News & notes

 Former Union College star Shayne Gostisbehere was placed on waivers by the NHL's Philadelphia Flyers Tuesday. Gostisbehere has 5 goals and 6 assists (11 points) in 25 games this season, but reportedly has experienced a drop-off in production over the last three years. If no one claims him, he may stay with Philadelphia or be released and become a free agent. We'll see.

============================================

Antonio Rizzuto has made his departure from UAlbany final by transferring to Towson State for next season. His departure will weaken the Great Danes considerably next season. On top of that, Adam Lulka announced Monday he would not return next season, and is headed home to his native Australia.

============================================

Tuesday's high school scoreboard:

Men's soccer:

Foothills Council:

Amsterdam 8, Johnstown 0.

Schuylerville 3, Hudson Falls 0.

Wasaren League:

Tamarac & Hoosic Valley played to a 1-1 draw.

Mechanicville 11, Saratoga Catholic 0.

Non-league:

Ballston Spa 6, Glens Falls 3.

Women's soccer:

Central Hudson Valley League:

Germantown 9, Doane Stuart 1

Colonial Council:

Cohoes 5, Ravena 4.

Academy of Holy Names 6, Albany Academy 1.

Mohonasen 9, Cobleskill-Richmondville 0.

Western Athletic Conference:

Mekeel Christian Academy 3, Galway 1.

Women's volleyball:

Patroon Conference:

Taconic Hills def. Albany Leadership in straight sets.

Suburban Council:

Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake def. Saratoga in straight sets.

Schenectady def. Guilderland, 3-1.

Shenendehowa def. Colonie in straight sets.

Ballston Spa def. Shaker in straight sets.

Wasaren League:

Tamarac def. Saratoga Catholic in straight sets.

Western Athletic Conference:

Galway def. Mayfield, 3-1.

Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons def. Duanesburg, 3-1.

Schoharie def. Berne Knox-Westerlo in straight sets.

Mekeel Christian def. Middleburgh, 3-2.

The first win is the hardest (Albany @ Troy--women's volleyball, 3/30/21)

 In their last two matches, the Troy High women's volleyball team showed signs of snapping out of a season-starting losing streak. However, the momentum generated after winning a set would dissipate quickly, resulting in losses to Colonie & Guilderland last week.

Tonight, the Lady Horses came home to play Albany, still looking for that first match win of the season. The tempo was set with a 10-0 run to start the first set, leading to a 25-6 win. After falling behind 2-0 in sets, the Falcons went into survival mode, winning the 3rd set, and could've forced a 5th, but after another see-saw battle in the 4th set, Troy put it away, 25-23, to win the match, 3 sets to 1. Troy is now 1-4 on the season, and will travel to Ballston Spa on Thursday before coming home Monday afternoon to play Shaker. Matches next week will start around 12:45 pm while school is in recess.

Enjoy the video:

Per AD Paul Reinisch, the general public will not be admitted to any games for the rest of the school year. Maybe September?

Troy High men's tennis schedule 2021

 Per Schedule Galaxy, here is Troy High's men's tennis schedule. Most, but not all, of the dates, match the baseball/softball schedule posted yesterday, but in most cases, the tennis team will be at the opposite site.

May 5: @ Saratoga.

May 7: @ Shenendehowa.

May 12: Home opener vs. Colonie.

May 14: Guilderland.

May 15: @ Albany.

May 17: Ballston Spa.

May 19: @ Shaker.

May 21: Niskayuna.

May 22: Columbia.

May 24: @ Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake.

May 26: @ Bethlehem.

May 28: @ Averill Park.

June 2: Senior day vs. CBA.

Dates, of course, are subject to change due to adverse conditions.

Troy High 2021 baseball/softball schedule released

 With spring sports starting a week earlier than planned, Troy High has released its baseball/softball schedule for 2021. Unlike basketball and soccer, the varsity teams will be together, and the JV's will be at the opposite site.

The schedule, subject to change, of course, due to inclement weather and/or COVID issues:

May 7: Home opener vs. Shenendehowa.

May 8: Schenectady.

May 12: Colonie.

May 14: Guilderland.

May 15: @ Albany.

May 17: Ballston Spa.

May 19: @ Shaker.

May 21: Niskayuna.

May 22: Columbia. (Softball senior day)

May 24: @ Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake.

May 26: @ Bethlehem.

May 28: @ Averill Park.

June 2: Baseball senior day vs. CBA (softball day off).

June 4: Season finales @ Saratoga.

It is not known presently if Troy will try to use 2, maybe 3 YouTube streams for home games (lacrosse included). Seeing as how the outdoor streaming is a work in progress, and vulnerable presently to adverse weather conditions, we'll find out by May 7.

News & notes

 UAlbany will not have a postseason in "Fall II"'s football season.

The Great Danes fell to 1-3 Saturday after dropping a 21-7 decision to state rival Stony Brook. Starting quarterback Jeff Undercuffler sat out with an injury, and is questionable for the Danes' next game April 3 at Delaware. The loss eliminates UAlbany from playoff contention in the Colonial Athletic Conference.

=========================================

You're forgiven if you tuned in to ESPNews Saturday night expecting to see the St. Cloud State-Boston University NCAA hockey playoff, and didn't get anything more than highlights.

You see, when Notre Dame was forced to withdraw due to COVID, ESPN made a last minute scheduling change, and moved the St. Cloud-BU game to 1 pm. St. Cloud State then reduced the Terriers to puppy chow, advancing to Sunday's regional final with a 6-2 win.

And if that was just an appetizer, the main course saw St. Cloud complete a Bay State sweep, beating the Eagles, 4-1, on Sunday night, advancing to the Frozen Four.

==========================================

Saturday's high school scoreboard:

Class AA:

Saratoga 42, Bethlehem 16.

Shenendehowa 41, Colonie 6.

Class B:

South Glens Falls 42, Hudson Falls 8.

Class C:

Hoosick Falls/Tamarac 34, Watervliet 0.

Fonda-Fultonville 40, Corinth-Fort Edward 14.

Mechanicville 12, Granville 8.

Schuylerville 48, Johnstown 0.

Ichabod Crane 26, Taconic Hills 22.

Class D:

Lake George/Hadley-Luzerne 56, Helderberg Valley 0.

Greenwich 36, Stillwater 7.

Non-league:

Lansingburgh 15, Chatham 8. The Knights snap a 2 season-plus losing streak.

Men's soccer:

Foothills Council:

South Glens Falls 3, Scotia-Glenville 0.

Hudson Falls 5, Amsterdam 1.

Schuylerville 13, Johnstown 1.

Western Athletic Conference:

Mekeel Christian 10, Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons 1.

Suburban Council:

Bethlehem & Ballston Spa played to a scoreless tie.

Women's soccer:

Adirondack League:

Bolton Landing-Warrensburg 1, Hadley-Luzerne 0.

Whitehall 1, Corinth 0.

Colonial Council:

Schalmont 2, Academy of Holy Names 1.

Foothills Council:

Broadalbin-Perth 5, Glens Falls 0.

Wasaren League:

Tamarac 3, Hoosick Falls 1.

Western Athletic Conference:

Schoharie 9, Berne Knox-Westerlo 0.

Women's volleyball:

Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake def. Galway in straight sets in a non-league match.

========================================

Section II alumni watch:

While Pittsburgh was swept by Syracuse in a 4 game softball series over the weekend, Troy High alum Hunter Levesque showed signs of coming out of a recent slump. Hunter went 3-7 with a walk and an RBI in the final three games of the series.

