Mohawk Valley Express Volume 3 Number 4 April 2023

DanielJ.Enea 3rdGeneration FuneralDirector

Benton Hall recognized as STEM School of Excellence

By Dave Warner

Scott Weiler, Director of Innovation for ITEEA’s STEM Center of Teaching and Learning, shared that Benton Hall Academy has been recognized as an ITEEA STEM School of Excellence.

“We thank you for your investment in students and respect your unique abilities to inspire, engage, and lead learners

toward their future,” he stated.

Benton Hall Academy will be recognized at the Opening General Session of ITEEA’s 2023 Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Thursday, April 13, 2023.

One of the reasons the school has won the award is the field trips the students take to area

colleges and universities, or their ‘college road trip series’ as they like to call it.

Tracy Young, the STEAM specialist at Benton Hall Academy, stated, “One of the reasons we won the award was because of these new initiatives that Benton Hall Academy has been doing.”

They first started out visiting Utica University.

Salisbury Grange Seeks New Members

Story by Carol Vogel

The Salisbury Grange is working hard to get ready for their upcoming

calendar of events featuring an open house with raffles, a rummage sale, and a murder

mystery luncheon. They are looking for new members and volunteers to help get the Grange up and running so it can once again contribute to the community as it has in the past. Charles Hayden, President of the Grange as well as board members Nora Cool-Guinup and Brenda Barton, were available to talk about the origins and importance of the Grange in our community.

Young had told them that she wanted to come on campus and maybe do a lesson. “We decided that it would be best if it was going to enrich the program, so 3rd grade would go to Utica, and

What is the Grange?

The National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry was founded in 1867 as a family and community organization in support of agricultural endeavors. The group is described as “a nonprofit, nonpartisan, fraternal organization that advocates for rural America and agriculture and brings rural communities together,” according to the national website www. nationalgrange.org.

they’d learn all about materials.”

In the meantime, they had visited the Fab Lab at Mohawk Valley Please See STEM Page 3

“It’s the oldest farming organization in the country,” Charles added.

The Grange gave Farmers a voice in what railroads and warehouses charged to ship and store their goods as Farmers were being overcharged. The Grange gave Farmers the opportunity to assemble to advocate for fair rates so everyone could be profitable.

Many of the founding members were Masons, Please See GRANGE Page 3

The Salisbury Grange #642 Photo Courtesy of the Salisbury Grange Group Facebook Page.

Community College, and they offered to have the students come there as well. “So, 5th grade now goes to MVCC.”

Young said that in the meantime, Herkimer College had caught wind of the program. “We had a meeting and told them we were closest, so we asked what they would like us to get involved in.”

HC said that the electrical lab might be interesting for students, and Young said, “This would go really well with 4th grade.”

Next year, Young says that SUNY Poly wants to be involved, so she’s looking at involving 2nd-grade students in that program.

“We are going to meet with some professors there that are doing research on animals, and we’ll be partnered with them next year,” she stated.

Young said that she doesn’t believe that any other schools are doing this but that some want to. “Nobody is doing this with elementary schools. It’s been super fun.”

“When they went to Herkimer, they came home with the lanyards. Utica University provides them with snacks, and we tie-died t-shirts at no charge. At Mohawk Valley, we do Fab Lab and work with coding and robotics, and they come home with something that says MV on it, and they also provide a snack for us.”

She said that they also did a pizza lunch at Herkimer.

Young said that it impacts the students, as she’s heard them say things like, ‘I want to go here.’

“We’re hoping that it broadens the horizons of the students about our colleges that are right here in the area. Ones

that they could commute to and save money.”

“It’s very eye-opening for them.”

She also said that it’s just been wonderful that they’ve been able to go. “The school district has been really supportive of us getting busses to go to each of these. It’s a lot of field trips. But it’s small groups, a lot of engagement, and a lot of hands-on experiences.”

Bill McDonald, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at Herkimer College, stated, “We’re very grateful for the partnership with Little Falls. We had met with Tracy and her team over there, and she talked with us about her Engineering by Design Program and how she would like to have a better engagement between ourselves and her students.”

The discussion led to the current program, allowing

her students to see the College’s STEAM-related programs. “In particular, electrical technology and physics,” he said.

