GENEVA — Batavia/Notre Dame United got its season off to a roaring start with a dominant win over the Western Finger Lakes Panthers on opening night.
United scored three times over the first 12 minutes of the game to seize immediate control and cruised through the remainder of the contest, earning a 6-1 win.
Batavia/Notre Dame outshot the Panthers, 45-15, with senior Ronin Hofmaster sparking the United attack, contributing two goals and an assist. Jameson Motyka added a couple of tallies and a helper, while fellow sophomore Brady Johnson added a goal and two assists. Cooper Hamilton, a senior, scored a goal and recorded an assist, while sophomore Jake Hutchins recorded a couple of helpers. United’s sophomore goaltender, Rhys Tanner, picked up his first varsity win in his first varsity start, stopping 14-of-15 shots that he faced.
Batavia/Notre Dame converted 2-of-3 chances on the power play and remained disciplined throughout the game, as it was assessed just two penalties while also putting forth a solid effort on the penalty kill, killing off their only short-handed situation.
“I was pleased with how we came out in the first period,” said United head coach Marc Staley. “We played fast, controlled the puck well, and executed nicely. We got a little sloppy later in the game. This is to be expected early in the season. We need to clean up some things for sure. Tomorrow we are lifting and watching film. So this will give us a nice chance to review things as a team.”
United will travel to Northtowne Center in Buffalo on Friday for a 5:30 p.m. faceoff against last year’s state finalist Starpoint before returning home to face Hamburg on Saturday at 3 p.m. at the David McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena.
“Anytime you get an opportunity to play a team that played in a state championship game just eight months ago, you have to get excited for that,” said Staley of his team’s upcoming matchup with Starpoint. “We will need to be much sharper, and we will need to be better finishing chances.”
United is 1-0. The Panthers are 0-1.
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