Speaking of Syracuse, the Orange's NCAA basketball season is over after a 67-46 loss to Houston on Saturday night. Joseph Girard III (Glens Falls) finished with 12 points in a losing effort.

High School Fridays: Friday's scoreboard, 3/26

 Troy High alumni & fans expecting to see Friday's home opener vs. Amsterdam had to deal with some unexpected complications.

Even though the school tested their YouTube stream in the outdoors earlier in the week, you can't prepare for adverse conditions with such equipment. It's not the same as simulating crowd noise in a domed stadium like, say for example, the Carrier Dome in Syracuse. What resulted was that you had nervous student volunteers who weren't completely prepared to handle either the stream or the game clocks. When the clock froze early in the 1st quarter, one student could be clearly heard calling out to the referee, "We're trying!" more than once. They knew ahead of time what the forecast was going to be, with wind and a threat of rain.

And so it was that after Troy scored its 1st touchdown, less than 2 minutes into the frame, the sound was cut off, and would remain that way until the latter part of the game, by which point Troy had already put the game away. Senior tailback Xavier Leigh ran for 2 touchdowns, and caught 2 TD passes from Alex Wolfe. Tyrell Penalba picked an Amsterdam runner's pocket---literally----and rumbled 73 yards to the house. Troy goes to 2-0 with a 55-6 demolition of the Rams (0-1).

The good news for Troy fans is that the state Department of Health has adjusted COVID guidances, so that less than 200 fans will be admitted into Picken Field for future games, likely starting Thursday vs. Averill Park. Speaking of the Warriors, they went to 2-0 as well, setting up a 1st place showdown by shutting out Albany on the road, 42-0.

Other scores:

Class AA:

CBA 28, Schenectady 0.

Shaker 35, Guilderland 25.

Class A:

Burnt Hills 42, Niskayuna 6.

Ballston Spa 20, Mohonasen 6.

Columbia @ LaSalle was not reported. We're hoping to get information on the game within 24 hours minimum. For the 2nd straight week, LaSalle's YouTube stream was not operating.

Class B:

Broadalbin-Perth 50, Gloversville 16.

Schalmont 41, Hudson 0.

Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk 20, Cobleskill-Richmondville 6.

Women's volleyball:

Adirondack League:

Lake George def. Argyle in straight sets.

Colonial Council:

Cobleskill-Richmondville def. Vorheesville in straight sets.

Suburban Council:

Schenectady def. Colonie  in straight sets.

Guilderland def. Troy, 3-1. The Lady Horses are now 0-4. Match result was not reported to the local press by deadlines for today's editions.

Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake def. Shenendehowa in straight sets.

Wasaren League--all results were in straight sets.

Tamarac def. Mechanicville.

Saratoga Catholic def. Stillwater.

Waterford def. Hoosic Valley.

News & notes

 The Times-Union Center is hosting the NCAA East Regional hockey tournament this weekend, the first sporting event at the TUC in a year. Unfortunately, COVID-19 threw cold water on the proceedings before a puck could drop.

Notre Dame has been forced to withdraw due to an outbreak of the disease, giving Boston College a bye into the regional final, where they await the winner of Saturday's match between St. Cloud State and Boston University, airing at 6:30 pm on ESPNews (Spectrum Cable channel 302). The final is Sunday on ESPN2 (Spectrum channel 301) at 5:30. If you can't afford the exorbitant ticket prices ($50), which is partially to pay for transportation for the teams, at least you can watch the game from the comfort of your home.

==========================================

Siena sophomore Jordan King has entered the transfer portal, and will play elsewhere next season. Citing COVID and the effects it had on him and his family, the CBA graduate made his decision after speaking with coach Carmen Maciariello earlier Thursday.

King made the team as a freshman walk-on in 2019 after failing to earn scholarship offers from other Division I schools. Best of luck to him as he continues his career out of town.

=========================================

If you have a NYRA Bets account to make wagers on races at Saratoga, Belmont, or Aqueduct, it may interest you to know that NYRA has entered into a deal with Fox Sports in which the network will get a 25% stake in NYRA Bets as part of a contract extension that will last to 2030, which enables the network to continue to carry certain stakes races run at Saratoga or Belmont.

=========================================

High school scoreboard:

Men's soccer:

Colonial Council:

Albany Academy 4, Mohonasen 2.

Schalmont 2, LaSalle 2. The two teams played to a draw after going to 2 overtimes. LaSalle is now 1-1-1 on the season.

Ichabod Crane 12, Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk 4.

Lansingburgh 2, Cobleskill-Richmondville 1.

Women's soccer:

Adirondack League:

Bolton-Warrensburg 4, Fort Ann 0.

Lake George 5, Granville 0.

Corinth 3, Salem 2.

Hadley Luzerne 4, North Warren 3.

Wasaren League:

Mechanicville 7, Hoosick Falls 0.

Men's volleyball:

Suburban Council:

Burnt Hills def. Shenendehowa, 3 sets to 2.

Shaker def. Colonie, 3-1.

Bethlehem def. CBA in straight sets.

Guilderland def. Niskayuna, 3-2.

Women's volleyball:

Wasaren:

Galway def. Waterford in straight sets.

Western Athletic Conference:

Mekeel Christian def. Schoharie, 3-2.

News & notes

 Guilderland graduate Andrew Sischo's season is over at Daemen College.

Daemen fell to West Texas A & M, 97-83 Wednesday night in Evansville, Indiana, in the Division II quarterfinals. Sischo registered another double-double with 29 points and 16 rebounds in the losing effort.

Put it this way. This put Daemen, a school in the Buffalo suburbs, on the map.

========================================

Siena men's basketball coach Carmen Maciariello had interviewed for the vacancy at Fordham last week.

Siena's response was to reward Maciariello with a 3 year contract extension that has him under contract through the 2025-6 season, after back-to-back MAAC regular season titles.

Meanwhile, Siena's women's volleyball team dropped a match Wednesday to Niagara, 3 sets to 1. No individual stats were reported.

===========================================

The Suburban Council announced its all-star teams for 2020-1 on Wednesday. Unsurprisingly, Shenendehowa senior Meghan Huerter was named Player of The Year.

First team selections:

Natasha Chudy (Saratoga, the lone underclassman in the group).

Rylee Carpenter (Shen).

Valencia Fontanelle-Posson (Guilderland).

Anna Jankovic (Averill Park).

Olivia Olsen (Niskayuna).

Second team selections:

Jenalyse Alarcon (Troy).

Amelia Wood (Averill Park).

Abby Ray (Saratoga).

Jillian Huerter (Shen).

Neveah House (Albany).

Third team selections:

Maddison Mahoney (Shaker).

Maren Louridias (Bethlehem).

Callie Chevalier (Burnt Hills).

Julia Harvey (Bethlehem).

KJ Gordon (Shaker).

All-Senior Team selections:

Meghan Huerter, Jenalyse Alarcon, Olivia Olsen, Anna Jankovic, Maddison Mahoney, KJ Gordon, Julia Harvey, Abby Ray, Rylee Carpenter, & Valencia Fontanelle-Posson.

=============================================

Section II scoreboard, 3/24:

Women's volleyball:

Suburban Council:

Burnt Hills def. Schenectady in straight sets.

Colonie def. Troy, 3 sets to 1. This was not reported to the press. Troy is now 0-3, and will play Guilderland tomorrow.

Shen def. Shaker in straight sets.

Guilderland def. Albany in straight sets.

Patroon Conference--both matches reported went 4 sets:

Greenville def. Hudson, 3-1.

Catskill def. Taconic Hills, 3-1.

