Miracle on Ice X2!
News Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Unranked Byram Hills Upsets State-Ranked (No.1) Pelham, (No.19) Pawling En Route to 1st D-II Hockey Title
It took a quarter century to do so but members of the third-seeded Byram Hills ice hockey club, unranked among NYS pollsters, pose with the Section 1 D-II championship plaque and banner after the Bobcats (18-4) shocked the state by knocking off top-ranked Pelham, 4-3, Sunday afternoon at the Brewster Ice Arena behind a pair of goals from Gavin Nichols and another from his twin brother Ryan, both juniors.
The siblings combined for three goals against the perennial powerhouse Pelicans (18-4) and added a combined 17 additional points in playoff wins over No.2 Pawling and No.6 John Jay CR; just days after the 44-year anniversary of the original Miracle on Ice at Lake Placid, NY (USA over USSR).
Recall, it was Ryan Nichols who scored the GWG for Coach Matty Allen’s 2023 NYS Class A runner-up soccer team, so the Nichols boys have left their mark on Byram history with yet another year to go. The Bobcats will now host the Section 10 champion (TBD, Monday) at the BIA on March 2 with a berth for the NYSPHSAA Final 4 at LECOM Harborcenter, Buffalo, on the line. see Focus on Ice Hockey
— by Ray Gallagher
Ray has 33 years experience covering and photographing local sports in Westchester and Putnam counties, including everything from Little League/Travel Baseball to varsity high school prep sports and collegiate coverage. He has been a sports editor at Examiner Media since its inception in 2007.
Visit Ray’s author bio page for more details. Also read Ray’s archived work here and his Direct Rays column here.
