Countless awards, plaques, trophies, jerseys, and team photos lined the stage during this year’s annual hockey banquet at the Batavia High School auditorium on April 14. 

The 2023-2024 BND United hockey season brought much to celebrate and while the many accolades are not surprising for a team led by accomplished coaches and comprised of highly talented players, the true force behind their achievement is not found within every team.  

This year’s team was special, and their unity resulted in an extraordinary season. The appreciation of the sport along with the love between coaches and teammates filled the auditorium and was expressed in the numerous tear-filled and humorous stories shared on the stage. 

The overwhelming feeling of comradery and family appears to be the true force behind their Championship season, and, together, they have created memories and a devotion that will forever connect them. This season’s story is one of hard work, talent, support, encouragement, respect, and selflessness. 

BND United junior, Ivan Milovidov, described as a top-ranked hockey player and a fantastic young man, played a significant role in the team’s unification, strength, and overall success. 

If you had the opportunity to watch Ivan on the ice, you witnessed something special. Ivan is an extremely gifted hockey player with character and leadership qualities that are equally impressive. 

Among the many honors presented during the banquet was the WDF (Wisdom, Determination, Fortitude) Award, granted annually to a deserving BND United hockey player in remembrance of Wayne D. Foster.  

The Wayne D. Foster Foundation Inc. carefully selects a young player who best displays Wayne’s goodwill, courage, and integrity. The honoree is considered based on their work ethic, wisdom, determination, courage, how they interact and care for others, and their unselfish play.  

Through observations and in speaking with coaches, parents, and players, it was clear that Ivan was the perfect choice, making it a great privilege for the foundation, represented by Wayne’s grandson, Chase Pangrazio, to present Ivan with this year’s WDF scholarship and trophy.

The Wayne D. Foster Foundation is proud to recognize Ivan and the BND United hockey program. We wish to extend our congratulations to Ivan and the 2023-2024 BND United coaching staff and team for an outstanding season.

Newstead Homes Kings beat Kelly's Holland Inn Stars 6-1 on Sunday at the David M. McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena to win the Batavia Men's League Hockey Championship.

The Genesee Amateur Hockey Association (GAHA) Timbit Beginners will be participating in their end-of-the-year “Jamboree” on Saturday, March 23 starting at 9 a.m. at the David McCarthy Memorial Arena. The world has the Olympics, Buffalo has pond hockey, but we have the Beginner Cross-Ice Event – “THE JAMBOREE”.  

The draft has taken place and the teams are set. Game schedules are confirmed and the blue lines are waiting for the hockey players to stand on them for the National Anthem. 

The Rink will be divided into three areas and two teams will play against one another in 2-minute shifts for 12 minutes; then they move on to play more “games” with other teams – a Total of 4 games.  Since there are five (5) teams the team not scheduled for a “game” will participate in skill drills in the middle section. 

At 9 a.m. the players will be introduced one by one as they step onto the ice and proceed to the Blue Line for the National Anthem. We’d love to have you join us and capture the progress of the little players ages 4 to 12. 

This year the Beginner Program consisted of 61 registered players. They are coached by Brennan Briggs along with Nick Harris as well as many other dads, family members plus GAHA Student Coaches serving as on-ice helpers.

Without all of this support, it would be impossible to run this program. Most of the players have been on the ice since early October through today. About 26 joined the program in early January after participating in the November USA Hockey – Try Hockey for Free Event. 

At practices they run through drills established by USA Hockey’s American Development Modules – six stations are set up around the rink and a different drill is introduced at each station. The players move from station to station.

GAHA is thankful for the sponsorship of its Beginner Program by the local Tim Horton Shop managed by Dave Lumberg. They provide the jerseys for all of the players as well as Timbit donuts for our special functions throughout the year.

For this Jamboree the players are divided into five teams (featuring the Black Team, the Royal Blue Lightnings, the Navy Blue Angels Team, the White Morasco’s Rink Rats, and the Red Crushers) denoted by the color of their jerseys and will play five 12-minute games with shifts of 2 min. A great time is had by all.

At the end of the Jamboree the GAHA organization will offer a free family skate for the Beginner Program until Noon and the McCarthy Rink Staff and Management will be providing “free” rental skates for those participating.

Batavia Notre Dame United's historic season—a sectional title and 22 wins—came to a disappointing end in the state semifinals of hockey in Buffalo on Saturday.

United lost to Skaneateles, the defending Division II champions, 7-2.

Photos by Erin Staley.

The third goal, the hat-trick for Jameson Motyka, was the game-winner in overtime for Batavia Notre Dame United in its regional state qualifier at RIT on Saturday.

Batavia Notre Dame, a merged hockey team in its third year as a united unit, won its first Section V Class B championship Monday in dramatic fashion -- pulling out an overtime victory.

United struck first in the first period. 

Brennen Pedersen came off the bench to keep the puck from crossing the blue line for offsides, taking a pass from Jameson Motyka and opening up the scoring for United 1-0 with seven minutes left in the opening period.

Nine minutes into the second period, Ivan Milovidov scored unassisted, which gave United a 2-0 lead.  