Wasaren League--both matches reported ended in straight sets:

Tamarac def. Hoosic Valley.

Mechanicville def. Stillwater.

Soccer results:

Men:

Adirondack League:

Fort Ann 7, Corinth 3.

Lake George 6, Granville 0.

Hartford 1, Bolton Landing/Warrensburg 0.

Wasaren League:

Greenwich 3, Hoosic Valley 0.

Mechanicville 12, Hoosick Falls 0.

Women:

Foothills Council:

Scotia-Glenville 7, Amsterdam 0.

Broadalbin-Perth 2, Johnstown 0.

Non-league:

Bethlehem 7, Gloversville 0.

News & notes

Schedule Galaxy updated Troy High's calendar page to reveal that the April 2 home game vs. Averill Park has been rescheduled for April 1, and this is not a joke, even though it will be on April Fool's Day.

The Enlarged City School District of Troy will start Easter/Spring recess on Good Friday (April 2), through April 9, with classes resuming on April 12. Women's volleyball matches scheduled for the week of April 5, as per tradition, will be contested in the early afternoon.

What we're not sure of is if other schools in Section II will also clear Good Friday off their calendars to get a head start on recess. I'd imagine they would.

===================================

Even with the short Fall II schedule, some schools haven't seen the field yet.

For example, perennial Class A football power Queensbury had an outbreak of COVID-19 last week, and have already had two games postponed. Scotia-Glenville was to play Ballston Spa this week, but 40 Tartans players have been placed in quarantine, and now the Scotties will play Mohonasen this weekend.

Weeks 6-7 (April 23 & 30) are meant for crossovers within classes. Queensbury may have just taken themselves out of that equation, and not by choice.

====================================

Just when you thought it was safe to return to attending sporting events at Times-Union Center, management of the Albany Empire may be throwing cold water on those plans.

For right now, the TUC can only have 10% capacity for events. The Empire's owners, hoping to play in the National Arena League this season, want that number raised to 25% by April 1. If the state department of health and/or the governor's office doesn't meet that demand, the Empire will not play, and that won't bode well for the team's future. Stay tuned.

====================================

Former Shenendehowa placekicker Justin Rohrwasser was released by the New England Patriots on Tuesday. Rohrwasser spent virtually all of 2020 on the Patriots' practice squad after the team signed veteran kicker Nick Folk. If he doesn't catch on anywhere else in the NFL, even with the Jets, Bills, or Giants, Rohrwasser could land in Canada once travel restrictions between the US & Canada are lifted.

For Siena baseball, help may be on the way

 Siena opened the 2021 MAAC baseball season by splitting a four game, two day series against Iona, as the Gaels----excuse the pun----swept the Saints on Monday by scores of 16-10 and 10-7. Yes, they do look like football and/or softball scores, but college baseball does have a lot of high scoring games as the pros and high schoolers do.

While outfielder Evan St. Claire (Whitehall), the nephew of former major league pitcher Randy St. Claire, is off to a hot start, Monday's nightcap offered a rude reminder of what has plagued Siena in recent times. Their bullpen couldn't hold a 6-0 lead, and the first man out of the pen should actually be a starter himself.

Ben Seiler (Albany Academy), son of Albany Times-Union editor Casey Seiler, entered the game in the 5th inning. Since the first game on Monday and both ends of Sunday's double-dip all were 7 innings, you would be forgiven if you assumed this would also be a 7 inning game. I guess, just like in MLB preseason, the coaches agree on the length of the game at the start. Digression over. Seiler didn't have total command of his pitches in his first appearance of the season, and it showed, as he walked 3, and allowed two inherited runners to score as the Gaels slowly began their comeback. Another Academy grad, Carter Knapek, who is a graduate transfer from Virginia Commonwealth, had earned a save in Sunday's opener, but he, too, fell victim to a bout of wildness, and let the lead slip away in the visiting 7th. The game went 9, and after Siena retook the lead at 7-6, Iona scored three runs late to complete the sweep.

Help, though, may be on the way.

Another VCU transfer with Academy ties, Brett Young, is waiting on a waiver from the NCAA that would allow him to play this season. Young is listed as an infielder on the Siena roster, but was used in the outfield at VCU last season, presumably because the Rams were already set in the infield on their depth chart. If he gets the waiver, he'll be working his way into the lineup soon enough. If not, there's always next year. Then again, there's always the Perfect Game Collegiate League, which returns after Siena's season is over.

Keep in mind that for right now, Connors Park, Siena's on-campus home field, will not admit fans until at least Good Friday (April 2) due to COVID guidelines. The Saints will play double-headers vs. Niagara this weekend.

News & notes

 UAlbany football fans finally had a chance, albeit online if at all possible, to see the Great Danes in action at home on Saturday at Bob Ford Field inside Thomas & Mary Casey Stadium.

Unfortunately, Rhode Island proved to be rude guests, beating the Great Danes (1-2), 17-10 in overtime. QB Jeff Undercuffler threw for 217 yards on 25-for-42 passing with a touchdown and three interceptions. The Danes will play in-state rival Stony Brook (0-3) next week.

========================================

High school scoreboard:

Schuylerville 38, Mechanicville 0.

Niskayuna 14, Mohonasen 0.

Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake 35, Ballston Spa 12 (Friday).

Schenectady 38, Colonie 0.

Hoosick Falls-Tamarac 33, Ichabod Crane 0.

======================================

Section II alumni watch:

Rhode Island freshman Dolly Cairns (Saratoga) was named to the Atlantic-10 All-Rookie team. Cairns finished her freshman season averaging 10.6 points per game, and was twice named the league's Rookie of The Week.

Sacred Heart freshman Kelsey Wood (Averill Park) was named to the America East All-Rookie team, averaging 8.7 points per game.

Siena College opened its baseball season this afternoon with the first of three straight days of double-headers against MAAC rival Iona. Mike McCulley (CBA) went 6 1/3 innings, giving up three runs, but picking up the win as the Saints held on to beat the Gaels, 4-3 (MAAC double-headers, like minor league double-dips, are 7 innings per game). Carter Knapek (Albany Academy), a graduate transfer from Virginia Commonwealth, picked up the save. Evan St. Claire (Whitehall) went 1-2 at the plate, and made some key catches in the outfield.

Game 2 airs on ESPN3 later this afternoon.

Speaking of VCU, Danny Watson (Columbia) must feel like he's all alone on an island as the lone 518 representative for the Rams. Watson is 1-3 after taking the loss against Liberty yesterday. With the Knapek brothers and Brett Young having transferred to Siena, Watson is soldiering on in the Ram bullpen.

Pittsburgh senior Hunter Levesque (Troy High) went 0-2 in the Panthers' 5-0 loss to Virginia Tech Saturday afternoon, as the Hokies split a double-header. Contrary to what Bill Arsenault of the Albany Times-Union reported recently, Hunter has been dropped to the #3 spot in the Panthers' lineup. Arsenault was led to believe she was batting leadoff.

High School Fridays: Football finally begins, 3/19/21

 18 months ago, Troy High opened the 2019 season at LaSalle, and it was an embarrassing showing for both schools, as the game slogged through three hours due to sloppy play and penalties for most of the night.

On Friday, the Fall II (2021) season finally began, with the teams returning to the scene of the crime, if you will. This time, the teams combined for 17 penalties over three quarters before the officials decided to let them play in the 4th quarter. By then, however, Troy High had things well in hand, and coach Bob Burns rested his starters.

LaSalle's John Audino is now 0-3 vs. Troy, which retains the Collar City Cup. Troy goes home to begin a 3 game homestand vs. Amsterdam next week, while the Cadets entertain Columbia. The Blue Devils were blown out, 34-8, by Averill Park.

