It all started with a text message. The end result was shock, broken hearts, and several young men and women forced to rethink their futures in the midst of something that once seemed so certain. Members of the University at Buffalo baseball, men’s soccer, men’s swimming and diving, and women’s rowing teams were informed last Monday (April 3) that their …
Jeff Palczewski: ‘Better at baseball’
Jeff Palczewski captained an Orchard Park hockey team that finished the regular season 9-5-1-1 and went as far as the semifinals before losing to Niagara Wheatfield. Palczewski scored 8 goals in 16 regular season games and 3 goals in the playoffs as part of a Quakers team with almost unmatched comeraderie. But Palczewski’s hockey career ended with the Quakers’ season. …
Captain’s hat trick leads Orchard Park to quarterfinal win
As they’ve done all season, Orchard Park captains Jeff Palczewski and TJ Maloney came through for their team. In the Quakers’ first playoff game on Saturday, Palczewski scored a hat trick and Maloney scored twice and had two assists as the Quakers outscored Niagara Falls 7-2 for a quarterfinal win. “I was talking to Coach Ferrentino and we were talking …
Senior night win caps off fun season for Orchard Park
On senior night, Orchard Park simply wanted to end the regular season strong. Some redemption from an earlier loss to Canisius would have been nice, too. Everything went according to plan, and Kevin McParlane made the most of senior night with two goals and two assists as the Quakers defeated Canisius 4-1 to finish the regular season 9-5-1-1. “For this …
Speed vs. speed: Orchard Park bests Niagara Wheatfield
Orchard Park, a team that boasts of its own speed, was well aware of its opponent’s speed on Friday night as Niagara Wheatfield came to play at Leisure Rinks in a Division 1 match up. The Quakers’ game plan was to be ready for the Falcons’ speed, use their own speed, and do whatever they could to stop No. 16, …
Complete game gives OP win over Williamsville East
Orchard Park decided to stop worrying about the opponent so much and focus on its own game. It started with the way the Quakers prepared for Saturday’s game against Williamsville East and carried into the game itself as the Quakers looked for a way to spark their slumping offense. When asked what they expected in Saturday’s game, OP defenseman TJ …
Orchard Park outlasts Williamsville North to win opener
Speed, conditioning, and more speed. That’s Orchard Park’s game plan, and for a while on Saturday, Williamsville North kept up. The Spartans took a 1-0 lead early in the game, but the Quakers outlasted them and came back to win their first game of the season 2-1. “We skate hard every practice,” Orchard Park coach Josh Dannecker said. “It’s gonna …
Orchard Park aims to overwhelm with speed
You might not expect it with a name like “Quakers,” but Orchard Park is one of the most aggressive teams around. Speed is something the team works hard at, and it was evident on Friday morning as the Quakers scrimmaged Kenmore East and Kenmore West and surprised the two teams with their speed. “It’s an aggressive style from the standpoint …