Prep A Falls to Choate 2-1

In the semifinals of the Lawrenceville Tournament, Nichols played one of its best games against one of the best in New England but came up short in a 2-1 decision. The game was up and down at an intense pace for the full 45 minutes. Choate scored 4 minutes into the game. Nichols had numerous chances to tie the game but could not find the net. Choate would score on a power play in the third to go up 2-0. With the goaltender pulled, Charlie Stein would finally solve the Choate goaltender with 1:30 remaining. Nichols would get another chance with the goaltender pulled but could not tie the game. Peter Dudek made 28 saves in the game.

Nichols faces Taft on Sunday in the third place game on Sunday at noon.

Nichols v Taft

The Nichols-Taft game will be broadcast on the internet today at noon. Head to the Lawrenceville website under the tournaments section.

Prep A Wins Game 1

The Prep A team started the 63rd Lawrenceville Tournament in style winning game 1 against Northfield-Mt Hermon 4-3 in overtime. Nichols came out flying and Kevin Kirisits scored 15 seconds into the game. Sean Malone put Nichols up 2-0 just two minutes later. NMH would score one before the period was over. NMH tied the game early in the second but Charlie Stein helped Nichols regain the lead. NMH would score on the power play to tie the game after two.

There was no scoring in the third so the game went to overtime. Nick Smith blocked a shot and saw himself on a 2-on-1. Smith opted to shoot and buried the puck over the glove of the NMH goaltender. Brandon Mueller was strong in net making 21 saves.

Nichols will face Choate in the semifinals at 7:00.

Shady Side Game 2

The Prep A team faced Shady Side for the second time in as many days and skated away with a 2-2 tie. Nichols had control all game out shooting Shady Side 39-18, the inability to score goals plagued the team all night. Sean Malone and Nick Smith put the Vikings up by two, but Shady Side closed the gap with a power play goal before the second period ended. With Nichols on a power play for the final two minutes, Shady Side took advantage of defensive miscues and tied the game with just over a minute to play. Despite a flurry of shots in the last minute and a penalty shot with 4 seconds remaining, the game headed to overtime where the score would not change. Peter Dudek made 16 saves.

The Prep A heads to Lawrenceville the weekend for its 63rd year of participation in the Lawrenceville Tournament. Game 1 will be against Northfield-Mt. Hermon, last year's New England Prep School runner-up.

Prep A Recovers Against Shady Side

Nichols hosted Shady Side Academy from Pittsburgh, PA and skated away with a 3-2 victory.  Nichols broke out to a 2-0 lead on goals from Ryan Stayner (his first of the season) and Matt Benedict.  Shady Side crept back with 2 power play goals, but Andrew Poturalski broke the deadlock to secure the victory.  Brandon Mueller made 35 saves for the win.

NIchols Falls in Home Opener

The Nichols Prep A Hockey team hosted St. Andrew's in CISAA League play, and dropped a 2-1 decision for the first loss of the season.  Although Nichols outshot St. Andrew's 38-19, it proved difficult to put the puck in the back of the net.  Nick Smith scored the only goal of the game with just over 2 minutes remaining.  Peter Dudek made 17 saves in net.

Nichols Defeats St. Mike's

The Nichols Prep A team traveled to Toronto to face St. Michael's College School in an important CISAA league game and walked away with a victory and crucial two points in the standings.  The first period ended scoreless with both teams creating good scoring opportunities.  In the second period, Kevin Kirists deflected a Charlie Stein shot to open the scoring for Nichols in the second period.  James Randaccio scored on a wrap-around not long after to extend the lead to 2-0.  St. Michael's executed on a 2-on-1 in the third to cut the lead to 2-1.  Avery Coppins added an empty netter to seal the victory.  Brandon Mueller finished the game with 19 saves. 

Nichols is 2-0-0 in the league and 4-0-1 overall.  The Vikings host St. Andrew's on December 8th at 4:00.  This is a rematch of last year's CISAA finals in which Nichols fell to St. Andrew's in the third and final game of the series.