LaSalle's YouTube channel never got going, and, in hindsight, maybe it was just as well, to spare parents & alumni the embarrassment. Whomever was in charge of the live-stream never made it in time.

Other scores:

Shaker def. Shenendehowa, 20-0.

Guilderland def. Bethlehem, 35-8, in a neutral site game, as the game was played at Schenectady, as Guilderland's home field, which is natural grass, wasn't ready for play.

This condition is why other Section II games are being played today in the daylight, as grass fields still aren't ready, even after all the snow has melted.

====================================

In women's volleyball, Troy dropped its second straight, this time to Schenectady in straight sets. Troy (0-2) is now idle until Wednesday at Colonie.

Update, 9:42 am: It seems Schenectady streams their home games on the NFHS Network first before posting to YouTube. Here we go:

News & notes

 Former Guilderland star Andrew Sischo and Daemen College are a step closer to a NCAA Division II title.

Sischo scored 25 points, and had 12 rebounds to lead Daemen past St. Thomas Aquinas, 71-70, to advance to the Division II Elite Eight next week in Evansville.

=====================================

Siena College senior Manny Camper has decided to pass on a fifth year of eligibility that the NCAA offered because of COVID, and will enter the NBA draft this summer. Given the spotty history of players from the 518 to make the pros, Camper may soon be looking for work overseas. The last Saints player to make the NBA was Kenny Hasbrouck, who had a couple of cups of coffee with Miami a few years back. Of course, the only 518 product in the NBA now is Atlanta's Kevin Huerter (Shenendehowa), now in his 3rd season with the Hawks.

====================================

Speaking of Siena, their lacrosse match, set for Saturday, has been postponed due to COVID. The Saints' athletic program seems snake-bitten by the virus, which caused multiple disruptions during basketball season.

====================================

Volleyball season began last night in Section II. The matches that have been reported all went straight sets, except where otherwise noted. To wit:

Foothills Council:

Gloversville over Broadalbin-Perth.

Scotia-Glenville over Amsterdam.

Suburban Council:

Schenectady over Averill Park.

Saratoga over Albany.

Burnt Hills over Bethlehem.

Niskayuna over Columbia, 3 sets to 1.

Shenendehowa over Troy.

The Shen-Troy match was not reported at press time. Luckily, it's on YouTube:

Troy begins a 3 match road trip at Schenectady tomorrow.

=======================================

With Marquette assistant Dwayne Killings not yet confirmed as UAlbany's next men's basketball coach, though a press conference is scheduled for later this week, the Great Danes are going to have to do some recruiting to fill out the roster.

As of press time, 7 players have entered the transfer portal, including Antonio Rizzuto and Cameron Healy. What I don't get is why they're not giving the school a chance to let the new coach settle in. Former player Jon Iati, Rizzuto's cousin, is the interim coach, but the question becomes one of whether or not he'll stick around once Killings is formally introduced. Stay tuned.

News & notes

 The Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League will return in June after a year's hiatus due to COVID, but the Albany Dutchmen are looking for a place to play.

The Dutchmen had played their home games at Siena College from 2017-19, after leaving the College of St. Rose's Bellizzi Field following the 2016 season. The league is expanding to 16 teams this year with two former NY-Penn League franchises, the Batavia Muckdogs & Auburn Doubledays, joining the league after being shorn of their MLB affiliations. 

Since Bleecker Stadium is out of the question, as that's home to the Albany Twilight League, which also returns this summer, I would guess that maybe UAlbany could fill the breach. Stay tuned.

======================================

Speaking of UAlbany, it seems that the Great Danes have found their next head coach for basketball.

Dwayne Killings, an assistant at Marquette, has agreed in principle to be the next coach. He succeeds Will Brown, who stepped down earlier this month after the Danes were eliminated from the America East tournament.

=======================================

Siena has decided to part ways with women's basketball coach Ali Jaques after 9 seasons, which resulted in just 2 winning seasons. WTEN's Liana Bonavita has more:

Edit. 7/18/23: The video was deleted by ABC-10.

And so the rebuilding process begins again.

===========================================

To borrow and paraphrase an episode title from the original Star Trek, two Section II basketball coaches decided after Friday's Suburban Council men's title game to let it be their last battlefield.

Shenendehowa's Tony Dzikas is leaving the Clifton Park school after 16 seasons, winning four Class AA titles and 1 state title (2015) in addition to the COVID-induced league title. Son Devin is graduating in June, and will move on to Suffolk College next fall. According to reports, Dzikas had been mulling over this decision for a year. In the end, father & son will leave together, going out on top. Congratulations to the Dzikas family.

Over in Troy, Richard Hurley has decided to walk away from the bench again. A 12-3 campaign, good for a Gray division title, the school's third since joining the Suburban Council in 2015, reminded Hurley of why he decided to step away after the 2016-17 season, and spend more time with his family. Hurley will continue as an assistant to principal Joseph Mariano, Jr. going forward.

But unlike in 2017, it does not appear as though Troy has a successor in place, and is graduating nine seniors from the 2020-1 team. Greg Davis, who succeeded Hurley in 2017, has finished his first season at LaSalle, going 10-2.

Then, the question becomes one of, who's next? Would Troy promote from within? Or do they look outside the program?

I can think of three possibilities.

*--Steve Sgambelluri, the former College of St. Rose star, had been at LaSalle until being replaced by Jon Desso prior to the 2018-19 season. Longshot at best.

*--Niskayuna coach Mike Grasso, a former assistant football coach under Bob "The Builder" Burns before changing sports and taking the Nisky job a couple of years ago, would be a candidate to "return home", but doubtful.

*--Former Troy player Curtis Sankey, currently the coach at Columbia, could be persuaded to "come home", and the timing would be perfect, as this year marks 40 years since Sankey (and the rest of the Class of 1981) graduated. A change of scenery would do some good. Sankey's record vs. Troy isn't that great, a paltry 1-5, with the lone win coming in 2020. He'd also be Troy's 1st African-American head coach.

We'll know soon enough what the school board and Athletic Director Paul Reinisch decide.

High school hockey crowns a new champion

 If you're a Shenendehowa supporter, still giddy over the basketball teams' sweep of the Suburban Council on Friday, reality hit like a tidal wave on Saturday.

The Adirondack Rivermen entered the CDHSHL final Saturday night seeking to avenge a 5-2 regular season loss to Shen last month. Two goals apiece in the 1st & 3rd periods were more than enough. Ben DiFiore did his best impression of NHL netminders like Henrik Lundqvist and Marc-Andre Fleury, to name a couple, with a season best 32 saves to keep the Plainsmen at bay, and Adirondack wins the league title, 4-0.

Edit, 7/18/23: The video was deleted by ABC-10.

Congratulations to the Rivermen. Next season is still 9 months away, and, for now, uneasy may lie the crown.

Championship Friday aftermath

 We only have incomplete game stats for last night's Suburban Council men's basketball title game, due to a lack of an available box score at press time. What we do know is that Josh Rodriguez led Troy with 15 points in a losing effort. Mason Courtney led Shen with a game high 18 points.

But what folks will be talking about this weekend is a last second heave by Troy's Nasir Dawud-Soto from about 3/4 of the court at the end of the 3rd quarter. 

Edit, 7/18/23: The video was deleted by ABC-10.

As noted, Shen finished a perfect 15-0 campaign, while Troy ends at 12:3.

