Every game is a challenge for Orchard Park, but the first place Quakers aren’t intimidated; in fact, they embrace that challenge. From goaltender Tom Held, who’s at his best when the games are toughest; to defensemen Ryan Riter and Eric Lyon, who rarely leave the ice; to the forwards who fight for every goal they score, Orchard Park hasn’t just …
‘One of the best’: OP and Canisius tie on opening night
The first comment Orchard Park coach Josh Dannecker had after Monday night’s game was, “Told ya Tommy was good.” Orchard Park goaltender Tom Held stopped 38 shots in a 2-2 tie against Canisius in the first game of the 2016-17 season Monday night at HarborCenter. Dannecker had predicted that the 2015-16 All-Fed goalie would be the team’s biggest strength this …
Held back: OP goalie shuts down Clarence
Orchard Park was frustrated. The Quakers scored just once in a 4-1 loss to Hamburg on Monday, and those frustrations carried into Friday night when they were unable to bury loose puck after loose puck in front of the Clarence net. The frustration finally boiled over into an emotional outburst as OP defenseman TJ Maloney left the ice after the …
Resilient Hamburg downs Orchard Park
John McFall has been coaching the Hamburg varsity hockey team for eight years, and what keeps him coming back every year is the quality of not just players, but people, who play hockey for Hamburg. “It’s not by accident,” McFall said. “We try hard with that, and we push that, and it’s important. I think with this group, it starts …
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 …
‘More Greco’: Greco and Conschafter score in St. Joe’s OT win
Mike Greco wasn’t supposed to play against Timon. He scored the game-winning goal. That earned him another game Friday night against Orchard Park. He doesn’t usually play on the power play. Friday he did, and he scored the game-tying goal with less than three minutes remaining in regulation. St. Joe’s went on to win 2-1 with an overtime goal from …