Nichols 3, Brunswick 1 at Berkshire Showcase

In their third game in less than 20 hours, Nichols rallied with less than ten minutes to play to defeat Brunswick 3-1. Brunswick opened the scoring early in the game, but Nichols carried much of the play. Again it looked as if Nichols would be plagued by the inability to score goals. With just under 10 to play, Patrick Thompson found the net with assist to Charlie Stein and Andrew Poturalski. Matt Benedict converted the second goal 4 minutes later with assist again going to Poturalski and Stein. James Randaccio capped the scoring on a nice individual effort beating the defenseman wide and backhanding one past the Brunswick goaltender. Peter Dudek played a strong game making 24 saves.

Nichols improves to 3-0-1 on the season and look forward to St. Michaels College on Friday.

In the end there were 92 scouts in attendance from junior, college, and the NHL. Many players put themselves on the radar with their play.

Nichols 1, Pomfret 1 at Berkshire Showcase

Game 2 of the showcase was a high tempo affair that saw Nichols out shoot Pomfret 38-19, but the inability to capitalize on chances cost the team a win. Freshman Mike Ederer scored his first career goal fishing a nice 3-on-2 with teammates Lucas Walsh and Jake Zimmer. The 1-0 lead held until 6 minutes remaining in the game. Brandon Mueller finished with 18 saves.

Nichols 3, Berkshire 2 at Berkshire Showcase

The Nichols Prep A team traveled to the Berkshire Showcase to compete against three New England Prep Schools. Game 1 featured a match up with the host Berkshire School.

Berkshire opened the scoring, but Nick Smith responded with a rebound goal to even the score. Andrew Poturalski was a welcome addition to the lineup as he added the games next two goals. The first was setup by RJ Gicewicz and the second by Charlie Stein. Berkshire would close the gap with under 30 seconds to play with the pulled goaltender. Peter Dudek stopped 12 in the first 30 minutes while Brandon Mueller finished the game with 11 saves.

Captains Lead the Way en Route to Victory

The Nichols Prep team opened its season with an important league game against Appleby College and skated away with a 3-2 victory.  All three goals were scored by the three captains.  James Randaccio started the scoring with a breakaway goal set up by Charlie Stein early in the first period.  Matt Benedict scored on a goalmouth scramble in the second with assists going to Ryan Stayner and Kevin Kirisits.  Appleby closed the gap when Dan Poliziani scored on the power play.

Appleby came out hungry in the third and tied the game on a Conor McGlynn goal with 13 minutes remaining.  Both team traded chances, but Charlie Stein was able to poke a rebound past Appleby goaltender Aleks Pike with 6:29 remaining in the game.  From that point on, Nichols was able to shut the door and hold on to for the victory.  Brandon Mueller was strong in net making 24 saves for the win.

Nichols will be traveling to Sheffield, MA on Nov. 29 for the Berkshire School jamboree.  Game 1 will be against Pomfret at 9:30am with game 2 taking place at 2:00 against Brunswick.  Nichols will play its next league game on December 3 at St. Michael's College in Toronto, ON.

Tyouts Have Begun

All Nichols hockey teams have begun the tryout process.  Check back for schedules and updates.  Rosters for the Prep A and Prep B team will be posted soon.

Hockey Equipment Sale at Nichols School

Are Your Closets Loaded With Outgrown Hockey Equipment?


Gently-used Hockey Equipment Sale on Friday, October  22nd  from 3 – 6 p.m. in the Weigel Room (warm room) at the rink.

To prepare for this sale, we are looking for donations of used hockey equipment – everything is welcomed but especially skates and helmets with cages – to offer at this sale. Equipment Drop-off day is Thursday, Oct. 21, from 7:30 – 9:30 a.m. and 2:30 – 5:30 p.m. All proceeds from this sale will benefit the Athletic department. Any equipment left over from the sale will be distributed to Hasek’s Heros in Buffalo. We will need parent volunteers to help with the drop-off day hours as well as on the sale day to organize the equipment and work the sale.  Please contact Debbie Bourne at bourneid@roadrunner.com  if you can help.

If you are looking for a way to follow hockey in the fall, we recommend that you check out http://buffalosaintsmidgets.blogspot.com.