“This is the second of four planned trips to our campus, and these students will meet professors in electrical tech and engineering, science, and physics. We’ll also be going up to the physed center to talk a bit about athletics on the campus and our programs,” McDonald stated.

Young said she’ll accept the Minnesota award at the national conference. “It goes by a point system, and it’s something you apply for. “We were well above the number of points needed to win, I

think.”

One of the perks of winning the award is a spot in the STEM showcase at the ITEEA conference. “We get our own table to put out our projects and spotlight what our school has done to earn this award.”

Young also got an individual awardThe New York State Technology Engineering Educators Association - STEM Teacher of Excellence Award.

“It’s the first one that’s been given by New York State,” she said. “I had to be nominated, and then I had to do an application, a video, and then had to answer a whole bunch of questions.”

GRANGE From Page 1

so quite a few of their secretive rituals, like the secret member’s only handshake, were incorporated into The Grange rules. At the time, this was meant to keep the Grange safe from anyone trying to spy on their rural chapter meetings, such as men from the railroads regarding fees and rates.

“Along with being a social and service organization, the Grange is the nation’s oldest agriculture advocacy group. Being a Grange member opens the door to interacting with legislators to advocate on behalf of rural America and agriculture. Local Granges hold regular meetings to discuss issues like rural broadband access, climate change, and rural healthcare. As the Grange is a grassroots organization, policy recommendations are adopted in local Granges, passed by State Granges, and moved to the National Grange who advocates for them in Washington, D.C. with Congress and other federal agencies.”

What is The Grange?

PDF

Women in the Grange

The Grange was created by a group of seven men and one woman, Caroline Hall. Through the Grange, women were given the chance to come out of the

home to showcase their talents in things like quilt making and sewing, to discuss issues with other women and to learn new skills. “Basically, it was a community socialization place,” Nora commented.

The Grange was a major proponent behind some of the most progressive legislation in the United States in the early twentieth century, including the passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920, which granted women the right to vote. Ahead of the curve compared to many fraternal organizations when it comes to women’s rights and equality, women can hold any of the offices of the Grange, while men can only hold 9!

Local Chapter #624

The Salisbury Grange #624 was chartered on January 25, 1890, and is located at 2550 Route

29 in Salisbury Center across from the Fire Department. One of only two Grange chapters left in Herkimer County, it is an important historical and viable organization the community needs. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.

Brenda Barton, a board member and also the Town of Salisbury Historian, explained, “You have to have a certain number of members in order to keep your charter, and especially with Covid, the numbers went down. The only way we get money is by fundraising, and during Covid, you couldn’t do anything. Now we are all getting together to do some fundraising, so we have money to pay the bills and keep the building in good shape.” After being closed for four years, money was tight. “We started with no

Board Members Brenda Barton (Left) and Nora Cool-Guinup (Right) with Grange President Charles Hayden (center). Photo by Carol Vogel

2nd Floor Hall of Grange with stage. Photo Courtesy of Brenda Barton.

Please See GRANGE Page 5

City of Little Falls

April 4, 2023 - Common Council Meeting - Public Hearing: 6:15 p.m. - 2023

Budget

Auditing of the bills: 6:30 p.m. Public Hearing: 6:45 p.m. – Local Law #1, to amend local law #1 of 1998 to raise the qualifying income level for senior citizens for tax exemption in the City of Little Falls. Regular Meeting: 7:00 p.m.

April 5, 2023 - Police and Fire Board Meeting - Bills 9:30 am and Regular Session 10:00 am in the Mayor’s Conference room in City Hall.

April 11, 2023 - Golf Commission Meeting8:00 am in the Mayor’s Conference room in City Hall.

April 17, 2023 - Board of Public Works MeetingBills 6:30 pm and Regular Session 7:00 pm in the Mayor’s Conference room in City Hall.

April 18, 2023 - Board of Property Maintenance & Codes - 6:00 p.m., in the Mayor’s conference room at City Hall.

April 24, 2023 - Zoning Board of Appeals - 6:30 p.m., in the Mayor’s conference room at City Hall.

April 26, 2023 - Urban Renal Agency Meeting8:15 am in the Mayor’s conference room at City Hall.

Little Falls Elks

April 28 & 29, 2023 - The Valley Girls will be having

a sale at The Little Falls Elks Club from 10 am to 5 pm. We are helping to sell years of accumulation to make room for some new exciting projects for the club. There will be a variety of items, from antiques to restauranttype items, decorations a bar, and more.

