NEWS10 ABC

Adirondack United making first playoff appearance

GLENS FALLS, N.Y. (NEWS10) — The Adirondack United has plowed through the regular season and now shift its focus to the playoffs. Head coach Jeff Willis said the team’s ability to mesh helped make things easier.

“They’ve come together a lot quicker than I’ve experienced with some teams in the past.”  

The United made it to this point thanks to their style of play that’s helped them earn the number one seed in Section 2. Junior forward Bailey Duffy said it’s a recipe that’s resulted in 15 wins and one loss.  

“We play a fast-paced game, but we really focus on possession and speed, so it catches people off guard I’d say,” Duffy said. “It helps us win a lot.” 

The offense in combination with an experienced defense makes it tough for opponents to score, and coach Willis believes that opposing teams have a hard time adapting.

“You see the stat sheets at the end of games where we’re shooting teams 10 and 30 shots more than the opposing team and it’s real taxing on kids, they’re not used to playing that type of style,” said Willis. 

Coach Willis and the United will rely on that style as they prepare to host their first home playoff game against Saranac Lake Placid on Tuesday. Goalie Regan Gecewicz said they have to keep their ultimate goal in their mind while focusing on the challenge in front of them. 

“Honestly the goal has always been just like take it one step at a time like win this game be the section champs and regional and get all the way to states,” Gecewicz said. “It’s just one section at a time.” 

Sophomore center Lillian Willis believes the team just needs to be consistent with what got them to this point and not let the moment get too big for them.

Lillian Willis: “I think we need to keep playing as a team and keep putting pucks in the net and we’ll be perfectly fine.”