HIGH SCHOOL GAME OF THE WEEK: PITTSFORD VS. PENFIELD
Dec 21, 2021Over the next several weeks, the Rochester Americans will be front and center on the local high school hockey scene as part of a new weekly series that will feature the latest news and notes, scores and stats of select Section V games around the Greater Rochester Area.
2021-22 PITTSFORD PANTHERS STATS 2021-22 PENFIELD PATRIOTS STATS 2021-22 SECTION V REGULAR SEASON STANDINGS
This week’s High School Game of the Week features a showdown between the reigning Section V champions as the Pittsford Panthers take on the Penfield Patriots tonight at Webster Ice Arena in the only meeting of the season between the two teams.
Two points is all that separates the cross-town rivals in the Division I standings with Penfield holding a narrow two-point lead and sitting in a two-way tie with Brighton/HFL/ER for third place.
Pittsford, who last season defeated Victor for the Class A Section V championship, comes into the matchup having won two of its last three following a 5-3 victory over Massena on Saturday. The teams were tied 2-2 after the second period, but a three-goal third period propelled the Panthers to their third win of the season.
The Panthers offense is fueled by senior forward Will Masaschi, who leads the team in assists (7) and points (11) through six games this season. Masachi, who already equaled last season’s point total in half the games, is on pace to surpass his career-high of 18 points he set as a sophomore. In 53 games over his high school career, Masachi has totaled 46 points on 15 goals and 31 assists.
Goaltender Aden Brown has played every minute of the season thus far for Pittsford, boasting a 3-2-1 record with a 2.62 goals-against average and a .895 save percentage with one shutout.
Penfield, the defending Class B champions, are off to a 4-1-1 start through its first six games of the season. The Patriots, playing their second of a season-long four-game homestand tonight, opened the campaign with four straight wins, including an 11-0 rout of Potsdam on Dec. 10, but have been held winless in their last two. Their only loss of the season came by way of a 5-4 setback to Canton on Dec. 11 before going the distance in a 3-3 tie with top-ranked Victor in their most recent matchup.
The Patriots have one of the top offensive units in Section V with three players having already reached the 10-point mark, including leading point-getter Sean Walsh, who leads the team with 11 points (4+7) in his games.
Junior forward Sam Smock leads Penfield with six goals and enters the matchup currently riding a six-game point streak. He opened the campaign with a goal in five straight games highlighted by a two-goal effort in the team’s 4-1 season-opening win over the Portside Royals back on Nov. 30.
Owen Fox ranks among the top-scoring defensemen in Section V with a team-high nine assists. More impressively, the junior blueliner has produced four multi-point games this season, which includes a three-assist effort in the 11-0 win over Potsdam.
Junior goaltender Dom Andrade has carried much of the workload between the pipes for Penfield for the second straight season. After posting an 8-1 record last season to backstop the Patriots to their first-ever Section V title, Andrade is 3-1-1 this season with a 2.16 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage.
More impressively, over his last three starts, Andrade is 3-0-0 with a 1.17 goals-against average and a .955 save percentage.