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March 12, 2010

PHS has look of winner

By NICK ST. DENIS

DID YOU KNOW?


You can look back over the last 70 years at some of the area athletes and personalities who made headlines in area sports. Flashback will revive memories of great local athletes and outstanding team successes.

UTICA — To reach Sunday's NYSPHSAA Division II boys' hockey championship game, Plattsburgh High just needs to do what it's done for the last 21 straight games — win.

The Hornets face off against defending champion New Hartford (19-4-1) in the state semifinals today at 3:15 p.m. at the Utica Memorial Auditorium for a chance to compete for the state trophy.

Queensbury is slated to face St. Lawrence at 5:45 p.m. in the tournament's other semifinal game.

"They're excited," PHS coach Jamie Reidy said of his players. "I can sense that they're going in with the attitude that they are competing for a championship, and not just being satisfied with where they are at."

The 2003 season was the last time Plattsburgh (22-1) played in the Final Four tournament. The Hornets defeated Fox Lane in regional action after beating Beekmantown for the Section VII crown. They lost to Batavia in the state semifinal game.

This season, Plattsburgh ousted the Eagles again in the sectional final before defeating Amherst in regional play.

"We've got the goaltending and the leadership, so I think we should be where we're at," Reidy said. "We beat good teams in the playoffs, which gives us the right to be here."

Plattsburgh has the tools to consistently find the back of the net, as well.

The Hornets' top offensive line — consisting of Ryan Latinville, Jordan Conroy and C.J. Worley — combined for 147 points this season. Latinville leads the team in scoring with 23 goals and 30 assists for 53 points.

However, it takes good depth to compete this deep in the playoffs, which Reidy thinks the Hornets have.

"The Worley, Latinville and Conroy line is not sneaking up on anybody anymore," Reidy said. "We'll definitely need production from what we call our green and yellow lines."

Conroy and Worley each have 47 points, and Jack Tolosky leads the next tier of Hornet scorers with 29 points.

Plattsburgh also gets regular scoring production from hard-shooting defenseman Zach Clodgo, who anchors a unit that has seemed to find its identity on the Hornets' side of the ice.

"Our defense has really shaped up in our own zone," Reidy said.

Defense and goaltending will be critical in the Hornets' matchup against a high-flying New Hartford offense.

New Hartford forward Alex Fukes has been the hero in his team's playoff run, scoring an overtime game-winning goal in the Section III championship followed by another game-winner in triple-overtime against Webster Thomas last weekend in the state quarterfinals.

"They're aggressive up front, they forecheck hard," Reidy said. "The key for us is that we've got to weather the early storm. It certainly will be a hostile environment."

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