Webster Schroeder wins the state Division 2 hockey championship

UTICA -- The Webster Schroeder trophy celebration on the ice of Memorial Auditorium late Sunday afternoon would be best described as chaotic delirium.

The moment that the Warriors had taken over possession of the championship plaque, they become a moving, screaming, rejoicing mass of hockey players, each one of them reaching skyward for their turn at touching and carrying the ultimate state high school hockey prize.

In other words, as title celebrations go, it was calamitous pandemonium.

"We really need to work on our victory lap," assistant coach Jason Mordaci said after Schroeder's 2-0 victory over Beekmantown (of Section 7) in the Division 2 finals late Sunday afternoon.

Hey, what did they expect? When you've never even won a Section V hockey title, how in the world would you know how to react when you've crowned yourself best in the state?

"We didn't practice it, I can tell you that," said senior co-captain Jeremy Caulkins, who scored the second goal off a Matt Montgomery centering pass to give the Warriors the 2-0 lead late in the first period.

A lack of choreography aside, this was one happy hockey team. Schroeder, which has always played the under-appreciated little brother to cross-town rival Webster Thomas on the hockey rink, is now forever a part of state championship history.

"All that was going through my mind was that I gotta go crazy because we just won states," said senior forward Cooper Lee, an alternate captain. "I have no idea what I was even screaming; gibberish, a lot of 'woooooooooos.' I have no idea."

That's OK. It's possible that the Webster known for words, that Noah guy, never came up with anything to define an unheralded hockey program rising from Section V also-ran status to become king of the New York State hockey hill.

"It's the greatest feeling in the world," said junior goalie Ryan Beutel, who faced only 19 shots but made at least four terrific saves and critical junctures to either keep the game scoreless or deny momentum to the Eagles (19-5-1).

Said senior defenseman Mike Papas: "It's just an honor. I'm just ecstatic. I told my coach before the game I was having pretty bad anxiety. It was a big game, a lot of pressure."

It turned out, however, there was never any reason to fret because the Warriors (18-6-2) just played another of their classic post-season games right out of their playbook:

• Score early goals;
• Clog the neutral zone and play suffocating team defensive in the D-zone;
• Know Beutel will make necessary saves;
• Use their speed and tenacity to disrupt any flow by the opposition.

That's called a winning game plan. In six playoff games, the Warriors trailed for a total of 62 seconds. That's it. For 1 minute, 2 seconds of their sectional quarterfinal game against Aquinas, the Lil Irish led.

"How do you play that consistent all the way through?" said junior center Joe Schuler, whose puck wizardry gave Schroeder a 1-0 lead on Beekmantown 7:59 into the game. "But we came together as a team and we played for each other all the way."

Which is why, even in victory, it was bittersweet for some. His teammates were already in the locker room when Lee skated back onto the ice to gaze around the rink, to look at the fans, to reflect. There were tears.

"I wanted to really savor the moment," he said. "This was my last game. I'm not going to play hockey in college. It was special."

So, too, was the short-handed goal Schuler scored. He played pick-pocket at center to steal the puck, did an inside-out, slip-the-puck-between-the-skates dispy-doodle to beat the defenseman before a rocket wrister swished the twine.

"That's Joe Schuler for you," Warriors coach Steve Parshall said. "He's deceptively fast, he's got great hands and he can shoot it."

Caulkins' power play goal provided the 2-0 lead and the Warriors simply played their game to the final buzzer.

"We get on the them early, we get ahead, and then we step on their throats," Caulkins said. "We got up early and just rode this wave of extreme emotion."

They never jumped off the wave, either, riding it right to the victory lap.

KEVINO@DemocratandChronicle.com

Twitter.com/@kevinoDandC