Quakers Continue Perfect Season, Win Sec. VI Large School Ice Hockey Championship

Buffalo, NY – The Orchard Park Quakers have been the talk of the Fed hockey season all winter. On Monday night they brought their 19-0 record to HarborCenter to face Williamsville North and legendary head coach Bob Rosen with the Section VI Large School championship on the line. OP left downtown Buffalo with little doubt as to who the best team was, beating the Spartans 6-1 before a packed crowd.

It was their 2nd Sectional championship in three seasons.

“We knew heading into this year we would be senior heavy,” head coach Josh Dannecker said. “It was good to get out to an early lead today and then pull away.”

It didn’t take long for OP’s offense to get started. Besides steady goaltending their power play has been another area of strength all season and they showed that early and often. Tyler Kelley scored the first Quaker goal with 15:06 remaining in the 1st Period while on the man advantage. OP scored three of their 6 goals on the power-play.

With just over a minute left in the opening period Orchard Park made it a 2-goal lead when Brandon Licursi found the back of the net.

Section VI Division 1 Finals: Orchard Park 2 Will North 0 after 1. pic.twitter.com/twDFOmxPU0 — WNY Athletics (@WNYAthletics) February 28, 2022

OP would pick up right where they left off. Presley Schiltz gave the Quakers a 3-0 lead a little over 4 minutes into the 2nd period. They Kelley tallied his 2nd goal of the game via the power play and it was 4-0 Orchard Park.

Williamsville North would get one back later in the period when Josh Bianchi scored but it was too little too late for the Spartans.

OP scored two more in the 3rd to put things out of reach en route to their 6-1 victory.

Kelley was named the games Most Valuable Player.

Tyler Kelley of @op_athletics Hockey after their 6-1 win over Williamsville North to capture the @wnyfedhockey Large School Championship He had 2 goals and 2 assists@opfansgetrowdy pic.twitter.com/5M2VlPaYIY — WNY Athletics (@WNYAthletics) March 1, 2022

The Spartans finished the season with a respectable 13-6 record and were the last team to hold a lead on the Quakers during their February 9th game.

OP will travel to SUNY Brockport on Saturday to play the Victor Blue Devils of Section V. It’s a 4:30pm puck drop that can be viewed via the NFHS Network. The same two teams met up earlier this season with the Quakers taking the “W” 3-0.

Feature Image Credit: Melissa Brawdy/Icing The Fed