In one of the most thrilling contests in Golden Bear history, the boys varsity hockey team overcame a two-goal deficit in the final minute of play to force overtime and eventually topple the No. 1 ranked team in New York State.
Canton defeated Orchard Park 4-3 in overtime on Saturday morning at the LECOM HarborCenter. With the win, the Bears punched their ticket back to HarborCenter next weekend for the New York State Division I Final Four.
The Bears started the game with a physical mentality and laid some heavy hits early on the fast-paced Quakers. Despite having speed of their own, Canton knew they would need to slow Orchard Park down.
While they followed their game plan, the Bears conceded the first goal to Orchard Park. About 11 minutes into the first, a Quaker forward found a soft spot in Canton’s defense and buried the puck with a shot from the left side faceoff circle.
Senior goaltender Gavin Schryver kept the Bears alive in the first, turning away 14 of Orchard Park’s 15 shots in the period.
It did not take long for Orchard Park to double its lead in the second period. Less than two minutes in, a bobbled puck just inside the Quaker end was picked up by a rushing forward. An odd-man rush gave the Quakers an opportunity to get a quality shot on a screened Schryver, who just missed saving the glove side goal.
Canton spent most of the second period keeping Orchard Park at bay, while just missing the chance to capitalize on their few scoring opportunities. Finally, a faceoff in the offensive zone for the Bears with just under five minutes to play in the second gave Canton the spark they needed. Junior forward Robert Palmer corralled the puck after junior forward Owen Palmer beat the Quaker center at the faceoff dot, and threw the puck at the net. The puck snuck past the outstretched pad of the Quaker goaltender and just inside the far post. Canton had life at 2-1.
Scoring ceased after the first Canton goal for nearly the rest of the contest. Canton seemed to be gaining an advantage, likely thanks in part to their physicality wearing down the less battle hardened Orchard Park squad.
Canton was desperate for a spark, and after a timeout at the two-minute mark, the Bears were able to pull Schryver with 1:50 to play. This gamble was almost immediately met with another setback for the Bears, as Orchard Park potted an empty netter with 1:41 to play. Common consensus in the building was that this would be the end of Canton’s season. In fact, the excitement of this game was only just beginning.
Despite the two goal deficit, Canton continued to press, and they were rewarded for it. Canton was applying pressure in the Orchard Park end with about a minute to go in the game when a failed clear by a Quaker defender landed on the stick of junior forward Owen Logan, who immediately threw the puck at the net. Senior defender Jack Brandy was standing in the slot and managed to get his stick blade on the shot, tipping it over the Quaker goaltender’s shoulder and into the top corner of the net. With 51 seconds left, Canton shrank the Orchard Park lead to one.
Despite the momentum, a win still seemed like a long shot for the Bears. Canton’s effort, though, never waned and again they created an opportunity for themselves. While pressuring the Quaker defenders deep in the zone, an Orchard Park player took an ill advised penalty with just 12.8 seconds to go in the game. Canton was prepared for the scenario and took the opportunity to pull the goal and give themselves a two-man advantage.
After the offensive zone faceoff where Canton’s set play was run to perfection, the Bears managed to get a few shots toward net, but to no avail. Finally, an errant shot landed on the stick of senior Caleb Premo, who was on defense for the Bears in this game. Premo threw yet another puck at the net, and the Quaker netminder was not able to slide across in time to turn him away. The shot dented the net just inside the near post, and the Bears tied the game.
Riding a high into overtime, the Bears were skating downhill. Both teams traded scoring opportunities, including a near breakaway for Orchard Park. A pair of excellent defensive plays kept the game alive for the Bears.
Brandy managed to catch the breaking Quaker forward, dove out, and knocked the puck away from his stick. After corralling the puck again, the Orchard Park player turned toward net and saw his linemate open in front of Schryver. Thanks to a relentless backcheck, O. Palmer was in position to intercept the pass right on the top of his own crease and mitigate the danger.
After picking off that pass, O. Palmer dished the puck to Logan, who picked up speed and blew through the neutral zone into the Orchard Park end. Logan passed the puck across the slot to senior forward David Seymour, who got a backhand on the puck and shoveled it toward net. The shot caught the goaltender off guard, and he and his defender bobbled the puck in front of the net. The chaos allowed Logan to curl around the net and find the puck in the crease, where he was able to poke it past the sprawling goalie and defender, sending the puck into the net and the Bears into the Final Four.
Schryver’s talent was on display throughout the game. The stalwart senior stopped 37 of 40 shots in net for the Bears on Saturday. His performance afforded the Bears an opportunity to find ways to score goals. Brandy also made several major defensive plays throughout the game while playing heavy minutes on the blue line for Canton.
Canton will return to HarborCenter next weekend to play West Genesee on Saturday at 11:30 a.m. in the state semifinals. The winner of that semifinal will go on to play the winner of Pittsford and Suffern on Sunday.
Final Four t-shirts are on sale now, and can be ordered by clicking here.
