Best line in Section V?
Penfield has three of the area’s 10 top scoring leaders
WEBSTER — Bobby Kane drifted toward the goal line and, on his backhand side, slid a pass across Hilton’s crease to teammate Sean Walsh.
No look. Slam dunk. Goal for Penfield.
The play was chemistry personified, built upon not only hours of practice but innate trust that a linemate will be exactly where the passer expects.
Plays of that nature have been common for the Patriots’ top line this season, with Kane and Walsh flanking centerman Angelo Latore.
All three rank in the top 10 of Section V’s scoring list entering the regular season’s final week. Walsh (21 goals, 27 assists) positions at second overall, while Kane (17 goals, 21 assists) and Latore (12 goals, 25 assists) keep pace.
The line figured in on all six goals in Friday’s win against Hilton, which included a hat trick from Kane.
“I love playing with them. It’s a great line,” Walsh said.
Such production is sometimes only possible with years of experience playing together. While the Latore and Walsh tandem precedes this season, Kane was the X-factor.
He was planted on the top line’s right wing to start the season and offers complementary skills that allow the trio to flourish.
“Bobby has been a four-year varsity player for us and has continued to excel from the onset,” Nathan Miller, Penfield’s coach since 2007-08, said. “He brings some components to that line that the other two don’t have.”
While trust is a crucial aspect of a line’s success, a coach must also do their part.
Take Penfield’s aforementioned goal against Hilton. Some coaches might balk at the thought of a blind pass that, in theory, risks puck possession.
Instead, Miller called the play, “Awesome.”
“A goal is a goal. It doesn’t matter how it goes in,” Miller said. “We don’t want to handcuff our kids and not use some of the creativity that they bring to the rink with the offensive capabilities they have. We have to give them the creative flexibility to pull off a move like that.”
Responsibility also falls on the rest of the forward group. Without others doing their part, Penfield’s coaching staff might be compelled to split up the Patriots’ dynamic top line so opposing teams’ defensive units can’t key on a single unit.
Fortunately for Penfield, the second line featuring Mason Maksymiu, Tommy Obstarczyk and Ethan Murowski has scored its fair share, while senior Travis Bush leads a proficient third line.
“I think that’s why we’re tough to stop,” Miller said. “We have two really good offensive lines and a third ... they’re doing a great job as a shutdown line and playing in a lot of different situations.”
At 14-4-0, Penfield projects as the Class A tournament’s No. 3 seed with two tough tests remaining in the final week. The Patriots wrap up the regular season with games against Section V’s
two defending champions, Pittsford and Webster Schroeder, on Tuesday and Friday.
The meeting with the Panthers could be especially telling, not only because of the Class A implications but Pittsford’s dynamic defense that presents challenges for opposing attackers.
“It’s two very good games to get before we step into the tournament,” Miller said. “It’s just a matter of keeping our momentum. I love the group and the direction we’re headed.”
Section V hockey’s scoring race heats up
Walsh’s five-point performance on Friday against Hilton lifted him to second among Section V’s scoring leaders.
Only Greece’s Spencer Griffin has been more productive. Entering the final week, the Storm’s senior winger is first in goals scored (26), assists (29) and points (55).
Through Sunday, six players in Section V have 40 or more points: Griffin, Penfield’s Walsh (48), Batavia Notre Dame United’s Ivan Milovidov (47) and Jameson Motyka (40), ChurchvilleChili’s Parker Farnham (44) and Pittsford’s Brady McMahon (41).
One player to watch is Farnham, who’s recorded three or more points in five of his last six games.
The 2022-23 All-Greater Rochester selection had a seven-point game (three goals, four assists) in an 8-5 win over Spartan Hockey on Feb. 2.
Farnham’s recent hot streak has been emblematic of the Saints’ rise in recent weeks.
The 2023 Class B section runner-up struggled to start 2023-24, but Churchville-Chili has won four of its last five games.
That includes a 4-2 victory over state-ranked Webster Thomas on Feb. 1.