Webster Thomas cut the lead by one goal, scoring with four minutes left in the period to make it 2-1.

In the third period, after two penalty kills, United maintained the lead with under four minutes left. Webster Thomas scored again to tie the game 2-2 and send it into overtime.

In overtime, each squad had opportunities until Joe DiRisio scored the game-winner on a rebound to give BND the Class B title.  

BND United had 34 shots on goal.  Rhys Tanner made 32 saves for United.

Section V awards were given to Joe DiRisio, named MVP, and Ivan Milovidov, player of the game.

United moves on to the Regional round versus Kenmore East at Noon on Saturday at RIT.

Coach Marc Staley said he told his team going into overtime to take a couple of deep breaths and go out and do what they've done all year, to trust the process.

"This game could have gone either way," Staley said. "I mean, their goalie made some great saves. Our goalie made some great saves. We ended up getting a loose puck in front of the net, and we banged it home. That's how it goes."

He added, "You know, you get a little luck when you need it.  We got a little luck when we needed it."

DiRisio, who scored the winning goal, credited the win to the close bond between team members.

"We just stayed together, really, DiRisio said. "We're brothers. We're family. We love each other. And we knew we had to stay level for it. I feel like being level mentally is 80 percent of the game. It's just it's huge."

The win, making history for the program, was a magical moment, he said.

"Obviously, it's history. It's kind of a numbing feeling because you're just so excited; at least, I am. It's just, it's incredible. It really is."

To view or purchase photos, click here.

In a charity hockey game on Sunday at the David M. McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena, Batavia PD beat the City Fire Department pretty handily, 11-3, but more importantly, 598 people attended, and the event raised $2,660 for the David M. McCarthy Memorial Foundation.

Photos by Philip Casper.

Press release:

The Genesee Amateur Hockey Association hosted 37 registered youngsters as well as five “walk-ins” at the David McCarthy Memorial Ice Arena on Evans Street on Saturday for a Try Hockey For Free Event as part of “USA Hockey  Week  Across  America,” which was celebrated at 285  ice areas across the entire United States.   

Starting at 10:40 a.m. and going until noon, local youth, ages 4 to 9, were welcomed at the rink to experience getting on the ice, learning how to “skate”, getting up after falling, basic skills with a hockey stick and shooting punks into a hockey net (all by being guided by the head coach and on-ice helpers).  This year, the youngsters had the experience of shooting on actual goalies. 

“We welcomed families to McCarthy Ice Rink from Batavia, Buffalo, Byron, Corfu, LeRoy, Nunda, East Bethany, Alexander, Byron, Brockport, Albion, Wyoming, Rochester, and Elba to try our great sport of ice hockey,” said Sharon Gray, coordinator of the “Try Hockey for Free” event. “Our goal is for these families to enjoy watching their kids learn new skills with big smiles on their faces and for the youngsters the on-ice experience.”

The head coaches for today’s event were Tim Sprague and Dan Calkins – both with more than 30 years plus starting out as GAHA players, high school players and GAHA coaches over the years.  Most of the on-ice helpers were from this year’s Batavia-Notre Dame United high school team along with their coaches – Marc Staley and John Kirkwood.  

The youngsters were excited to be coached, aided and skating with these local athletes. Also on the ice were coaches and players from the GAHA organization.  The beginning of the event featured the playing of the National Anthem, and the little people stood so proudly alongside the BND players!

The event is hosted by Try Hockey for Free Coordinators, Sharon and Bob Gray,  and the GAHA Beginner Player Coordinator,  Marcia Barnes, on behalf of the Genesee Amateur Hockey Association, which provided the ice, and the McCarthy rink staff, Katie Murray (general manager), Matt Gray (rink operating manager), and their staff.  

It is the team’s goal to provide the hockey experience to area youngsters free of charge and encourage them in  October to become a player in the GAHA Beginner Program, which starts the first week of October.  The Beginner Program consists of two sessions (October to December and January to March) with a total of 15 on-ice hours per session.

The skates used by the youngsters were provided “free of charge” by the McCarthy Rink  Management Group.

USA Hockey’s Try Hockey program, with the support of the National Hockey League and NHL member clubs, among others, is designed to provide youth hockey associations with a national platform for introducing children to the sport, free of charge.  Pure Hockey (sponsor of USA Hockey) provided free USA Try Hockey jerseys to each child.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS:  THE NEXT THFF EVENT WILL BE THE FIRST SATURDAY OF NOVEMBER 2024!!!

Photos by Howard Owens.

Batavia Notre Dame United moved one step closer to a Section V title in hockey, winning the Class B semifinal over Canandaigua on Wednesday 5-4.

Scoring:

• Jameson Motyka scored two times and had one assist
• Ivan Milovidov scored two times and had one assist
• Brady Johnson scored once and added one assist.
• Orian Lama had two assists

Goalie Rhys Tanner made 18 saves on 22 shots.

Mason Smith had 2 goals and 1 assist for Canandaigua.  

While United managed 40 shots in the game, Canandaigua goalie Charlie Fuller stopped 35.

United will play for the Class B title on Monday at 5:30 p.m. at RIT against Webster Thomas.

Photos by Pete Welker.