Whitesboro boys ice hockey’s claim to the top of Division II was tested Thursday and, true to form, prevailed.
Auburn presented a formidable challenge, but Whitesboro eventually prevailed to tie the game with a 3-2 victory.
The road to victory was not easy for Whitesboro. The team was winless in one-score games prior to this contest. In the end, it came down to how Whitesboro would deal with adversity — and the team did with flying colors.
“We gave up the first goal and we were a little bit down,” Whitesboro coach Pat Gaffney said. “We held it together and kind of grounded it. I take that as a positive.”
Auburn held Whitesboro through the first two periods. The teams soon traded goals and entered the third tied at 1-1. That break is when Gaffney rallied Whitesboro and regrouped for the final period.
Whitesboro came out as a rejuvenated team. Junior Collin’s Vinegar provided flawless handover assistance Mark Benedict put Whitesboro back in the driver’s seat.
A few minutes later, the roles were reversed. This time, Benedetto found Aceto to put Whitesboro up by two. Auburn forward Cal Mahar scored late to get the Maroons back into the contest, but the rally proved too late.
Two other key players for Whitesboro emerged as defenders Andrew Witchley and the goalkeeper Luke Balfe. Witchley put Whitesboro on an impressive heads-up drive in the first quarter.
“We were coming out of our zone pretty well,” Gaffney said. “(Witchley) is a huge reason for that. He’s very skilled, he’s got great instincts, and we got out of a lot of jams because he makes the right plays. He’s someone who really holds us together on both ends of the ice.”
Balfe anchored the Whitesboro defense all night. The senior saved 19 shots and allowed just two goals.
Auburn goalie on the other side Jonah Young he also put on an impressive show on the network. The senior collected 35 saves, matching his season-high total.
Despite the loss, Auburn (7-4-1) is still in the midst of a defining campaign for the program. The Maroons have already surpassed the win total in each of the last three seasons. Auburn faces a tough test on the road against Skaneateles on Tuesday.
With five games remaining, Whitesboro is currently atop the Division II standings with a 6-1 division record and an 8-5 overall record. New Hartford is right behind with a 7-1-1 divisional record.
Whitesboro returns to action with a game against Clinton on Friday.
“We go to Clinton tomorrow and we have three games next week,” Gaffney said, “so we’re a little down.”
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