6 Players Compete in College Hockey Summit

Six Nichols hockey players were invited and participated in the USA Hockey College Hockey Summit sponsored by College Hockey, Inc. The summit is designed to bring the top players from the 1994, 1995, and 1996 age group together to expose them to college coaches and to educate players on college recruiting and the college game. Nichols was well represented by Andrew Poturalski (2012), Nicholas Smith (2013), Wilson Vershay (2013), Sean Malone (2013), Mike Ederer (2014), and Troy Dobbs(2014).

More Players Headed to National Camp

This past weekend was the New York Selection Camp of USA Hockey for the 1995 and 1996 birthyears. Players are selected to attend the National Selection Camp held in July for their respective birthyears. Congratualations to the players from Nichols who were selected to represent New York at the National Camp.

1995 - Wilson Vershay and Sean Malone. Alternate - RJ Gicewicz
1996 - Alternate Troy Dobbs.

Nichols Players Selected to National Camp

Congratulations to the three players from Nichols who participated in the 1994 NY State Selection Camp for USA Hockey. Forward Andrew Poturalski and goaltender Brandon Mueller were selected to participate in the National Selection Camp held in July. Defenseman Jack Faso was selected as the first alternate.

Good luck at National Camp.

Nichols Well Represented at USA Hockey State Selection Camps

Congratulations to all of the players who were selected to the NY State Selection camp. These players will compete for a spot to attend the USA Hockey National Camp held in July.

1994 - Andrew Poturalski, Brandon Mueller, Jack Faso
1995 - Nick Smith, Wilson Vershay, Sean Malone, RJ Gicewicz
1996 - Troy Dobbs, Anthony Tirabassi

Good luck at tryouts.

Championship Run Falls Short

The Nichols Prep Hockey teams, appearing in its first championshop series since 2004, fell just short of a CISAA championship falling to St. Andrew's College 2 games to 1. The series was hard fought by both teams, and Nichols came within inches in game 3.

Game 1, held at St. Andrew's, was a learning experience for this young team. The game started well with Andrew Poturalski scoring 59 seconds into the game. St. Andrew's would score to tie the game at 1 after the first period, but it was period 2 where Nichols would gain valuable experience. St. Andrews scored 4 goals in the second over an 8 minute span at the end of the period to put the game well out of reach. Nichols settled down in the third, but was unable to score.

Game 2 at Nichols was a different story. Matt Benedict again gave Nichols an early lead, but St. Andrew's would quickly counter to yet again put the score at 1-1 at the end of the first. The second saw Nichols earn great opportunities, but the teams would head to the locker rooms tied at 1. In the third, St. Andrew's struck first to give them the 2-1 lead. With elimination on their minds, Nichols fought back and Andrew Poturalski scored two goals in the final 10 minutes to give Nichols a 3-2 lead and force the decisive game 3 at St. Andrew's.

Game 3 was easily the best game of the series for both teams. Great scoring chances were traded in the first, but goaltending ruled the period as Nichols and St. Andrew's ended the first in a scoreless tie. Again, each team had their opportunities, and with less than 4 minutes to play in the second, St. Andrew's finally found the net. A minute later, St. Andrew's added a shorthanded goal to take a 2-0 lead into the locker room. Nichols would not disappear as they piled 17 shots on the St. Andrew's goaltender in the third period, but the puck would not cross the goal line and St. Andrew's would win their 5th straight CISAA championship.

It was an incredible series that ended an extraordinary season. Although Nichols took home silver, the players fought hard to the final day. Nichols finished the season with a 24-11-3 record. With 17 players returning to the lineup next season, the future is bright and the expectations are high.

Nichols Defeats Appleby in Three, Advances to CISAA Finals

For the first time since 2004, Nichols hockey is taking its game to the CISAA finals thanks to a 4-1 victory tonight to win the best-of-three series with Appleby 2 games to one.

Game 1 took place last Wednesday at Nichols, with Appleby leaving with the first game under their belt after a 2-0 victory. The Appleby goaltending was difficult to beat, but Appleby's defensive style paid dividends as they capitalized on two offensive zone turnovers for goals. Brandon Mueller finished the game with 24 saves.

Game 2 was do-or-die for Nichols, and they came to play. Nichols dictated the tempo in Oakville, and jumped to an early 1-0 lead on an Andrew Stein power play goal in the first period. It proved to be all Nichols would need as Brandon Mueller stopped all 21 shots he faced for the victory, sending the series back to Nichols for the deciding game three.