We have a wonderful, antique antler chair, a round oak table with large claw feet, roll top desk, library tables, a display cabinet, a round oak missionstyle game table, stack bookcase, a funeral floor candelabra with the case, doors, tables, chairs, decorations, much more. Elks collectibles, trophies, baseball bats, pins, photos, cranberry shade, and more. We will be listing more items and photos, so check back. Come help support the club! Along with the sale

on Saturday, the Elk’s will be putting on their famous Chicken BBQ.

Salisbury

Open House April 15th, Salisbury Grange: Showcasing the Grange in the Community and displays of its interesting history. Refreshments served. Raffles will be available for purchase to win a Shotgun and a 10-man tent. Donations are always welcome!

“Shooting at the Grange” Murder Mystery and Catered Luncheon on April 29th at 12pm: Tickets are $20 per person, $35 per couple. Tickets must be purchased in advance from a Grange Member at the Open House or are available at the Salisbury Town Hall, Kirby Free Library, or Rusty Relics in Salisbury.

Mohawk

Walk for Wanda spaghetti dinner, April 22, 2023 from 2-5pm at the Mohawk American Legion, 43 West Main St. Dinner includes spaghetti with meatballs, tossed salad, bread and dessert for $12. There will also be basket raffles. Proceeds to benefit Herkimer County HealthNet’s Prevention and Living Well with Diabetes programs.

East Herkimer

April, 22, 2023 - Arts, Craft and Vendor Fair from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm at the East Herkimer Fire House, Main Road. Twenty plus Vendors. Admission free. Food Available for Sale.

Sponsored by the Ladies Auxiliary of EHVFD. Contact Barbara Noyes (315) 866-5879 or Janice Harter (315) 866-1885

Irish Cultural Center Events

Join us at The H.A.R.P. Museum at the Irish Cultural Center of the Mohawk Valley or from the comfort of your own

home on Wednesday April 26 6:00 PM for a conversation, via Zoom, with former Sinn Féin spokesperson Danny

Morrison.

Few Irish can forget the Irish Long Kesh Prison hunger strikes

Please See IRISH Page 6

GRANGE From Page 3

money this year. Charlie even paid some bills out of his own pocket this winter!” Their dedication to their community is evident.

Charles explains that due to strict Grange rules and regulations, “We pay dues, but we don’t get to keep any of the money. It goes to the State Grange, and then they give half to the National Grange. So we don’t get any of the benefits of dues. We do have the right to increase dues ourselves over the primary dues, but we don’t do that. I mean, money is tight for everyone.” According to their laws, The Grange can’t sell anything or have a store, but they can take donations and have fundraisers or sell tickets to fundraising events.

The current members have a list of ideas and events to get their chapter back on the map and ready to serve the community. Now they need members to make it a reality. Nora Cool is proud of the work they do and explained that at the end of each meeting of members, an important question is asked: “Is there anyone that needs help?” Grange members serve their communities by assisting a neighbor in need or organizing a bake sale to raise money for a local school. The Grange truly helps improve the lives of its members and neighbors in the community.

Community Input and Ideation

In order to educate and get the younger generations involved, Charles and Nora recently visited the

Dolgeville School and presented about the Grange to 5 different classes. They are hoping to get feedback from the classes and community about what people would like to see the Grange offer. “Back when I was a kid, I came here all the time for dances. They taught us how to square dance, and a band from the Stratford area of High School kids would come to play for the dance. And they used to have suppers that we would come up for as well,” Nora recalled.

The 2nd floor of the Grange houses a beautiful wood-clad hall with a stage, perfect for dances and theater. Some ideas they have are ice cream socials, dances, CPR classes, movie nights, and allowing the community to rent out the space for events. They will also be cleaning up the kitchen and dining hall space on the 1st floor so the Health Department can come to inspect. This will allow them to start using that space to its full potential. “We have a lot of work to do!” Nora laughs, “We have a good start, but we need more volunteers and new members to help.”

Upcoming Events

The Salisbury Grange is busy preparing for springtime events. Here’s what’s happening:

Open House April 15th: Showcasing the Grange in the Community and displays of its interesting history. Refreshments served. Raffles will be available for purchase to win a Shotgun and a

10-man tent. Donations are always welcome!

