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SPORTS & LEISURE MAGAZINE
Shot-stopper Shane Madolora By Matthew Young The Rochester Institute of Technology’s hockey team is hoping to make a run at the 2012 postseason like they did in 2010. This was the first year that RIT’s team reached the “Frozen Four,” the name given to the NCAA Division I tournament semifinalists. The Tigers have high hopes again for the 2011-2012 season and they have even more experience this time, especially at goalie. Entering his senior year, starting goalie Shane Madolora has three years of experience playing at the collegiate level. As it was Madolora’s first year of competing at RIT, he only played for a couple minutes in that NCAA Semifinal game back in 2010. Madolora had redshirted his freshmen year the previous season, making his sophomore year his first as a team member. Today, Madolora is playing more than just a couple of minutes at a time. On Oct. 15, Madolora was an instrumental force in defeating Saint Lawrence University by a score of 6-5. On their way to victory, Madolora recorded 23 saves. This was only the second time in school history that RIT had beaten Saint Lawrence. Madolora started playing hockey at the age of six. Growing up in Salinas, California, his family lived near an area where some of the neighborhood kids played street hockey. Madolora began playing with them and never looked
Photo by Mike Bradley
After leading all D I goalies in save percentage last year, Shane Madolora looks to have another solid season for the Tigers. back. After his family took him to a San Jose Sharks game, Madolora was hooked on hockey. By the time he reached high school, he was playing hockey year round in various leagues, and in order to play on a team that matched his skill level, his family moved to Dallas, Texas, when he was 16 so that he could be better able to reach his full potential. Training for the goalkeeper position is much different than playing as a forward, Madolora explains. Whereas other positions require a good amount of endurance and cardiovascular strength, the goalie is more of an explosive, fast paced position. Instead of skating hard for long periods of time, Madolora weight trains by increasing his muscles’ fast twitch power and his lateral speed. Reaction time, an important
skill for a goalkeeper, is more of a natural talent. Playing Division I hockey at a school where the other sports are all Division III has put Madolora and his team in the local spotlight. There is a good deal of pressure on him to succeed, both in the rink and in the classroom. Despite this, Madolora has excelled. As a business management major, Madolora plans “to parlay that into a career after hockey,” by hopefully running a hockey equipment business after his hockey playing days are behind him. Hopefully, that won’t happen anytime soon. While he isn’t sure if any professional teams are currently scouting him as a goalkeeper, he plans on playing after his collegiate career is over. Playing professionally, is “definitely one of my goals,” Madolora stated. And since he has played hockey all over the country, he has many contacts in the professional hockey world that could arrange tryouts for him. RIT’s hockey coach Wayne Wilson holds Madolora in high regards, and for good reason. “He’s had a great impact on the team. He led the country in save percentage last year; these numbers speak for themselves,” coach Wilson stated. “It’s great that we don’t have to worry about that aspect of our game.” “If [Shane] can put up the same numbers that he did last year for this year, [scouts will] have to take notice,” Wilson added.
Voakes sets the standard
By Chris Colleluori
Mark Voakes’ linemates steal most of the headlines. To his right, Zack Kassian is a first-round Sabres draft pick from 2009 with potential through the roof. To his left, Derek Whitmore is the homegrown hero with a team best plus-4 rating. Voakes? He’s more concerned with stealing the puck. Take, for instance, a Rochester Americans October game against rival Syracuse Crunch. With a chance for Rochester to start its first winning streak of the season after dropping the opening two games, the Amerks fell flat, allowing a pair of goals in the opening five minutes. Heck, it took more than eight minutes for Rochester to even record a shot on goal. The outlook was bleak, to say the least. With the Amerks trailing 2-1 in the second period, two— yes two—Crunch forwards slipped past the defense and cruised in sideby-side toward the Amerk’s cage. Out of nowhere came Voakes, charging like a back-
Photo by Bob Conlon
While he may not have as much name recognition as his linemates, good things happen when center Mark Voakes is on the ice. checking bull and launching himself into a dive that would have made Superman jealous. With his right arm reaching his stick to full extension, he swiped at the attacker’s stick, knocked the puck into the corner, and nullified a beauty of an opportunity to put the game away for the Crunch. It still didn’t steal many headlines, but it sure caught the attention of his coach.
