NA3HL: Binghamton Jr. Senators continue to dominate

The success that the Binghamton Jr. Senators has experienced has come due to their playing ability just as much as the NA3HL team’s camaraderie.

When talking to assistant coach Ray Walsh, his team’s camaraderie has impressed him the most.

“There has been no fighting, arguing, or any problems,” Walsh said. “We have a bunch of guys who work their hardest every day.”

The team’s great attitude combined with a high level of play has enabled the Senators to achieve a record of 32-1-1 so far this season. This team is definitely a solid squad up and down the roster. Walsh praised the efforts of his top two scoring lines. These lines contribute to the majority of the team’s offense.

These two lines should be able to keep up the production. If so, the offense should continue to fire on all cylinders, just as they have all season.Binghamton Junior Senators,NA3HL,USA Junior Hockey.

The return of assistant captain and dynamic scorer Ryan Flanagan, a ’98 from Pittston, Pa., will give this dynamic offense an even bigger push. Flanagan suffered broken ribs and was out for six weeks, but had a stat line of 24 goals and 41 points through his first 24 games.

Ryan Reifler, a ’99 from Binghamton, earned a tender from the NAHL’s Aberdeen Wings thanks to his play this year. He had 20 goals and 67 points in 34 games. He’s had separate single-game performances of seven and six points this year.

Leading the way has been ’96 Connor Landrigan, whose 86 points are third in the league (a pair of Long Beach Sharks have more than 120 points apiece). One point behind him is Lithuanian import Dominik Bogdziul with 85 points. Tyler Uravage (71 points) and Jeremy Wilber (70 points) join the above-mentioned players in giving Binghamton five players in the top 10 of league scoring.

Defensemen Stephen Aponik (+52), Lucas Ethington (+47) and Michael Hennekens (+44) are all in the top 20 of league-wide plus-minus leaders.

Goalies Stephen Schmitt and Salvatore Lauretta are both in the top three of league save percentage leaders, with respective numbers of .943 and .940.

The sky is truly the limit for this Senators squad. They feel as if they can compete with any team. That includes western powerhouses like the North Iowa Bulls and the Yellowstone Quake.

“Our goal is definitely to get to the championship tournament in Illinois,” said Walsh, of the team’s expectations moving forward.

As the season continues, expect to see the success of the Binghamton Jr. Senators to continue. They have already proven that they are a top-tier team in the Northeast Division. The team’s strong work ethic, combined with the tight bond of the players, will make them a threat to win the NA3HL national title in March.