In Troy's win over Columbia to claim the women's consolation title, Nadia Brown had 18 points to lead Troy. Jenalyse Alarcon added 13, and Jakaiya Dewer added 11. Dewer will stay in town to start her college career, as she is apparently headed to Hudson Valley Community College in the fall. Troy finishes the season 8-5.

In Shen's women's title clincher over Saratoga, the Blue Streaks were again without sophomore star Natasha Chudy, who was on crutches on the sidelines. The Albany Times-Union is now describing it as a leg injury, not just a thigh injury. Still, Saratoga did the best they could, as Abby Ray led the Streaks with 13 points. Jillian Huerter, who will return for her senior season next year, led Shen with 21, as the Plainswomen completed a perfect 15-0 season.

High School Fridays: Championship Friday in the Suburban Council, 3/12/21

 The Suburban Council's basketball season ended tonight, as the league championships, as well as the consolation championships, were decided.

On the men's side, Shenendehowa just could not put Troy away until the end for the 2nd time this season. The Flying Horses actually led by 3 points after the first period, but after the Plainsmen took a two point lead into halftime, it seemingly was just a matter of time. Highlights will air on the local news later tonight, and we'll try to get a video up tomorrow. Just the same, Shen wins the men's title, completing a perfect season with a 57-54 victory. Troy finishes 12-3 on the season.

The Shen women won their title as well, crushing Saratoga in the first half of the doubleheader. We'll have full stats tomorrow.

Due to Shen being affiliated with the NFHS Network, their videos are not available on YouTube.

The women's consolation title game was at Clem Zotto Memorial Gym at Troy High, with the Flying Horses hosting Columbia, a team they routed nearly 3 weeks ago.

It was clear the Blue Devils came to play, rather than go meekly into the night. Troy placed three players in double figures, led by Jenalyse Alarcon, and claimed the consolation title, 52-48.

Here's the video:

In hockey action, it'll be Shen vs. Adirondack in the CDHSHL finals tomorrow night. The Rivermen routed Burnt Hills, 7-1, while the Plainsmen made it a sweep over Saratoga, 4-1. Shen will host the title game tomorrow night at Clifton Park Arena at 7.

Football starts next week.

News & notes

Siena's basketball season came to an end Wednesday, as both the men's & women's teams were eliminated from the MAAC tournaments in Atlantic City.

In what might be Ali Jaques' final game as coach (her contract expires after the season), the Lady Saints fell to Marist, 63-55. Isis Young led Siena with 31 points. Young is also mulling her options to possibly return for another season. Would being a player-coach help if Jaques doesn't return? Just asking.

Meanwhile, the men went ice cold for nearly 9 minutes in the 2nd half, and Iona extended its postseason winning streak over the Saints to 11 in a row with a 55-52 win. 1st year Iona coach Rick Pitino, like former Gaels coach Jeff Ruland, a veteran of both college and the NBA, is no stranger to March Madness, but might not be aware of the hex the New Rochelle-based Iona holds over Siena this time of year. Jackson Stormo led Siena with 14 points while Jalen Pickett added 13. MAAC Player of The Year Manny Camper was held to just 6 points.

Maybe Siena men's coach Carmen Maciariello might want to keep his players from watching reruns of a certain sitcom also set in New Rochelle. The Dick Van Dyke Show, that is. Just sayin'.

=======================================

The semi-finals are set in the Capital District High School Hockey League. As we noted last night, it's all North division teams going forward. Burnt Hills beat "Guilderville", 4-1, in the nightcap, and will play Adirondack on Friday afternoon, with Saratoga and Shenendehowa renewing hostilities in the other semi. The finals are on Saturday.

Apparently, the reason they can't use the Cool Insuring Arena in Glens Falls is that the arena is currently unavailable due to COVID concerns or something.

========================================

If you're trying to watch last night's Troy-Saratoga basketball game, you'll be directed to YouTube. Saratoga High is blocking 3rd party usage of the game videos. Same with the February 27 game between the two schools. Must be school policy.

========================================

Former Guilderland star Andrew Sischo is in town for the NCAA Division II tournament regionals, which are being played at the Albany Capital Center this weekend. Sischo is currently attending and playing for Daemen College, a heretofore unknown school located just outside of Buffalo. He's being profiled in today's Albany Times-Union, but Dutchmen supporters might not recognize him right away, as he's dropped some 60 pounds from his days at Guilderland. He leads Division II in rebounding heading into Sunday's nightcap

===========================================

Wednesday's high school scoreboard:

Suburban Council (men):

Shaker 50, Colonie 29.

Albany 52, Averill Park 37.

Tournament semi-finals:

Troy 75, Saratoga 64. Josh Rodriguez led Troy with 20 points for the 2nd straight game. Alex Wolfe added 17, and Marquis Hamby had 15.

Shenendehowa 53, Niskayuna 34.

Women:

Columbia 57, Burnt Hills 37. Looks like the Lady Devils are next for Troy on Friday.

Troy 52, Colonie 43. Jenalyse Alarcon led Troy with 16 points. Nadia Brown, Jakaiya Dewer, & Makaiya Chapman each had 9.

Tournament semi-finals:

Shen 84, Albany 33. Shen had 4 players in double figures, led by Meghan Huerter's 18 points. Huerter is heading for Providence next season.

Saratoga 49, Averill Park 43. The Blue Streaks played without Natasha Chudy, out with a thigh injury. She has an MRI scheduled for today, which will determine if she'll be able to go vs. Shen tomorrow in the finals.

Sweeping out the Blue Maroon (Troy vs. Colonie (women), Troy vs. Saratoga (men), 3/10/21

 We don't know exactly how many teams were entered in the Suburban Council women's consolation tournament, but if this was the final, lightning has struck again for Troy High.

The women captured the consolation tournament in soccer back in the fall, and tonight, returned home after two days of rest to host Colonie, which, unfortunately for the Raiders, might've been suffering from fatigue.

There were some anxious moments late, as Colonie got within four points in the fourth quarter, but Makaiya Chapman & Jenalyse Alarcon were huge down the stretch, as Troy won again, winning its 3rd in their last 4.

Here's the video:

Meanwhile, in Saratoga, the men avenged a tight one point loss to the Blue Streaks on February 27. Josh Rodriguez hit his last 5 free throws to put the game away late, and Troy, the #3 seed, eliminated #2 Saratoga, 75-64.

We'll have full stats tomorrow. Troy now will move to the tournament final on Friday, at Shen, which eliminated Niskayuna earlier.

Meanwhile, the CDHSHL playoffs have already been turned upside down. Not only was LaSalle forced out due to COVID-19, but CBA, which swept the Cadets over the weekend, was also eliminated for the same reason, which enabled the "Guilderville" Storm to replace CBA. Burnt Hills, which was supposed to be on the road tonight, will instead host the Storm, with that game set to go around 8:45.

Earlier today, South division champion Bethlehem was upset by Saratoga, 6-5, in overtime, while North division champion Shenendehowa, which was actually concerned because the Capital District Jets were in quarantine, took down the Jets, 7-2. There are no more South division teams left, as Adirondack defeated Albany Academy, 8-3.

That means Friday's semi-finals will have Shen vs. the Burnt Hills-Guilderville winner, while Saratoga plays Adirondack.

News & notes

 It was Senior Night at LaSalle on Tuesday for the basketball team, which closed its home schedule by thrashing Watervliet, 78-45. Sophomore Shamiere Green led the Cadets with 17 points. Seniors Gabe Lucarelli & Jimyh Evans added 16 & 14, respectively.