“With our slow start, the players have kind of jumped on board with the way we need to play as a group right now,” Ron Rolston said after that game. “With the youth that we have, we’ve got to be a team that plays with a lot of effort and a lot of secondeffort plays. That play showed it. I think guys are trying to set a standard of what we’re going to be as a team. In order to set a high standard we have to make those plays. You got to block shots; you got to work hard getting back to help the defense.” Oh yeah, the Amerks eventually came back to win that game in a shootout to start that winning streak. It would be difficult to argue that Voakes is the reason they won that game—he was held scoreless and made a third-period trip to the penalty box. But it’s also easy to argue his play is the reason they didn’t lose that game. That’s not to say Voakes can’t do damage on the score sheet. The 27-year-old center is in his third professional
November 2011
Eastridge Lancers a surprise team in Section V By Paul ‘Mr. NFL’ Adamo After routing Penfield 6135 on Saturday, Oct. 15, the Eastridge Lancers football team finished the regular season undefeated, a perfect 7- 0. The previous week the Lancers won the Monroe County III division title by defeating the Victor Blue Devils, the team heavily favored to win the title. The Lancers travelled to meet the Blue Devils on their home field, on a cold, rainy night that would test both teams. Victor has been a dominate football program in Section V the past 10 years and was a preseason pick by the coaches to win the Monroe County III title. Eastridge had never beaten Victor in the school’s history and had only two league titles in 32 years; 1979 and 2004. They were not expected to compete for the division title and a slight improvement of 2010’s 4-4 record was expected at best. Instead, Eastridge in a close contest that was not decided until the last play of the game came away with the most surprising win of the 2011 Section V season. On a fourth and goal from the Lancer one-yard line, Victor running back Dale Mattice was stuffed at the goal line and the Blue Devils were handed their first loss in Monroe County league play since they joined the league in 2008 by a 14-6 score. Quarterback Ethan Printy had 91 rushing yards on 11 carries to lead the Eastridge offense. Jeremiah Ortiz rushed for two touchdowns to provide the scoring for the
season after posting 21 points in his first 33 ECHL games. In 2010-11, he tallied 54 points in 60 games before joining the Portland Pirates on a tryout basis late in the AHL season. He recorded 11 points in 18 regular-season games and added eight more points in 10 playoff games. The 6-foot, 182-pounder signed a one-year deal with Rochester in August, and even though he only scored two points in his first eight
Photo by courtesy Eastridge Athletics
Quarterback Ethan Printy (above) and running back Jeremiah Ortiz have led the Lancer’s offensive attack. Lancers. Jeff Capers and Miles Young each recorded 13 tackles to lead the Eastridge defense. Capers added two sacks in the win. Printy and Ortiz have been the backbone of the Eastridge team all season and Ortiz made the game saving tackle on defense. This team had literally come from nowhere to win a division title and finish unbeaten going into sectionals. Eastridge received a high second seed going into the sectionals, which started on Friday, Oct. 21. After going 44 last year, coach Chad Green and the team had a meeting to go over the 2010 season and see how they could improve this season. Their goals were to defeat Victor, win a division title and win a sectional game. Two of the three goals had been realized going into the sectional games. After defeating Victor
games wearing red, white and blue, do you think it’s a coincidence that Voakes’ linemates are the team’s coleaders in points after that stretch? “Mark is one of those players that really is a great two-way player and he can do everything for you,” Rolston said of the St. Thomas, Ontario, native. “(He is a) heart-and-soul guy for us.” That heart and soul—both
the feeling in the Lancer locker room and around Section V was that a run to the sectionals finals and a possible meeting with powerhouse Aquinas was now in the cards for the long suffering Eastridge football program. The Lancers had drawn McQuaid as their first round opponent. McQuaid entered the game with a 5-2 record playing a weaker schedule in the City-Catholic league. In this game, most high school observers felt the heavily favored Lancers would dominant McQuaid with their powerful running game led by QB Printy and elusive RB Ortiz. Even the weather cooperated duplicating the cold rain that fell during the Victor upset a few weekends earlier. But, in arguably as surprising and shocking a victory as the Lancers win over Victor to win the division title, the McQuaid Knights pulled off the ultimate ironic football twist. They surprised the surprise team of Section V winning 24-7 in overtime after tying the game in the last minute of the fourth quarter. The Knights scored on their first possession in overtime, and then knocked down a desperation fourth down pass in the end zone by Printy. The 2011 Eastridge football team turned around a program and won a division title. Coach Chad Green and the players deserve credit and praise for a great season. It was a very surprising season in a number of ways, which the Lancers experienced from both sides of the scoreboard.
