A late e-mail arrived regarding a confirmed case of whooping cough (pertussis) at the New York State Public High School Athletic Association ice hockey championships at the Utica Memorial Auditorium last weekend.

No details have been released if the person was an attendee, official or employee of the facility, but the release does state two specific days, March 12-13 of the event.

Here is the link to the story and release from the New York State Department of Health here.

The Adirondack Phantom will be honoring two local high school ice hockey teams that advanced to the New York State Public High School Athletic Association title games at 7:30 on April 2 when the Phantoms face the Syracuse Crunch.

The Saratoga Springs Blue Streaks (Division I) and Queensbury Spartans (Division 2) squads will be honored during the first intermission out on the ice in front of fans and friends.

For players on the squad, a "champions" discount will be available for $13 for adults and $11 for children, both include the $1 arena fee.

Contact Dawn Price at 480-3355 for tickets.

Courtesy www.cdhshl.org

CDHSHL scoring leaders through Jan. 9, 2009

How can you not miss this???

A pancake breakfast at Applebees in Saratoga Springs for $5 to benefit the Saratoga Springs High School ice hockey team...and it's Stan Hudy's birthday!

From 8 to 10 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 21 stop by Applebee's at 3 Lowes Drive in Saratoga Springs to take part in the event. Be seated, served and have the Blue Streak ice hockey team clean up for you afterwards.

I think it's all you can eat, The menu is 3 pancakes, choice of 2 pieces of sausage and bacon and a choice of juice or coffee, so be ready with the batter boys!!!

This weekend kicks off the youth hockey season in earnest as the Connor LaFrance bantam youth hockey gets underway at the Saratoga Springs City Ice Rinks.

The three-day tournament invites 12 teams from three states and seven youth hockey organizations to honor LaFrance, a local youth hockey player and motocross star who died Sept. 21, 2007.

The Saratoga Bantam A, B and C squads will face local competitors, Clifton Park A and B squads along with Adirondack. Out of town competitors include Mohawk Valley, Saugerties, Chittenden, South Burlington, VT and Dover, New Hampshire.

On Saturday night the organization will present the Saratoga Youth Hockey Memorial Scholarship during a ceremony at center ice.

2009 Connor LaFrance Bantam Youth Hockey divisions
Division A
Clifton Park A
Mohawk Valley
Chittenden SB
Saratoga A

Division B
Dover, NH
Chittenden SB A/B
Adirondack
Saratoga B

Division C
Dover, NH
Clifton Park B2
Saugerties
Saratoga C

2009 Connor LaFrance Bantam Youth Hockey schedule
Thurs. 8:30 p.m. Vernon Clifton Park B2 vs. Saratoga C

Friday 5:45 p.m. Vernon Adirondack vs. Saratoga B
Friday 7:15 p.m. Vernon Dover, NH vs. Chittenden SB A/B
Friday 7:45 p.m. Weibel Chittenden SB A vs. Saratoga A
Friday 8:45 p.m. Vernon Clifton Park A vs. Mohawk Valley

Saturday 7:30 a.m. Weibel Saratoga B vs. Chittenden SB A/B
Saturday 8:30 a.m. Vernon Mohawk Valley vs. Chittenden SB A
Saturday 9 p.m. Weibel Dover, NH vs. Adirondack
Saturday 10 a.m. Vernon Saratoga A vs. Clifton Park A
Saturday 10:30 a.m. Weibel Clifton Park B2 vs. Saugerties
Saturday Noon Weibel Dover, NH vs. Clifton Park B2
Saturday 4 p.m. Vernon Dover, NH vs. Clifton Park B2
Saturday 5:30 p.m. Vernon Saugerties vs. Saratoga C
Saturday 6 p.m. Weibel Chittenden SB A/B vs. Adirondack
Saturday 7 p.m. Vernon Chittenden SB A vs. Clifton Park A
Saturday 7:30 p.m. Weibel Saratoga B vs. Dover, NH
Saturday 9 p.m. Weibel Saratoga A vs. Mohawk Valley

Sunday 6:45 a.m. Vernon B 3rd place vs. B 4th place
Sunday 7:30 a.m. Weibel C 1st place vs. C 3rd place
Sunday 8:15 a.m. Vernon B 2nd place vs. B 1st place
Sunday 9 a.m. Weibel A 3rd place vs. A 4th place
Sunday 10:30 a.m. Weibel A 2nd place vs. A 1st place
Sunday 2 p.m. Weibel C 4th place vs. C 3rd place
Sunday 3:30 p.m. Weibel C 2nd place vs. C 1st place

South Glens Falls native and Clarkson University hockey standout Shawn Weller was traded from the Ottawa Senators to the Anaheim Ducks.

Weller played for the Binghamton Senators last season, Ottawa’s primary affiliate in the American Hockey League (AHL). He appeared in a career-high 70 contests, collecting 4-5=9 points with 57 penalty minutes (PIM). The 6-2, 199-pound winger recorded 1-1=2 points for his first multiple-point game of the season on Jan. 16 vs. Wilkes-Barre. Weller also appeared in four contests with Elmira of the ECHL last season, earning 1-1=2 points with two PIM.