According to a game report in the Albany Times-Union, the Cadets will close with a 2 game road trip, starting with a non-league game at Colonie on Thursday, before closing vs. Albany Academy, which is playing as an independent, on Saturday.

The Cadets are now 9-1 (9-0 Colonial Council).

========================================

Following up on some news from yesterday:

According to LaSalle hockey coach Tim Flanigan, the skating Cadets were put into quarantine on Monday, forcing their withdraw from the CDHSHL tournament. LaSalle finishes at 4-6 on the season

Curiously, as of press time, there was no mention of this in the Times-Union, though there is an article on the Daily Gazette's webpage. El Cheapo Media? There's likely something in today's editions.

=========================================

Let's clear up the mystery surrounding the Suburban Council basketball tournaments.

According to James Allen of the Times-Union and Spectrum Sports, the league's athletic directors, including Chris Culnan of Shenendehowa and Paul Reinisch of Troy High, met to determine the rankings for the tournaments. It is the women's tournament, as noted yesterday, where it gets problematic. According to Allen, though, Reinisch opted to have Troy compete in the consolation tournament, thinking perhaps that lightning would strike twice for the school, after their women's soccer team won a consolation tournament back in the fall.

The 8 teams in the women's tournament were the only ones actually interested in it, which explains why sub-.500 teams like Guilderland & Bethlehem, because of tradition and school pride, were entered, and promptly eliminated in the first round.

The Times-Union does not have an opponent listed for the Troy women for today. Stay tuned.

=============================================

After being eliminated from the women's tournament Monday, Niskayuna suffered its 2nd straight loss, falling to Colonie, 42-39. Olivia Olson led all scorers with 18 points for the Silver Warriors, while Isabella Franchi led Colonie with 16.

=============================================

Siena took its first step toward a NCAA women's tournament berth Tuesday, as the Lady Saints downed Niagara 74-65. Isis Young led Siena with 21 points.

Meanwhile, in addition to being named to the MAAC first team, Manny Camper was named MAAC Men's Player of The Year on Monday.

COVID shuffles the hockey deck

 On the eve of the Capital District High School Hockey playoffs, a COVID-19 breakout has forced LaSalle Institute, the #3 seed in the South division, out of the tournament.

We reached out to coach Tim Flanigan earlier tonight, and have yet to receive a response, which suggests that Flanigan might in fact have been infected himself. We don't know that, of course, and we hope to have an update in the next 24 hours.

LaSalle's withdrawing from the tournament shuffles the deck, and that's literally the case.

The winless Capital District Jets, the #4 seed in the South, will still play the top seed in the North, Shenendehowa, tomorrow afternoon. LaSalle's departure opens the door for Albany Academy (1-9 overall), which leapfrogs past the Jets into the #3 seed in the South. Dave Rider's Cadets will play Adirondack. The Rivermen have moved into the #2 seed in the North, bumping Saratoga to #3.

Saratoga, which was originally going to host LaSalle, fell from 2 to 3 over the weekend, and now will be on the road, as they'll face South division champion Bethlehem, the defending league champions. Now, this doesn't make a whit of sense. CBA, the #2 seed in the South, will host Burnt Hills, which dropped from 3 to 4 in the North.

Rightfully, the matchups would be like this:

S4 CD Jets @ N1 Shen.

S3 Albany Academy @ N2 Adirondack.

N3 Saratoga @ S2 CBA.

N4 Burnt Hills @ S1 Bethlehem.

We'll see if things change in the next 12 hours.

News & notes

 UAlbany is on the verge of possibly losing another player.

Antonio Rizzuto, who had an outstanding season for the Great Danes, has entered the transfer portal, but is leaving his options open, meaning he might come back after all next season. Interim coach and former player Jon Iati is Rizzuto's cousin, and the uncertainty of whether or not Iati would get a full promotion to head coach for next season may be what's fueling Rizzuto's moves at present. Just sayin'.

===============================

While Siena's women's team is playing its first round game in the MAAC tournament in Atlantic City as I write, men's basketball stars Jalen Pickett & Manny Camper were named to the league's 1st team for men on Monday. Despite losing its regular season finale to Canisius on Friday, the Saints are still considered to be a popular pick to advance to the NCAA tournament, which starts next week. Siena was halfway there when last year's tournament was halted due to COVID.

===============================

As noted yesterday, Troy High's women's basketball team will play its first consolation tournament game tomorrow, and, at present, it's set for Zotto Memorial Gym with a 6 pm start. The opponent has yet to be determined, but if you took a closer look at the standings in the Suburban Council, you'd make an argument that Ryan Meikle's club (6-5 overall, 6-4 in league play) got screwed out of the main tournament. Apparently, the league is using winning percentage in correlation with the number of games played to determine the field. 

Keep in mind that Troy had a game vs. Saratoga cancelled on February 27 due to a COVID outbreak on Robin Chudy's team, and that could've changed everything had the game been played. Had that game been played, and Troy lost, then you'd have justification for their placement in the consolation tournament.

Ya know what, pilgrims? I think that's what the league's eggheads were thinking.

=======================================

Monday's basketball scoreboard:

Suburban Council men's 1st round:

Niskayuna 47, CBA 45. So much for an upset.

Saratoga 49, Bethlehem 44.

Troy 73, Schenectady 46. Josh Rodriguez led three Troy players in double figures with 20 points, including a ridiculous 3 pointer from near mid-court at the end of the 1st quarter. Shamdo Caldwell added 16, while Marquis Hamby contributed 13, most of it in the 1st quarter.

Shenendehowa 67, Colonie 52.

Suburban Council women's 1st round:

Shen 64, Bethlehem 33. The Eagles suffer a 2nd loss in as many days. Erin Carey led Shen with 14 points, while the Huerter sisters, Meghan & Jillian, were held to a combined 20 points (12 & 8, respectively).

Saratoga 51, Guilderland 49. Natasha Chudy led Saratoga with 21 points. Valencia Fontanelle-Posson had a game high 27 points for the Lady Dutch.

Albany 58, Niskayuna 43. Neveah House had a game high 24 points for the Falcons, who shut down Nisky's Olivia Olsen, holding her to a season low 8 points. Albany will need another standout performance if they want to upset Shen tomorrow night.

Averill Park 57, Shaker 46. After being held to 7 points on Saturday, Amelia Wood had 16 to complement Anna Jankovic (20 points) in leading the Warriors to a payback win over the Bison.

Wednesday's semi-finals:

Men: 

Troy @ Saratoga.

Nisky @ Shen.

Women: 

Saratoga @ Averill Park.

Albany @ Shen.

Shenendehowa will host a double-header again tomorrow.

Suburban Council men's consolation tournament, 1st round:

Averill Park 44, Guilderland 41 (OT).

Columbia 63, Ballston Spa 52.

Women's consolation tournament, 1st round:

Colonie 57, Schenectady 36.

Way too much Horsepower (Schenectady @ Troy, 3/8/21)

 Almost exactly a month ago, Troy & Schenectady opened the Suburban Council basketball season at Zotto Gym. After falling behind by 7 at halftime, Troy pulled away in the second half. You have to figure coach Richard Hurley used that as a teaching tool going into today's quarter-final round game in the league tournament.

Lesson learned. 

Schenectady had a brief lead in the 1st quarter, but as soon as Troy reclaimed the lead, they never gave it back. The Flying Horses dominated the balance of the game. Senior Josh Rodriguez played every second of the first three quarters, and only came out when Hurley pulled the starters with about 2 minutes left in the game. They're going to need another iron man performance like that going forward.

Troy moves on, 73-46. Here's the video:

The Troy women will take part in the consolation tournament, and will host a game on Wednesday. However, the pairings for the consolation tournament haven't yet been made public.