on and off the ice—will play a key leadership role on a young Amerks team (off to a 3-3-1-1 start, second in the North Division) that is still searching for its identity. “We’ve got new guys, a new system, new coaches, new place—we were a little bit out of sorts,” goalkeeper David Leggio said after that Syracuse comeback win. “We just needed a couple games to get our stuff together and figure it out.”
November 2011
SPORTS & LEISURE MAGAZINE
Doctari’s Fishing Forum
with Rich Davenport
Last call for fall, but ice will be nice The fall harvest is underway, and while many take to the woods in pursuit of game both big and small, lakes and streams still hold excitement for the hearty, as the last of the open water fishing requires bundling up and braving volatile weather to get on some hot fishing action. Winter is right around the corner, which means the ice isn’t far behind. Trout and Salmon Great Lakes feeder streams benefitted from the wet October and flow levels have trout running in both Lake Erie and Ontario tributaries. Salmon still show in some Lake Ontario streams, but the bulk of the run is done, giving way to steelhead and brown trout activity. Fly casters presenting egg patterns work pools and riffles to draw strikes from hungry prespawn browns and ‘bows alike. Popular spots like Burt Dam require early arrivals to get a spot, but action can be non-stop at times. Lake Erie tributaries now show good fish, especially
Photo by Rich Davenport
WNY Boy Scouts put the finishing touches on the new fishing platform at the commissioner’s lake in Chestnut Ridge Park. The lake is once again open for public fishing! in water typically west of Cattaraugus Creek from the Sturgeon Point. When condimouth to Gowanda, but runs tions permit, a good outing in recent years have not been can result in fast limits when what they were. Nonetheless, working minnows tight to fish are now entering the bottom. streams and this is the time of Chautauqua Lake perch year rainbow and browns continue to amaze, and recent show their strongest, offering DEC trawling survey show the some incredible action with lake is loaded with yellow hard-charging runs and acroperch, which could start negabatic leaps. Drifters working tively impacting overall size of egg sacs under a float also do fish in a few short years. very well with the bite typicalHowever, anglers fishing both ly sustained throughout the basins, shallow or deep, find day. Best times are still early sizeable fish and lots of them and late in the day, but action for the frying pan. Certified around noon offers rewards minnows work well, but do for the not-so-early risers. not overlook a grub, wax Yellow Perch worm or night crawler segLake Erie ringbacks still ment as well. delight hearty anglers willing Ice Watch to brave colder winds on the It’s that time of year again water, with emerald shiners when hard water enthusiasts being the must-have bait to watch the weather and invenput fish in the box. Depth tory their ice fishing gear in range for these popular pan preparation for the winter fun fish extends from 45 to 71 feet
ahead. With forecasters predicting a colder than normal winter, perhaps this is the season you, too, will try your luck on the ice? Holiday season is fast approaching, and now is a good time to make that wish list. Many area tackle shops and sporting goods stores now have on display the new shanties for the 2012 season, as well as rods, reels, augers, fish finders and underwater cameras, plus essentials such as waterproof boots and extreme weather outerwear. Legacy 11 Columbus Day weekend 2011 marked the largest community service project ever to happen in Western New York. Dubbed “Legacy 11” by the Greater Niagara Frontier Council (WNY Boy Scouts of America), over 1,100 scouts, from tiger cubs to eagle
Page 13 scouts, descended upon our local parks (county, city and state) to voluntarily upgrade and beautify facilities and amenities for all in our community. One of the biggest components of this project was the re-opening of the Commissioner’s Lake at Chestnut Ridge Park, and the construction of a brand new, 15 by 75 foot fishing pier, made with the help of Safari Club International volunteers. This project, two years in the making, resulted in many, many improvements to our public parks, expanding the usage potentials of these treasures immensely. Fishing at the Commissioner’s Lake is limited to the pier only, as to help keep the berm erosion that encapsulates this manmade lake to a minimum, and anglers are to practice catch and release fishing. No ice
Big play Benedetto
fishing will be permitted, so anglers have a limited time to see this new opportunity this year, but come spring, the lake will be ready to rock for kids of all ages (and their parents, too)! Remember, take a kid fishing, and give the gift that lasts a lifetime. Rich Davenport is co-founder of WeLoveOutdoors.com, an avid Outdoorsman and member of the NYSOWA. His works are also published in NY Outdoor News, Walleye.com and the Buffalo News. Rich is also the Recording Secretary for the Erie County Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs, Secretary of the Western NY Environmental Federation, member of the Erie County Fisheries Advisory Board and is the Co-Chairman and Region 9 Rep NYSCC Big Game Committee. Email rich@weloveoutdoors.com.
