Girls Hockey Showcased in Buffalo

For the first time in its history the Scotty Bowman Showcase will feature a 20 minute girl's ice hockey game. The Tournament pits top high school boys players from Buffalo against top players from Rochester. The tournament honors Scotty Bowman, the winningest coach in the NHL who coached the Buffalo Sabres.

This year girls from local Buffalo club ice hockey teams will compete to show their support for a Girls Varsity Ice Hockey League in Western New York

The Scotty Bowman Showcase will be held Monday, March 29, at HSBC Arena, Buffalo. The first boys game begins at 6 p.m. and the second at 8:30 p.m. The winner of the second game is the recipient of the Bowman Cup.
Admission is $5.

There is also a possibility that the Buffalo Regals will form a new Girls 14U team next season and the Niagara Junior Purple Eagles may try and move to Tier I.

The Niagara Junior Purple Eagles 14U Tier II team took the New York State Championships last weekend. They went into the championship game undefeated with 21 goals for and 1 goal against for an amazing 5 game shutout run. They will represent New York State at the Nationals in East Lansing, MI in April.

The Buffalo Bisons U12, U14 and U16 Tier I teams also won New York State Championships. They will also be representing NYS in the Nationals.

Congratulations goes to Mercyhurst's Vicki Bendus. Bendus is the recipient of the 2010 Patty Kaxzmaier Memorial Award. The award is given annual to a female ice hockey player who shows outstanding athletic ability as well as leadership, community service and academics. She served as team captain and is near the top of the NCAA leader board in nearly all offensive categories. She has 65 points; 5 short-handed goals, averages 1.81 points per game, and is a RBK Hockey First Team All-American. Among her team statistics she was first in shots (194), tied for first in points (65) and shorthanded goals (5); second in goals (28), assists (37), power-play goals (8); tied for second in gasme-winning goals (5) and fourth in plus/miknues (+37). Off ice she volunteers regularly at the Erie Veterans Hospital and took part in the annual Mercyhurst Thanksgiving Food Drive.