Nichols came ready to play in game three, but the Appleby goaltending continued to prove strong, frustrating Nichols forwards. Andrew Poturalski found the net midway through the second period on a power play, finishing a goalmouth scramble. The game entered the third with a 1-0 lead for Nichols, but just five minutes into the 20 minute frame, Appleby would get the bounce they needed as the shot from the point deflected by Brandon Mueller to tie the score at 1-1. With just over 5 minutes remaining, Andrew Stein scored on a power play to give Nichols the 2-1 lead, but a quick penalty on Nichols put Appleby on the power play just after the lead was taken. Andrew Poturalski would find his way behind the Appleby defense as he scored his second of the game; this one a shorthanded tally. Nichols would find their way in the box with a minute remaining, but Andrew Poturalski added his third of the game when he found the empty net. Brandon Mueller had 19 saves for the win.

The stage is set, and Nichols is in the finals against rival St. Andrew's College. Game 1 will be 1:00 on Wendesday, February 24 at St. Andrew's. Game 2 returns to Nichols at 5:00 on March 1, and Game 3 will be back at St. Andrew's at 1:00 on Wednesday, March 3 if necessary. The last time Nichols won the CISAA championship was in 2003.

Opportunity Lost

It was do or die for Nichols if they wanted a shot at first place in the CISAA. St. Andrew's had lost their game to St. Michael's College, so a tie or a win would give them first place for the regular season. Appleby had nothing on the line as they had clinched third place with no chance of moving up. However, Nichols could never seem to get things going as Appleby slowed down the play and waited for mistakes. Appleby was able to walk away with the 2-1 victory.

Matt Benedict scored the only goal for Nichols, and Peter Borgesi made 22 saves.

Nichols will now play Appleby in a best-of-three series in the semi-finals of the CISAA playoffs. Game 1 will start at 6:00 at Nichols on Wednesday, February 17.

Nichols Ties St. Andrew's, but Wins

Nichols traveled to St. Andrew's in a game that could decide first place in the CISAA. In order for Nichols to finish in first, they would have to win up in Aurora. The final score read 4-4, and Nichols came home thinking St. Andrew's had clinched first place. In a strange turn of events, it was learned the St. Andrew's had played an ineligible player, and as a result would have to forfeit the game. As a result, the Vikings are only one point out of first with 1 game remaining.

Although the score does not count, Matt Benedict had another strong game scoring in the first minute and last minute of the game. Randaccio and Stein added goals. Mueller had 22 saves.

Nichols Sweeps Ridley

For the second time in three days, Nichols defeated Ridley College to give Nichols the season sweep. This time was a nailbiter as Nichols won 3-2. The game had playoff implications for Nichols as they have clinched at least a second place finish with the win which will give them home ice for the first round of the playoffs.

Jordan Berninger opened the scoring for Nichols, finishing a 2-on-1 with Tom Mediak, but Ridley battled back before the end of the first period to tie the score at 1-1. James Randaccio put Nichols ahead 2-1, and Andrew Poturalski added his 27th of the season to give Nichols the 3-1 lead after two periods. Ridley would convert a 2-on-1 of their own, to close the gap. Nichols would stand tall in front of Peter Borgesi to secure the victory. Borgesi finished with 23 saves in the game.

Nichols will travel to St. Andrew's on Monday, February 8th, and they host Appleby to finish the regular season on Wednesday, February 10th.

Nichols Takes it to Ridley

Matt Benedict scored 3 goals and James Randaccio added a goal and 2 assists to pace the Nichols offense as they defeated Ridley College 7-2 in a CISAA league game. After going 1-2-2 in their last 5 league games, the Nichols Prep team was looking to get back on track, and Benedict got to work scoring his first goal just 17 seconds into the game. Nichols would control the play of the first period and finally solved Ridley ss James Randacio scored with just under 2 minutes to play in the period. Patrick Thompson added a goal with 16 seconds remaining to give Nichols a 3-0 lead.

The game settled down in the second but Andrew Stein scored a power play goal just four minuted into the period. Both teams traded power plays as the period saw the teams take a comnined 12 minutes of penalties during a 15 minute period.