“Shooting at the Grange” Murder Mystery and Catered Luncheon on April 29th at 12pm: Tickets are $20 per person, $35 per couple. Tickets must be purchased in advance from a Grange Member at the Open House or are available at the Salisbury Town Hall, Kirby Free Library, or Rusty Relics in Salisbury.

Community Donation Day May 9th and 10th: –drop off all your good and saleable item donations for the rummage sale to help preserve the

Grange.

Rummage Sale May 12 and 13th: Come find treasures and help support the Grange with your purchases! The Grange has coordinated this event with the Salisbury Universalist Church Chicken BBQ on May 12th, so you can shop and grab some great food too!

Become a Member or Volunteer!

The Grange is looking for volunteers and members to help with the upcoming rummage sale, fundraisers, and other

events. Monies raised will help with the upkeep of the historic building that houses it and to provide future community events and opportunities for all. Meetings are on the first Monday of the month at 5 pm at the Salisbury Town Hall. You can join their Facebook Group to keep up on events and get more information.

Donations for the Grange can be mailed to Salisbury Center Grange #624 P.O. Box 491 Salisbury Center, N.Y. 13454.

Photo by Frank Forte

Photo by Orlando Guitian

SENIOR MEALS FOR APRIL

To reserve a meal, call the Herkimer County Office for the Aging at least one business day in advance, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, at 315-867-1204 or 315-867-1634. If you will not be home for meals, call 315867-1204 at least a day in advance. All sites are handicapped accessible.

Apr 03 - Cream of broccoli soup, egg salad sandwich, coleslaw, cookie.

Apr 04 - Philly cheeseburger, O’Brien potatoes, broccoli, cake with topping.

Apr 05 - Chicken and biscuits, mashed potatoes, Brussels sprouts, cookie.

Apr 06 - Yankee pot roast, boiled potatoes, dill carrots, pineapple tidbits.

Apr 07 - Macaroni and cheese, stewed tomatoes, green beans, chef’s choice pie.

Apr 10 - Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, peas, cookie.

Apr 11 - Chicken parmesan, rotini in sauce, tossed salad, brownie.

Apr 12 - Cheesy ham and rice casserole, beets, wax beans, cinnamon cake.

Apr 13 - Roast pork, stuffing, cauliflower, pudding.

Apr 14 - Turkey with gravy, sweet potatoes, corn, Mandarin oranges.

Apr 17 - Egg bake sausage patty, hash browns, muffin, fruit cup.

Apr 18 - Ham with plum sauce, scalloped potatoes, beets, peanut butter cookie.

Apr 19 - Baked fish with her sauce, rice pilaf, spinach, vanilla ice cream.

Apr 20 - Chicken marsala, seasoned noodles, Italian blend vegetables, fruited gelatin.

Apr 21 - Stuffed pepper casserole with beef and rice, cauliflower, red cabbage, cookie.

Apr 24 - Lemon chicken, au gratin potatoes, mixed vegetables, pudding.

Apr 25 - Beef stew with vegetables, beets, biscuit, frosted birthday cake.

Apr 26 - Turkey divan with noodles and broccoli sauce, broccoli, cookie.

Apr 27 - Sloppy Joes, O’Brien potatoes, carrots, applesauce.

Apr 28 - Lasagna, tossed salad, garlic roll, brownie.

All meals are served with 8 ounces of milk, a slice of bread, and margarine. Desserts have no concentrated sweets. The suggested donation is $3. Mail donations to Herkimer County OFA, 109 Mary St., Suite 2501, Herkimer, NY 13350. Envelopes are available from drivers.

of the 1980’s that left an indelible mark on Ireland’s struggle with Great Britain. It was an event that held the world spellbound and would change the face of Irish politics forever cementing Sinn Féin’s standing as

a major political party in Ireland. At the age of 22, Danny was the editor of the Sinn Féin newspaper, Republican News and later would become editor of An Phoblacht/ Republican News. Having served time himself in

Long Kesh, he became the spokesperson for Bobby Sands and others during the 1981 hunger strikes which would later that year take the lives of Sands and his comrades. Danny’s penchant for writing soon led to the

publication of several books on the struggles faced at the hands of British oppression.

