Division II state hockey quarterfinal preview: John S. Burke Catholic vs. Sweet Home
Division II state hockey tournament
What: John S. Burke Catholic (17-4-2) vs. Buffalo-area Sweet Home (15-8-4) in state quarterfinals
When: 3:15 p.m. today
Where: Ice Time, Newburgh
Admission: $4, $2 for students children
At stake: Trip to the Division II final four next weekend in Utica. The Burke Catholic-Sweet Home winner will play the Thousand Islands-Rye winner at 3:15 p.m. next Saturday. The final is 3:30 p.m. March 9.
How they got here
Burke Catholic beat James I. O'Neill 4-0 for the Section 9 Division II title on Feb. 20 at Ice Time. Sweet Home beat top-seeded Bishop Timon-St. Jude 2-0 on Sunday to win the Western New York Hockey Federation championship, as reported in The Buffalo News.
Talkin' hockey
Burke Catholic coach Al Trezza: "This group got better and better as the year went on. We don't have any superstars. We are doing things by way of (perfect) attendance in practice and coming to the games. And it's nice to have nine seniors.''
Keys to victory
Burke Catholic needs to show the same hunger it did in beating defending Division II state champion Monroe-Woodbury 1-0 for the Section 9 title last weekend. The win snapped Monroe-Woodbury's run of six straight sectional titles. Burke Catholic goalie Mike Beck has had a terrific season and will have to be on top of his game again. Ryan Marko is Sweet Home's all-time leading scorer. Goalie Rob Cattiglia was named most valuable player with 28 saves against Bishop Timon-St. Jude. "Our game is just hard work,'' Trezza says. "That's it. We play three lines, five to six defensemen, and we go out and work hard.''
Kevin Gleason
Division II state hockey tournament
What: John S. Burke Catholic (17-4-2) vs. Buffalo-area Sweet Home (15-8-4) in state quarterfinals
When: 3:15 p.m. today
Where: Ice Time, Newburgh
Admission: $4, $2 for students children
At stake: Trip to the Division II final four next weekend in Utica. The Burke Catholic-Sweet Home winner will play the Thousand Islands-Rye winner at 3:15 p.m. next Saturday. The final is 3:30 p.m. March 9.
How they got here
Burke Catholic beat James I. O'Neill 4-0 for the Section 9 Division II title on Feb. 20 at Ice Time. Sweet Home beat top-seeded Bishop Timon-St. Jude 2-0 on Sunday to win the Western New York Hockey Federation championship, as reported in The Buffalo News.
Talkin' hockey
Burke Catholic coach Al Trezza: "This group got better and better as the year went on. We don't have any superstars. We are doing things by way of (perfect) attendance in practice and coming to the games. And it's nice to have nine seniors.''
Keys to victory
Burke Catholic needs to show the same hunger it did in beating defending Division II state champion Monroe-Woodbury 1-0 for the Section 9 title last weekend. The win snapped Monroe-Woodbury's run of six straight sectional titles. Burke Catholic goalie Mike Beck has had a terrific season and will have to be on top of his game again. Ryan Marko is Sweet Home's all-time leading scorer. Goalie Rob Cattiglia was named most valuable player with 28 saves against Bishop Timon-St. Jude. "Our game is just hard work,'' Trezza says. "That's it. We play three lines, five to six defensemen, and we go out and work hard.''
Kevin Gleason