The third was a new start, and Benedict gave Nichols a 5 goal lead after 6 minutes of play. Ridley would answer with a shorthanded goal ot close the gap, but Andrew Poturalski gave Nichols the 5 goal lead again. Ridley would asnwer one more time before Benedict completed the hat trick.

Brandon Mueller was in net to give Nichols their 19th win of the season. With the victory, Nichols has clinched a playoff birth and is guaranteed to finis in at least third place. Nichols has three league games remaining. Firday they will travel to Ridley. Monday will take them on the road to St. Andrew's, and Wednesday, Feb. 10 will feature a home game against Appleby.

Updated Scores

We have been falling behind on our blog updates, so I will give you the scores and highlights.

Since the last update, Nichols suffered a disappointing loss to Appleby 3-1 at home. It was the first league loss of the season. We rebounded fairly well two days later to defeat Upper Canada College 1-0. Brandon Mueller earned his first Nichols shutout, and it was the second shutout of the season for the team.

The next day, Nichols hit the road for the Northwood Tournament. Game 1 of the tournament was more difficult than expected as Nichols defeated Rothesay-Netherwood 5-4. Andrew Poturalski scored with 1:22 remaining to break a 4-4 tie. Game 2 put Nichols against Bridgton Academy, the all postgraduate school where Coach Printz spent his last 10 years. Nichols won 6-1 as freshman Nick Smith paced the offense with 2 goals. Game 3 would decide who moved on to the playoffs as Nichols faced the host Northwood School. Nichols would fall 3-2 in a hard fought game. Ryan Stayner and Andrew Poturalski scored for Nichols.

Nichols would return home in a first place showdown with St. Andrew's. Nichols held a 3-2 lead with 6 minutes remaining, but the inability to execute on a power play with four minutes left would prove to be costly. St. Andrew's scored two shorthanded goals to take the lead and add an empty netter to secure a 5-3 victory and hand Nichols it's second loss in the league.

Two days later, Nichols would face Upper Canada College. Again, Nichols had trouble holding the lead as UCC scored with 55 seconds remaining and the goalie pulled to tie the game at 3-3. The next day was a similar story as Nichols held a 4-2 lead with 14 minutes to play and opened the door by putting UCC on the power play. The game ended in another tie, this time 4-4.

Ridley College will be coming to town on February 3rd at 4:00.

Nichols Takes Series Against St. Mike's

The Nichols School Boys Prep team traveled to Toronto to play gamae 3 of the season series against St. Michael's College and left with a 5-3 win and a 2-0-1 series record. It was a shaky start for Nichols as they gave up the first goal of the game and a 1-0 deficit at the end of the first. Nichols would regroup, outhshooting St. Mike's 19-3 in the second period and taking a 3-1 lead into the third period. Andrew Poturalski started the scoring for the Vikings. Jack O'Connor's shorthanded goal gave Nichols a lead they would not surrender, and Avery Coppins banged in a rebound to end the second period barrage. In the third, James Randaccio extended the lead to 4-1. After penalties opened the door for St. Mike's and closed the gap to 4-3, Jordan Berninger capped off a rush to give Nichols the two goal lead. Peter Borgesi did the rest as he stopped 18 in the game and earned his eighth win of the season.

Nichols will face Appleby College on January 18 at Dann Arena. The puck drops at 4:00.

Nichols Wins on the Road at Appleby

Nichols earned an important two points at Appleby to keep the Vikings in first place of the CISAA league. Nichols ised three goals in a 1:12 span of the first period to secure the 3-2 victory. Avery Coppins scored midway through the first period to put Nichols up 1-0. Andrew Stein scored 60 seconds later on the power play, and Andrew Poturalski capped the scoring off the ensuing faceoff 12 seconds later. Nichols did a great job of holding on to the lead as Peter Borgesi made 22 saves to preserve the victory.

Nichols will travel to St. Miichael's College on Jan 15 to finish the three game league series.

Nichols Splits at Shady Side

Nichols made the 4 hour drive to Shady Side for a pair of games this weekend. The Vikings got off the bus well and jumped to a 1-0 lead off the stick of Ryan Stayner. Andrew Poturalski extended the lead to 2 in the second followed by James Randaccio's first of two goals. The 3-0 lead was short lived as Shady Side clased the gap to 3-1 before the period ended. Shady Side put the pressure on and got back to 3-2 before randaccio iced the game with 12:34 remaining in the third. Peter Borgesi made 27 saves for the win.