We'll have final stats and scores of all the games on today's schedule on Tuesday.

Suburban Council basketball playoff pairings & preview

 Shenendehowa will have home court for the entirety of their run in the Suburban Council basketball tournament for both men & women, which gets underway tomorrow. Both Shen teams ran the table in the regular season, and are heavy favorites to win the titles.

Women's bracket:

8. Bethlehem @ 1. Shen. The Eagles go into this game off a demoralizing loss to Troy this afternoon. Unfortunately, the Lady Horses will be in a consolation tournament similar to the one they won in women's soccer earlier this season.

7. Shaker @ 2. Averill Park. The Lady Bison upset Sean Organ's Warriors Saturday afternoon, and now will have an opportunity to make it two in a row.

6. Guilderland @ 3. Saratoga.

5. Niskayuna @ 4. Albany. This 4-5 matchup has two teams with identical records. The bad news? The winner likely gets Shen.

Men's bracket:

8. Colonie @ 1. Shen.

7. Bethlehem @ 2. Saratoga.

6. Schenectady @ 3. Troy. These two teams met on opening night, with Troy blowing the Patriots out of the gym. Schenectady has improved, but Troy, winners of 4 in a row, are just flat out hot after blowing out Shaker & Bethlehem in their last two games.

5. CBA @ 4. Niskayuna.

Predictions: 

Women's tournament: 

Bethlehem blew a 4th quarter lead against Troy earlier today, and will face a Shen team that has had 48 hours and change to rest and prepare. Tip time is 4:30, and is the first half of a double-header at Shen. The Eagles need a miracle, but Shen is just too strong.

Averill Park has revenge on its minds after losing to Shaker on Saturday. The Warriors want a rematch with Shen, and will even the score.

Saratoga has their new star in Natasha Chudy, and Guilderland is just a speed bump. The Lady Streaks will see Averill Park in the semi-finals.

Albany hasn't been the same as in past years, finishing 2nd behind Averill Park this season, and they didn't get to play their favorite patsy in recent years, Troy. Olivia Olsen will carry the Silver Warriors into the semis at Shen.

Men's tournament:

If anyone's going to pull an upset in the quarters, it's going to be CBA. The downside to knocking off Nisky is a trip to Shen on Wednesday. Troy was a last second basket shy of beating Saratoga last weekend, and they routed Bethlehem in their regular season finale. The Blue Streaks should have no problem with the Eagles, and Troy will remind Schenectady of last month's beatdown. The only way Troy gets another home game is if Bethlehem does the impossible, and recovers to beat Saratoga, which I don't see happening.

Semi-finals: Shen will dispose of CBA on the boys' side, while the women will have a tough time before eliminating Nisky. As hot as Troy has been, they will review the tape of their February 27 game vs. Saratoga, figure out where they went wrong, and advance in the other upset of the tournament. Remember, Shen's the only other team that beat Rich Hurley's Flying Horses this season, and it was by less than 10 points. If there's going to be anything resembling an upset in the women's tournament, it'll be Saratoga over Averill Park. However, the Warriors will find a way to survive.

We'll look at the finals on Friday, and we'll see where Troy's women will play in the consolation tournament tomorrow.

A grand finale (Bethlehem @ Troy, 3/7/21)

 Troy High needed a strong, momentum building performance against a perennial nemesis in Bethlehem in today's home finale at Zotto Memorial Gym, what with the Suburban Council tournament starting tomorrow. The Flying Horses got that performance, building upon the improvements in Friday's loss to Shaker.

Senior star Jenalyse Alarcon became the 2nd player in as many days to crack the 1,000 point barrier for her career, following Meghan Huerter of Shenendehowa yesterday. Alarcon was one of three players to hit double figures for Troy as they had to battle back from behind to defeat the Eagles, 55-53. Troy had let a 10 point 1st quarter lead whittle down to 4 at halftime, then watched Bethlehem go on an 18-8 run in the 3rd quarter to take a 6 point lead into the final frame. Troy then outscored the Eagles, 20-12, in the final frame, thanks in large part to Alarcon's work on both sides of the ball.

Enjoy the video:

We will be watching for any news regarding the tournament if the pairings are announced later today.

News & notes

 Rhode Island freshman Catherine "Dolly" Cairns is not only excelling on the court, but the Saratoga graduate has shined in the classroom, too.

Per the Albany Times-Union, Cairns has made the Dean's List for the 1st semester at Rhode Island. Congratulations, Dolly.

=====================================

Saturday's basketball scoreboard:

Colonial Council (men):

Albany Academy 102, Catholic Central 59. Preston Graber had a season high 43 points, including 10 3 pointers. Marcus Jackson added 11.

LaSalle 74, Schalmont 50. Gabe Lucarelli had 29 points to lead the Cadets, who will have a showdown with Academy next Saturday.

Suburban Council (men):

Troy 63, Bethlehem 38. Josh Rodriguez led Troy with 17 points. Marquis Hamby added 14.

Shaker 54, Averill Park 49. The Bison rebound after getting blown out by Troy on Friday.

Shenendehowa 83, Schenectady 56.

Saratoga 43, Niskayuna 36. The Blue Streaks' defense held Nisky to just 13 points in the 2nd half.

CBA 60, Burnt Hills 38.

Guilderland 61, Columbia 54.

Suburban Council (women):

Shenendehowa 79, Schenectady 40. Meghan Huerter broke the 1,000 point barrier, and led all scorers with 27 points, while sister Jillian added 19.

Shaker 57, Averill Park 49. Shaker pulls the upset, limiting Amelia Wood to 7 points. Sole Carrington had 12 for Shaker. Anna Jankovic led the Lady Warriors with 29 points, but had no backup.

==================================

CDHSHL:

Burnt Hills 5, Albany Academy 3. The winless Cadets are right back in action today vs. the 1-win Mohawks.

Grounded Eagles (Troy @ Bethlehem, 3/6/21)

 Ever since entering the Suburban Council in 2015, one of the teams Troy High has had the most trouble with in basketball has been Bethlehem. That all changed when Troy won a non-league game over the Eagles to start the 2019-20 season, and split the season series.

This season is different. The Eagles are not among the elite of the league, and Troy has reclaimed its perch atop the Gray division. The two teams met today in the season finale for both, with playoff implications, depending on how the tournament will be structured when it starts on Monday, at stake. 

Just as they did against Shaker last night, Troy came out running and gunning, and led virtually the entire game. We'll have the final stats in about 24 hours, but, suffice to say, Troy is ready for the tournament, but Bethlehem? Not so much, after a 63-38 beatdown. For the second straight game, coach Richard Hurley began lifting his starters, one at a time, in the 4th quarter, with the game well in hand.

Here's the video:

Whomever was in charge of Bethlehem's YouTube feed missed at least one basket by Troy, so I can't accurately figure the stats on my own. Troy finishes 10-2 for the regular season.

No Brotherly Love (LaSalle @ CBA, 3/6/21)

 It was Senior Day for Christian Brothers Academy's hockey team today at the Albany County Hockey Training Facility in Colonie, and there was no way they'd let LaSalle spoil the day, so it would seem.

Reid Murray opened the scoring for LaSalle in the 1st period, but it was all Brothers after that, as Caleb Ellis, like Leo Paul on Friday, saw a steady stream of shots from the hosts, and gave up five unanswered goals. Jack Murphy tied it and started the parade in the 1st period, followed by Ryan McMahon & Luke Pezzulo. Cameron James and Greg Builliard added insurance goals in the 3rd period, as CBA completed the sweep, 5-1.