You can attend this presentation at the H.A.R.P. Museum located on the second floor of the Irish Cultural Center of the Mohawk Valley, 623 Columbia St, Utica or from the comfort of your own home. There is no charge for this event but you must register with Eventbrite to receive the Zoom link. The link can be found on our events calendar at https:// www.iccmv.org/eventscalendar/ .

Join us at The H.A.R.P. Museum at the Irish Cultural Center of the Mohawk Valley on Sunday April 16 2:00 for a presentation by retired NYS Historian Craig Williams as he discusses the life and works of 19th Century Irish cartographer David Vaughan.

It is well known that the Irish contributed considerable manual labor to the first enlargement of the Erie Canal in the 1840’s. The labor could not be started, however, without the help of the maps and plans of Irish immigrant David Vaughan. Not only were Vaughan’s maps and drawings invaluable to the construction of the canal enlargement, they could also be considered works of art. The embellishments he used in his maps and drawings often contained minute humorous and cultural elements from his native Ireland. You will find this presentation most informative and you may be in for a surprise or two as you learn about Vaughan’s life.

The presentation will be held at the H.A.R.P. Museum located on the second floor of the Irish Cultural Center of the Mohawk Valley. Admission is free but we do ask that you register.

IRISH

Little Falls Officials Handling a Dangerous Case

Those individuals whose hardihood would lead them to fry beefsteaks at a volcano are matched by a Third Warder of Little Falls who has spent the past several years of home life over 50 pounds of dynamite, and the high-powered variety of the explosive at that. At least, he says, the dynamite has reposed on his cellar wall since the Dolgeville Railroad was constructed. A terrified neighbor who became cognizant of

the fact brought it to the attention of the Fire and Police Department and representatives of each made an expedition for the removal of the stuff. The citizen in whose possession it was made no objection to parting with it when the law of the matter was explained to him. But, as earthquakes are infrequent in these parts and family jars light, he thought the rest of the ward rather timorous. None would be lifted so high as he would if the stuff did go off. Chief Cooney and Officer Klock got the easiest riding

barouche, laid a woven wire bed spring across the seats and took the explosive to the river, where it was sunk in a manner to insure its getting wet and incurring no chances of killing the fish by an unexpected concussion or raising a tidal wave. The people of Whited street shiver yet when they think of the possibilities that might have replaced their locality with a large hole in the city’s rock foundations, and the shiver travels a considerable way from the center. Some playful urchin in combination with that box of cartridges wouldn’t have needed any

further equipment to show what big happenings may result from small causes.

People who saw Chief Engineer Cooney and Officer Klock conducting their equipment to the Mohawk thought at first glance they were carrying some unfortunate victim of accident in an improvised ambulance, but when the spectator got near enough to see the inscription on what was hopping up and down between them he fled faster and further than he would from a smallpox sign. There is talk of having a medal struck for the two heroic guardians of public safety.

THE GRAND ADULT DAY HEALTHCARE

We are dedicated to promoting quality of life for all individuals

SOCIAL ACTIVITIES

AMENITIES SERVICES

Community turns out for public meeting about ‘connector bridge’

By Dave Warner

Many community members attended last week’s meeting, where the New York State Power Authority and the New York State Canal Corporation provided conceptual ideas about a bridge connecting the Empire State Trail to Moss Island and updates to the Lock 17 area.

“The Little Falls Connector,” as it is called, is a project proposed through the Reimagine the Canals initiative. It aims to create a new pedestrian bridge connecting the Empire State Trail directly to the Erie Canal at Lock 17. It enables easy access to Moss Island, Seeley

Street, and the City of Little Falls for pedestrians and cyclists.

The team stated that they are a little more than mid-way in their design process for the project but that things might change as they get into the details and understand the costs associated with the project. All of the main concepts and what they presented should not change, though.

The current team working on the project includes landscape architects, civil engineers, cost estimators, and structural engineers.

The Reimagine the Canals initiative invests in communities all along

the Canal to provide resilience, economic development, and recreational opportunities to Canal communities.

The Little Falls Connector is one of the early projects they identified almost two years ago, and it’s designed to create connections and a space for the community as well as a landscape around a working piece of infrastructure.

Improvements to Seeley Street, funded through New York State’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI), will complete the connection to Canal Place. The $1.8 million dollar DRI project will transform Seeley Street into a bicycle and

pedestrian waterfront walkway by repaving the existing roadway and installing lighting and guide rails.

