraced each other and congratulated their captain.
“It’s great,” Ottaviano said. “All the guys were congratulating me and just saying it’s been a great three years, and they’ve loved it all three years.”
Eberhart walked into the ice and embraced his goaltender. Also a senior, Jack Igoe has been “phenomenal” for Lockport, according to Eberhart, and Thursday was no different. To go along with his skill as a goaltender, Igoe has a sunny disposition and smiled even as he discussed the difficult season in which he’s had to shoulder much of the workload behind his team.
“I did take quite a bit of shots, but our team kept on fighting, kept on trying to win, and eventually we ended up getting one,” Igoe said. “A lot of close games, and I think that all the effort finally paid off and we got one or two here.”
And Thursday’s game was no easy task for Igoe, but he knew what to do.
“It’s stressful, that’s for sure,” he said. “Just trying to stay calm and collected, trusting my team and that we’ll get the job done one way or another.”
Lockport is scheduled to face large school powerhouse Williamsville North in the first round of the playoffs this year, but that didn’t take away from the excitement of winning their final two regular season games. For Ottaviano and Igoe, it’s something they’ll never forget.
“It’s great, especially playing for four years, playing varsity hockey. It’s good to go out with a win for sure,” Igoe said. “Definitely just the team and definitely just bonding with some of my teammates, and just operating as a unit to be successful in not only hockey but in life.”
Borek was excited to end his first varsity season with two wins in one night.
“That’s really nice,” he said. “It’s phenomenal, actually.”
And Boci, a junior, hopes that ending the season this way will set the tone for next year.
“That’s what we’ve been trying to do,” Boci said. “The season hasn’t gone our way, but this last part we’ve been trying to set the tone for next year and prove that we can compete with some of these teams, and that’s what we’re doing.”
Boci had more than just his teammates in mind.
“We haven’t had a win all season, so it was really good,” he said. “The boys deserve this, coaches deserve this, parents deserve this, the school deserves it.”
Eberhart was emotional after the win, and his gratitude and joy were obvious.
“The kids just really pulled through, and they did it for me,” he said. “And five seniors are gone, graduating, and we got a lot of young kids coming up, and with that new Cornerstone Arena, we should start reaping the benefits.”
He spoke some more about the positives he saw from his team over the course of the season and how competitive the team was even in many of its losses, and then he came back to the present.
“It was just outstanding,” Eberhart said. “First time in program history, two wins in a row? This is a Cinderella story, honestly.”