How do we have all the stats for this game? Simple. CBA may be the only Section II school that actually has a play-by-play announcer.....

Props to CBA for a professional production. The Brothers finish 5-1 in the CDHSHL South division, as LaSalle falls to 4-4 in the division, and 4-6 overall. LaSalle has dropped three straight, and that's not a good thing to have when your next game is in the Delvecchio Cup quarterfinals vs. Saratoga. CBA will host Burnt Hills in the quarters.

=====================================

Friday's scoreboard:

In CBA's 6-5 win over LaSalle, Carson Curran led the Brothers with a hat trick. Luke Pezzulo had two goals and an assist. Nic Pauley carded a hat trick for LaSalle.

Basketball:

Troy 68, Shaker 30. Shamdo Caldwell led Troy with 12 points. Josh Rodriguez added 11 for the Gray division champions.

CBA 50, Ballston Spa 46.

Saratoga 72, Bethlehem 55.

Shenendehowa 55, Niskayuna 43.

Averill Park 55, Guilderland 50.

Women:

Shaker 55, Troy 42. Jenalyse Alarcon & Jakaiya Dewer led Troy with 13 points apiece.

Burnt Hills 69, Schenectady 28.

Shen 96, Albany 55.

Columbia 42, Colonie 41.

Saratoga 62, Bethlehem 36.

Averill Park 69, Guilderland 45.

=====================================

The colleges that passed on football in the fall have started their seasons.

UAlbany opened on the road and came from behind to beat New Hampshire, 24-20. However, former Troy star Dev Holmes is off the team for the 2nd time, due to what was first reported as a violation of team rules, but Holmes himself shed some light on that when he said he had an argument with offensive coordinator Joe Davis, and that led to his dismissal.

Freshman Joe Tortello (Holy Trinity) is a backup to starting quarterback Jeff Undercuffler. Redshirt sophomore Joe Casale (Troy) is a linebacker & kick returner.

======================================

Speaking of football, Section II begins its season on March 19. Here are Troy & LaSalle's schedules:

March 19: Troy @ LaSalle in the Collar City Cup. The 2019 game was a 3 hour snoozer pockmarked with penalties and late injuries. Both teams have key players currently playing basketball (Alex Wolfe & Nasir Dawud-Soto for Troy, Bo Catherwood for LaSalle).

March 26: Troy's home opener vs. Amsterdam. Columbia @ LaSalle.

April 2: LaSalle @ Amsterdam. Averill Park @ Troy.

April 9: Columbia @ Troy. Albany @ LaSalle.

April 16: Troy @ Albany. LaSalle @ Averill Park.

April 23 & 30: To be announced.

We will see if there will be YouTube streams, as well as the return of Spectrum News' Friday Night Matchup.

High School Fridays: Hoops 'n' hockey, 3/5/21

 Playoff positioning is on the line today & tomorrow for CBA & LaSalle in the final regular season series for both teams.

Coming off an overtime loss to the Mohawks on Wednesday, the Cadets could not afford another letdown. 

About five minutes into the 1st period, LaSalle tuned in to the Fuda Network. Angelo Fuda, that is, as he put the hosts up, 1-0. It stayed that way until the 2nd period, as CBA put a couple of fish sticks past Leo Paul to take a 2-1 lead into the intermission.

After the break, LaSalle took the lead back, including a power play goal, and it was 3-2 Cadets headed into the final period.

It then became a case of who wanted it more. The two teams traded the lead back & forth until CBA scored three times in about five minutes to put the game away, picking up a 6-5 win. LaSalle drops to 4-5 overall (4-3 in the CDHSHL South division), and has 18 hours to try to figure things out.

CBA has played fewer games, and moves into 2nd place in the South division with the win today. Puck drop for their home finale is 11:40 am tomorrow.

===================================

Just a few clicks down the road at Troy High, the Flying Horses put on a defensive clinic in demolishing Shaker, 68-30. The Blue Bison could not break double figures in any quarter, and, unlike on Wednesday, when he pulled his starters too soon, only to bring them back to save the game, coach Rich Hurley began pulling the starters during the 4th quarter, giving some little used reserves not only some much needed minutes, but also an opportunity to fill the scoresheet.

Enjoy:

Troy closes at Bethlehem tomorrow. Game time has been changed to 3 pm, so there might've been some staffing issues at either school that prompted the women's game to be moved to Sunday at 12:45.

Speaking of the women, they could not build off the momentum generated from Wednesday's rout of Ballston Spa. Instead, Shaker High remains a house of horrors for the Lady Horses, as they drop a 53-42 decision.

Stats coming in 24 hours. Here's the video:

Official pairings for the Suburban Council tournament will be announced either Sunday night or Monday morning.

News & notes

 We are entering the final weekend of the regular season in hockey and for some basketball leagues in Section II.

The Colonial Council isn't one of those leagues. LaSalle, which has already wrapped up the Liberty Division title, crushed Mohonasen, 79-46, on Thursday night. Unfortunately, no one bothered to send a box score to the local press. Greg Davis' Cadets, who have rebounded nicely after losing a non-league game to Green Tech on February 27, remain perfect in league play (7-1 overall) with three games remaining. They're giving Schalmont a rematch tomorrow, then will host Watervliet on Tuesday before closing on the road at Albany Academy on March 13.

The future is now for LaSalle basketball.

================================

The skating Cadets, meanwhile, will close the home portion of their schedule for the regular season this afternoon with the first half of a home & home series with CBA. Playoff position is on the line. If CBA beats LaSalle in both games, they'll move into 2nd place in the CDHSHL's South division, and would open quarter-final play vs. Burnt Hills, 3rd place in the North division, while LaSalle would fall to 3rd in the South, and play Saratoga (2nd in the North). If LaSalle can sweep the series, they'd get a rematch with Burnt Hills, and CBA would renew their rivalry with Saratoga. We'll know for sure by the end of play on Saturday.

=================================

For Rich Hurley & Troy High, all they need to do is win tonight vs. Shaker, and the Gray division in the Suburban Council will really be theirs. Second place Schenectady celebrated Senior Night by beating Burnt Hills on Thursday to get within 1 1/2 games of the idle Flying Horses, but they close at Shenendehowa tomorrow while Troy is at Bethlehem. The only mystery remaining would be where Troy would be seeded in the league tournament that starts Monday at Shen. As for the women, they need to maintain the momentum from blowing out Ballston Spa on Wednesday night when they visit Shaker today before coming home to play Bethlehem Sunday afternoon.

Common sense says the men would be at least a #2 seed overall (#1 out of the Gray division, of course), while the ladies would be a little lower. We'll see after Sunday's game.

==================================

Apparently, the CDHSHL is looking for a new site for the playoff finals, taking place on March 13.

The tournament was originally set to be at Cool Insuring Arena in Glens Falls starting March 11, but then it was cut down to Cool Insuring hosting the finals only. Now, the arena is apparently out of the picture altogether, as the sites are now all TBA (to be announced), with quarterfinal play now stretched across two days (March 10-11). The pairings, subject to change, as of right now. They could be altered after play tomorrow:

CD Jets @ Shen.

LaSalle or CBA @ Saratoga.

Adirondack @ LaSalle or CBA.

Burnt Hills @ Bethlehem.

2 quarter finals would be played Wednesday, with the other two on Thursday, then the semi-finals next Friday before the finals on the 13th.

No reason has been made public for the change in venues. Seems the league would like to have the finals be played at Union College, as they traditionally would, but that isn't the case this year. At least, not now. Stay tuned.