Additionally, a park envisioned at Lock 17 will include new vistas, new seating, a kayak launch, and new plantings for the City of Little Falls.

lock towers.

The design for the bridge is called a multi-span connector, keeping it very light and delicate as opposed to a heavy bridge so that they can respect the presence of the Lock. It has the thinnest amount of steel and the fewest columns,

Simultaneous with the construction of these projects, necessary repair work to structures in and around Lock 17 will occur, including the dam, canal walls, and

so it’s not a heavy bridge, which would have taken away from the presence of the Lock.

The bridge will be built in pieces offsite, galvanized for corrosion resistance, and brought together with no welding but by using bolts with minimal maintenance. Water will flow through the bridge because of its design, so it won’t pool and rust. It will also let light through so it doesn’t create a heavy shadow and dark space underneath.

The team said they’d optimized their designs from 90 tons of steel to 45.

The incline on the bridge

Please See BRIDGE Page 9

going from Moss Island to the Empire State Trail is a 1 to 20 ratio, which the engineers said is technically not even a ramp because the incline is so slight. It will be easy to walk with handrails and guardrails. Cyclists will be asked to walk their bikes across the bridge.

They will also integrate signage in an exciting way that tells people where to go or interprets some of the history of the location.

The team that presented is also working on Sealy Street, but they are not as far along in their design of that project.

As for Lockview Park, they say it’s a simple project because of the spot’s natural beauty. They intend to share

and expose the beautiful rock faces and edit the landscaping in the area. One of the other things they want to do in the area is increase the safety of how you enter the park. The entrance off the highway will be improved, as well as the parking area under the bridge.

They intend to clean up the area around the historic Lock 36 area, removing invasive species and exposing the structure that is left.

Curved pocket seating areas will be created so

that you can sit and get a better view of the water.

In the basin area, they will stop the water leakage into that spot and dry it out, creating a large grassy area for movie nights and other activities.

Lighting will also be a consideration so that the area is well-lit and safe, extending the length of time the park can be used.

The team is working with a budget for the project but would not reveal the potential cost at this point.

Photo by Dave Warner - Maintenance work is currently underway on Lock 17.

The grind of a long hockey season gave way to playoff excitement for most of Central New York’s college hockey teams in the month of March. Although their seasons are now over, four Central New York teams competed in postseason play that featured three conference titles and a run to the Frozen Four. Five Central New York teams ranked in the national polls at the end of their seasons.

On the professional side, the Utica Comets and Syracuse Crunch finished March locked in a very tight battle for a playoff spot in the AHL’s North Division. The top five teams in the division will qualify for the Calder Cup Playoffs, and with the Toronto Marlies having already clinched one, only four remain. The Comets and Crunch will play each other a total of fourteen times in

the regular season and through the end of play on April 2nd the Crunch are in second place in the North Division and the Comets trailing them by only one point in third place.

As fate would have it, The Comets and Crunch will conclude the regular season by playing each other on April 15th in Syracuse.

COLLEGE

Colgate Raiders Men’s Hockey Team

Final Records: 19-16-5 (overall), 11-8-3 (ECAC).

Final National Rank (USCHO): #19.

The Colgate Raiders entered the ECAC Tournament as the five seed and made a Cinderella run to capture their first conference title since 1990 and Head Coach Don Vaughan’s

first in his thirty year tenure behind the Raider bench. They opened their run by defeating the Dartmouth Big Green and then traveled to Lake Placid for the rest of the tournament. There, they pulled off a colossal upset of the then #2 ranked Quinnipiac Bobcats 2-1 on a Ross Mitton goal in double overtime and then claimed the conference crown the next night by taking down the sixth ranked Harvard Crimson by a score of 3-2. With the ECAC title, the Raiders were guaranteed a spot in the NCAA Tournament. The following week, Colgate’s season ended when they lost to the current #2 ranked Michigan Wolverines in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Colgate Raiders Women’s Hockey Team

Final Records: 32-6-2 (overall), 18-3-1 (ECAC).

Final National Rank (USCHO): #5.

