DAY IN REVIEW: THURSDAY - Eli Ricci scored five goals and dominated faceoffs as Victor defeated Niskayuna 17-9 in the NYS Class B semifinal, sending the Blue Devils to the State Championship game against Manhasset on Sunday, June 14th in Geneva.

VICTOR-17 at NISKAYUNA-9 - Victor punched its ticket to the Class B NYS Championship with a dominant 17-9 semifinal victory over Niskayuna Thursday at SUNY Cortland, winning despite a two-hour lightning delay that halted play at the end of the third quarter. The Blue Devils led wire-to-wire, jumping out to a 5-1 first-quarter lead and never relinquishing control, extending their winning streak to twelve games and improving to 20-2.

Eli Ricci was the offensive standout, burying five goals while also dominating the faceoff circle at 79%, winning 23 of 29 draws to give Victor a consistent possession advantage throughout the game. Jackson Mead was equally impressive, finishing with three goals and three assists to pace a balanced attack that saw seven different players find the back of the net. Colin Wheeler added three goals and Nathan Terrance and Oliver Kowal each chipped in two.

Victor controlled the game from start to finish, but Niskayuna showed fight, particularly in the third quarter, when Sami Chowdhrey scored twice and Billy Roemer added another to briefly trim the deficit to 13-7 before the lightning delay stopped play. When the game resumed two hours later, Victor wasted no time, with Ricci scoring three of his five goals in a blistering stretch; three goals in under two minutes to open the fourth quarter, pushing the lead to 16-7 and putting any remaining doubt to rest.

Will Simpson was steady in goal for nearly the full game, finishing with seven saves, as Victor's defense limited Niskayuna's scoring opportunities throughout. For Niskayuna, Chowdhrey finished with three goals and John Mooney added two, but the Blue Devils' relentless attack and faceoff dominance proved too much to overcome. At each game a player from each team was selected for the sportsmanship award. Senior attackman Rory Burke was selected from Victor. Sami Chowdhrey was honored for the Silver Warriors.

Victor, who defeated Niskayuna 9-6 during the regular season, will now face Manhasset (Section VIII) in the Class B State Championship at Hobart and William Smith College in Geneva on Sunday, June 14th at 10:00 AM. The Blue Devils are one win away from a state title.