The Bay State Buccaneers advanced into the Championship round of the Division 1 playoffs in the Northeastern Midget Hockey League this weekend in Saratoga Springs, NY. For the third consecutive season, the Buccaneers advanced through the Division 1 field of teams to play for the NEMHL title. The Buccaneers finished 2nd in regular season behind their Connecticut nemesis the Watertown Redwings. "Our regular season was plagued by an unusual set of circumstances, injuries, and illnesses," says Buccaneers Head Coach Erik Tondera. "As a team, we never made excuses for the hardships we faced. Every team faces difficulties. Our ability to persevere, despite some set backs, made us a stronger and more unified group. As always, we really came together in Saratoga." The NEMHL consisted of 12 Midget teams from New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. The Buccaneers finished above the Griffin Flames and N.E. Falcons from Connecticut.

The serious injuries facing the Buccaneers were not enough to break the spirits of these student athletes from New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. Belchertown's Zachary Smith suffered a fractured femur early in the season. After numerous weeks of rehabilitation, Zach fought his way back onto the ice without losing a stride. "As a coach, you never want any serious injuries. Unfortunately, Zach's setback was not our last," says coach Tondera. Veteran Buccaneers defenseman Trevor Bonnette had his season cut short due to a concussion. The Buccaneers successfully overcame numerous other setbacks including Erik Cameron's Diagnosis with Chiari 1 Malformaion, Ryan Greeley's concussions and many others. "At some point, any unusual number of injuries usually start to define a team and who they are," says Tondera. "I can only speak for the atmosphere among the team when I say 'we became stronger and closer because of this. Our mood was never about pity or excuses. We took each weekend one-by-one, and battled our way to the top of Division 1."

After a rocky start against Watertown in the first playoff game, the Buccaneers were able to respond with impressive wins, knocking out both the Griffin Flames and N.E. Falcons from the Championship game.

A well-balanced performance from both veterans and freshman helped to make playoff weekend successful. "I could go through the entire lineup with praise for them all. Joey Vedovelli, who helped secure our title last year, notched a few points. Greeley played very well and notched a few goals, Grunwald had a few assists. Defenseman Zach Kennedy had points and played great on defense. Dan Gardner had an astounding weekend as he led the Buccaneers in points. Jonathan LaCroix, Josh Reno, Alex Herchenreder, and Luis Vazquez had a great weekend. Jake Derosia, Zach Smith, and Dan Spohr have really turned it on leading up to and in playoffs. Erik Cameron, after being cleared to play the previous Wednesday, played very well. I had Alan Filiault sacrificing himself to block shots, defensemen playing well in front of our net, and exceptional goaltending." Cory Lignelli, our young Buccaneer goaltender has had a great season. Cory has played successfully at the Midget level despite being a Bantam. He has a bright hockey future. Veteran goaltender Todd Pescetta, who played his last game on Sunday evening, left the crowd in awe at some spectacular saves that had the Watertown Redwings shaking their heads. Unfortunately, despite a great Buccaneers effort, they were unable to defeat Watertown in the Finals and ultimately succumbed to a 2-0 loss. "Our team battled as well as they have all season. These guys performed every shift. This was the single most exciting game of the year. Despite the outcome, it's hard to be disappointed when you know you gave everything you had. These guys should be proud. The coaching staff is proud of them and their performance." Buccaneers alumni Bobby Rash and Nick Carlotto drove together from Western Massachusetts to support us in the finals. Trevor Bonnette made the long trip from New Hampshire to be with his team during the championship game. The Buccaneers players, coaches, and families all appreciated him making the trip to support the team. Thank you Trevor.

The Redwings should be congratulated on a great playoff performance. Numerous years of great competition between the Buccaneers and Watertown have created a mutual respect between these two clubs that is not often found in youth sports. Mark Mansour, a Watertown manager, father of a player who 'ages-out', and my friend, had this to say: "As I "emotionally" said yesterday, after 25 years of doing youth hockey, it's over (at least for a while). While there probably aren't a lot of trophies in the case for all these years, that's never what it's been about...  I have probably enjoyed this as much, if not more than my 2 boys.  Making friends, not only on our team, but with our competition.... going around to the rinks, being involved in some very competitive tournaments.. winning some, and losing probably more...but always walking away with the memories... and I will miss this."

Mark Mansour sums it up very well when he says, "Extend my best to your team for a great battle yesterday, all weekend, and the past 3 years... I will remember it and I know that our Midgets respect your guys more than they will ever know."

I would like to thank all my players for being the greatest group of guys in the world... you mean the world to me. Thank you for making this such a memorable season. I will remember you forever. -Coach Tondera