Congratulating the Queensbury Spartans on Their Valiant Effort in the New York State Hockey Semifinals
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Ms. STEFANIK. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Queensbury High School hockey team on an extraordinary season culminating in a great effort at the state semifinal game.
Due to the pandemic, the New York State high school hockey playoffs were unfortunately cancelled the last two seasons. However, prior to these cancellations, the Queensbury Spartans had built a reputation of playing at an extremely high level, appearing in the Final Four in back-to-back years. In the 2021-2022 season, under the leadership of Head Coach Dean Williams, the team of dedicated young men picked up right where they left off. The Spartans defeated John Jay High School in the quarterfinal game seven to five. Mack Ryan had a record-setting five-goal performance leading the Spartans to another opportunity to compete in the Final Four. In the semifinal game the Spartans faced New York's number one ranked team, the Pelham Pelicans of Westchester County.
The Queensbury Spartans put up a valiant effort against the Pelham Pelicans in the Division II semifinal game and came just short of appearing in their first state championship. Despite ultimately falling seven to one, the Spartans fought hard until the final buzzer. Pelham scored two goals in the game's first minute, and the Spartans faced an uphill battle the rest of the evening. Despite the outcome, Queensbury saw standout performances from Nick Ogden, who scored the team's only goal, and goalie Blake Powers, who had an impressive 34 saves in the game. With only four seniors on the roster, most of these young men will return ready to play hard next season. I am confident that Queensbury High School will field a highly competitive hockey program for years to come.
On behalf of New York's 21st Congressional District, I would like to congratulate the Queensbury Spartans on their incredible 2021-2022 season. We are very proud of their hard work and dedication throughout this year.
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