The Raiders capped an outstanding regular season by winning their third consecutive ECAC Tournament title. They were nearly upset in the best of three first round series by a feisty Princeton Tigers team but defeated their rivals from New Jersey two games to one with each game being decided by one goal. After getting by Princeton, the Raiders travelled to New Haven,

Connecticut for the rest of the tournament where they handily defeated #8 Quinnipiac 5-1 and #9 Clarkson 8-2 to claim the title and punch their ticket to the NCAA Tournament.

Colgate hosted the Wisconsin Badgers in the Quarterfinal of the NCAA Tournament, but were upended by the visitors 4-2. The Badgers would go on to win the national title.

Hamilton College Continentals Women’s Hockey Team

Final Records: 22-62 (overall), 12-3-1 (NESCAC).

Final National Rank (USCHO): #4.

The Hamilton College Women’s Hockey Team began the month of March by advancing to the final of the NESCAC Tournament. Although they fell to the fourth ranked Amherst Mammoths, their stellar play during the regular season earned them an at-large bid into their first ever NCAA Tournament appearance. They defeated the eleventh ranked Nazareth Golden Flyers at home in the first round and three days later they travelled out to Michigan and shutout the fifth ranked Adrian Bulldogs 2-0 to make it to the Frozen Four (hockey’s equivalent of the Final Four). It wasn’t meant to be for the Continentals,

as they were defeated once again by Amherst in the Semifinal thus ending their season.

Utica Pioneers Men’s Hockey Team

Final Records: 25-3-1 (overall), 20-0-0 (UCHC).

Final National Rank (USCHO): #5.

The Pioneers entered the month of March ranked #1 in Division III and then claimed their second consecutive UCHC Tournament title by defeating Arcadia, Manhattanville, and Nazareth - all at the friendly confines of the Adirondack Bank Center. After a two week layoff, they hosted the University of New England Nor’Easters in a quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament rematch of last season’s stunning Nor’Easters upset of the Pioneers. The rematch was a game for the ages, as the Pioneers staged a dramatic three goal comeback to tie the game late in the third period. Despite dominating the overtime period, Utica’s season came to an unexpected end when New England’s Anthony Sciucco scored his second goal of the game at the 13:07 mark to end the Pioneers season.

Despite the disappointing end, eight Pioneers seniors and graduate students signed professional contracts shortly after the New England game. Justin Allen and Regen Cavanagh signed with Norfolk of the ECHL, Connor Fedorek signed with Kalamazoo of the ECHL, Dante Zapata

Please See HOCKEY Page 11

HOCKEY From Page 10

signed with Tulsa of the ECHL, John Moncovich signed with Fayetteville of the SPHL, Brandon Osmundson signed with Knoxville of the SPHL, and Lucas Herrmann and Mic Curran signed with Pensacola of the SPHL.

Utica Pioneers

Women’s Hockey Team

Final Records: 22-3-3 (overall), 17-1-2 (UCHC)

Final National Rank: #13.

The Utica Pioneers Women’s Hockey Team and the eleventh ranked Nazareth Golden Flyers seemed destined to meet again after the Golden Flyers edged out the Pioneers for the UCHC Regular Season title on the final weekend of the season. That rematch was realized on March

4th in the final of the UCHC Tournament when the teams collided once again in Rochester, NY. Like the regular season finale, the rematch was tightly contested but the Golden Flyers found a way to get the victory once again by defeating Utica in a 3-2 double overtime thriller. With the loss, the Pioneer’s season ended as they narrowly missed out an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament.

AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE

Utica Comets

March 2023 Record: 6-41-2.

Place in the AHL North Division (as of April 3rd): 3rd.

Remaining regular

season schedule: April 7th vs Toronto, April 8th vs Rochester, April 12th vs Syracuse, April 14th vs Cleveland, April 15th at Syracuse.

Website: https:// uticacomets.com

Syracuse Crunch

March 2023 Record: 7-51-0.

Place in the AHL North Division (as of April 3rd): 2nd.

Remaining regular season schedule: April 5th at Rochester, April 7th vs Rochester, April 8th vs Laval, April 12th at Utica, April 14th at Laval, April 15th vs Utica.

Website: https:// syracusecrunch.com

Photos by Scott Kinville - Utica Comets goaltender Issac Poulter makes a save against the Syracuse Crunch during a game on March 5th at the Adirondack Bank Center

If you book a stay between now until April 30, 2023 you’ll get 30% off*! Use code SPRING2023 when booking your stay.