Day 2 was a very different story. Shady Side attacked with purpose, and jumped to a 4-1 lead in the first period. Andrew Poturalski scored the only Nichols goal on a power play. From that point on, Nichols was unable to catch Shady Side despite outshooting them 38-22 on the game. Shady Side did a great job of capitalizing on the Nichols mistakes on their way to an 8-4 victory. Goals were scored by Ryan Stayner, Nick Smith, and James Randaccio.

Nichols ties up St. Mike's

Nichols played host to St. Michael's College from Toronto for a very important CISAA league game and skated away with a 3-3 tie. Nichols broke out to a 2-0 lead in the first period on goals by Lucas Walsh and Andrew Poturalski, but St. Mike's countered with two of their own in the second period. Poturalski added his second of the game in the third, but Vikings could not hold the lead when St. Mike's converted on a power play. Despite out shooting St. Mikes 36-17, Nichols could only salvage the on point.

The tie keeps Nichols in first place of the CISAA league. They currently are 1 point ahead of St. Mike's and two ahead of St. Andrews. This weekend, Nichols will play two games at Shady Side Academy.

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Nichols - Belmont Hill Tournament Recap

Nichols falls to tournament champion Belmont Hill in the semi-finals.

Peter Borgesi stopped all 30 shots he faced to earn the first shutout of the season for Nichols ans the Vikings defeated the Millbrook School 3-0. Andrew Poturalski, Matt Benedict and James Randaccio scored for Nichols.

Nichols never found its rhythm against South Kent in game 2 of the tournament losing its second game of the season 10-2. Costly turnovers and poor defensive coverage led to easy goals for South Kent. Ryan Stayner and Tom Mediak scored the only goals for Nichols.

In game 3, Nichols faced St. Francis. This was more than just a round robin game. It was another battle between two of the best teams in Buffalo. Nichols got on the board on a Matt Benedict power play goal put Nichols up 1-0 after the first period. St. Francis tied the game, but Andrew Poturalski regained the lead before the second period ended. In the third period, Nichols took over the game, outshooting St. Francis 15-4. Jack O'Connor finished a beautiful 3-on-2 and Andrew Stein blasted one from the point to put Nichols up 4-1.

The score of the semifinal was not indicative of the game. Belmont Hill scored a power play goal in the first period, and was able to build a 3-0 lead at the end of two periods, but Nichols was inches away from being within a goal at the end of two periods. However, that is the game of hockey, and an inch either way can make all of the difference. The third period was a complete collapse. Belmont Hill scored 6 goals on 11 shots in the third period as the Vikings watched the game and the tournament slip away.

Lawrenceville Tourney Recap

The Nichols Boys Prep Team took home the consolation championship at the 62nd Annual Lawrenceville Tournament. Game 1 saw the Vikings take their first loss of the season as they fell to Choate 7-0. The Vikings came out strong in the first period, but could not capitalize on their opportunities early as the period ended in a scoreless tie. Choate was able to find the net twice in the second, and took control of the game in the third adding five third period goals.

Nichols recovered in game 2 as they defeated Northfield-Mt. Hermon 14-8 after NMH made the decision to play the game without a goalie due to injury. Although it sounds easy, the game was much more difficult than one might expect. Andrew Poturalski scored 5 goals and Jack O'Connor added three of his own. Peter Borgesi made 44 saves for the win. (NMH went on to defeat Lawrenceville 12-4 on Sunday without their goaltender).

In game 3, the consolation final, Nichols faced off against a familiar foe in Upper Canada College. Nichols fell behind early, but Andrew Stein tied the game on a snapshot from the top of the circles. Andrew Poturalski gave Nichols a 2-1 lead, but Nichols found themselves down 3-2 with less than a minute remaining. With the goaltender pulled, Jack O'Connor was able to push a loose puck to Charlie Stein who put one by the UCC goaltender on the short side. James Randaccio fired a backhander off the crossbar and in on the second shift in overtime to capture the consolation championship.