By Matthew Young P e n n s y l v a n i a ’s Cathedral Prep Aquinas Institute’s R a m b l e r s . starting quarterback, Aquinas lost this Cory Benedetto, is game by only one of the most three points. hyped high school Benedetto realfootball players in izes there is more the state. A senior to college than this year for the just football. Little Irish, “Besides just playBenedetto’s success ing in college, I on the field has guess I want to given him quite a bit learn a lot,” Cory of attention from says. “I’ve learned NCAA Division I a lot from football schools. At least a just playing the dozen schools have game. It’s been a shown interest in great lesson, playCory, and there’s still ing with my footplenty of time left ball family.” He before his season is plans on studying over. While the star business or quarterback is curbecoming a chirorently leaning practor for his toward playing at an post-football out-of-state school, career. mostly he just wants The long pass to play the game he has become one loves and succeed at Photo courtesy Benedetto family of Cory’s signathe collegiate level. Aquinas Institute’s Cory Benedetto has ture moves. He After Aquinas’s made an impressive case this season as has a great team convincing 35-3 victhe most talented quarterback in Section V. of receivers, and tory over Wayne on when he sets up Oct. 21 in the for such a pass, he says It was their State Section V Class A quarterthat he’s “just thinking Championship victory last finals, Benedetto’s numthat I’ve got to get the ball season that stands as bers remained impressive. in the receiver’s hands, I Benedetto’s favorite footHe’s thrown for 20 touchjust want to win the ball moment, however. downs and has two rushgame… I just gotta throw Aquinas had won a record ing TDs so far over the the ball right and can’t five New York State eight games he has played make mistakes.” Championships, and this season. Besides his Of the several schools Benedetto was instrumenone passing touchdown scouting him, none have tal in winning one of these and one rushing touchyet offered him a scholarchampionships last year. If down for the Wayne game, ship. This doesn’t mean their current ranking is there was a “pretty crazy that they won’t offer him correct, they are likely play,” as Benedetto put it. anything, though. Many headed back to the big Going for a two-point conschools have indicated game again this year. The version, he hurdled over a that they want to offer him Aquinas team stands Wayne player to reach the a full ride, but they are ranked at No. 2 in the state end zone for the extra two waiting to make their for their class. points. Such crazy plays pitches until after the seaBenedetto’s favorite proare becoming the norm for son is over. Hopefully, this fessional team is the Benedetto. He’s consistentwon’t be for several more Indianapolis Colts. He ly creating big plays and weeks. The Aquinas team points to Peyton putting the ball into his has shown that they are Manning’s absence to illusreceivers’ hands. In fact, quite capable of winning trate just how important a one of his favorite plays big games. Another State good leader is. “It’s crazy came from the Sweet Championship is not out to see how much the team Home game last year. of the question. First, they suffers without him,” Cory Benedetto threw a comhave to win the Section V commented. For Aquinas, plete pass at an impossible Championship. To get Benedetto has been this angle to the corner of the there they must first beat playmaker. They’ve lost end zone to his teammate Honeoye Falls-Lima in the only one game this season, Chris Bostick for the Sectional Semifinals. coming at the hands of touchdown.