Originally selected by Ottawa in the third round (77th overall) of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, Weller has appeared in 134 career AHL contests, recording 12-13=25 points with 101 PIM. The Glens Falls, NY native played three seasons of college hockey at Clarkson University of the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC), earning 36-42=78 points with 237 PIM in 109 career games.

He led the club in goals and points in 2006-07, collecting 19-21=40 points in 39 games. In 2005, Weller played for Team USA’s Under-20 team at the IIHF World Junior Championships, appearing in seven contests.

-- Courtesy Anaheim Ducks website

The Adirondack Phantoms will face 17 different opponents during the 2009-10 season, including 52 contests against East Division rivals. The Phantoms will also face all eight teams in the Atlantic Division, as well as three teams from the North Division during the season, which includes an equal number of home and away games against each of their opponents.

The Phantoms will face local rival Albany River Rats (12 games) more than any other opponent, followed by the Binghamton Senators (10 games), the Hershey Bears, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and Norfolk Admirals (eight games each) and the Syracuse Crunch (six games).

The Phantoms will play two games (one home, one away) against each team in the Atlantic Division (Manchester, Hartford, Lowell, Portland, Providence, Springfield and Worcester), with the exception being Bridgeport who will face the Phantoms four times (two home, two away). Opponents from the Western Conference are the Hamilton Bulldogs and Rochester Americans (four games each) and two contests against the Toronto Marlies.

In addition, the American Hockey League also realigned the East Division, moving Bridgeport to the Atlantic Division and adding Syracuse from the Western Conference.

Saratoga Springs junior Cody Nizolek has been named the Capital District High School Hockey League Player of the Year at Sunday’s league coaches meeting.

The junior forward has scored 25 goals this season along with 13 assists for 38 regular season points and helped the Blue Streaks post an 11-5-1 league record and 15-7-2 overall. Saratoga finished third in the league standings and will host No. 6 Shenendehowa 6:45 p.m. Wednesday night at the Weibel Avenue Rink in the Section II Division I quarterfinals.

“Coach (Mike Ricupero) told us today at practice,” Nizolek said. “I was surprised. I wasn’t the leading point man, but I was up there. Everyone was congratulating me and said they were happy for me.
“I thought I had a chance to get it,” Nizolek said. “I thought the top point guy (Mohonasen’s Kyle McKelvey) may get it or one of the Queensbury kids would get it.”

The two-sport star has his heart set on hockey, but said his college career may be played in the spring.
“I love playing both,” Nizolek said. “I was out today playing at Skidmore with some of the other guys. Playing one helps you play the other sport.
“I would like to play hockey,” Nizolek said. “More realistically, lacrosse will have better offers than college hockey. I would love to play hockey in college.”

To see the full list of CDHSHL All-Stars click here.

- Stan Hudy

If there was ever a chance that The Saratogian could be swarmed by angry citizens and be burnt to the ground it could happen on Wednesday after our sports section comes out and the mob begins to form on Lake Avenue.

It was as if the planets and stars aligned at least for Shenendehowa as the Plainsmen completed its own high school trifecta (I took Shen and the points, myself) Tuesday night defeating Saratoga Springs in ice hockey (4-3 in overtime), boys varsity basketball (53-51 after an 11-point deficit) and girls varsity basketball, 51-38 (hitting nine 3-pointers).

Sports editor and Shenendehowa graduate Brien Bouyea couldn't resist a jab with his headline and I was probably the only one in the sports department smiling about the Plainsmen ice hockey victory.

I'm sure we'll all get some e-mails from inside and outside of the Lake Avenue command center for the green-leaning headline from the blue-leaning readership and management, but we do kind of live for these kinds of rivalry nights.

How couldn't I be smiling, a 4-3 overtime high school ice hockey victory that included an early ice time so deadline wasn't an issue. Add with it that it will make my work for the Southern Saratoga weekly newspaper, the Community News, go smoothly Wednesday night never hurts.

It was a great night for the rivals to meet.

Saratoga stormed back from a 3-1 deficit at the Weibel Ave. Rink to tie the game and had several breath-taking opportunities to win the contest in the closing minute.

Nate Rider was on the Shen campus watching the Plainsmen come back from an 11-point disadvantage to win late, very late.

Jeff Scott was on Blue Streak Boulevard to catch some of our favorite coaches (yea, we do have some favorites) Shen's Ken Strube and the always delightful pair of Blue Streak legends, Rich Johns and Damian Fantauzzi at girls hoops.

You could call it a match made in heaven, despite the outcome for the Blue Streaks.

We didn't expect this in the sports department, a 2-1 Saratoga advantage was the prediction before game time by our own prognosticators.

But that's why they play the games don't they?

- Stan Hudy