Leading off today: Sections 2 and 3 will battle it out for a pair of New York State Public High School Athletic Association boys ice hockey championships today in Utica.

   West Genesee pulled off an amazing rally in the Division I semifinals by scoring twice in the final 31 seconds of regulation and then advancing when Casey Schattner scored a power-play goal 4:24 into overtime for a 4-3 triumph against a Suffern squad riding a 21-game winning streak.

   The Wildcats, ranked No. 1 all season by the New York State Sportswriters Association, lost a triple-OT game to Massena in 2008 and a semifinal to unbeaten and eventual state champ Greece Athena/Odyssey last March.

   "We had to give it everything we had left in the tank," Schattner told The Observer-Dispatch. "We didn't want to leave Utica upset again."

   West Genesee coach Frank Colabufo pulled goalie Anthony Militello for an extra attacker with 1:39 left in regulation. Senior Zach Lewis scored with :31 left, and a tripping penalty with 17 second to play opened the door for Tim Bubnack's goal with :07.2 remaining.

   In OT, the Wildcats kill off a Suffern power play early before Lewis and Adam King set up Schattner's gamer to send West Genesee up against Saratoga, a 4-3 winner over Pittsford.

   Pittsford fought back from three one-goal deficits, the last time with Scott Edwards' goal midway through the third period, but Streaks junior Jimmy Murray scored his first career game-winner with 2:37 left on a power play.

   The Streaks dropped a 7-4 verdict to West Genesee earlier in the season in the Wildcats' tournament. Saratoga, a 1999 state champ, last played in the finals in 2000.

   Division II hockey: The state's top-ranked D-II teams advanced comfortable with shutouts at Utica Memorial Auditorium.

   No. 2 Queensbury posted a 4-0 win over St. Lawrence as Dylan Hafner turned aside 20 shots and Morgan Mifsud tallied twice to carry the Spartans into their first championship game.    Top-ranked New Hartford blew past Plattsburgh 6-0 as six different players scored on what amounted to home ice and sophomore goaltender Spencer Landry made 16 saves.

   New Hartford, the defending champ, is 5-0 at the Aud this season.

   "We just love playing here. You can feel it," New Hartford coach John Cunningham told The Observer-Dispatch. “The familiarity with the building and having

Winter season bonus links Boys hoops: Road to Glens Falls, your all-purpose destination Boys hoops: Sectional tourney scores and NYSPHSAA brackets Girls hoops: NYSPHSAA brackets Boys hockey: NYSPHSAA brackets - D-I | D-II Wrestling: Final NYSPHSAA results - D-I | D-II

big home crowd and our experience of playing in games like this. ... That all has to help, no question about it."

   All-star team: The New York State High School Hockey Coaches Association released its annual all-state team, which features trios of first-team picks from West Genesee and New Hartford.

   Suffern junior forward Jake Jaeger is the only first-team non-senior in Division I. He's joined by West Genesee defender Ryan Michel and forwards Erich Haney and Zach Lewis; Canton goalie Dakota Sharp; Suffern defender Kevin Norwin; and Saratoga forward Cody Nizolek.

   The Division II first team includes the New Hartford trio of defender Chris Luker and forwards Clayton Whittemore and Jason Fitzgerald. The other honorees are defender Anthony Soprano and forward Kevin Valenti, both of Queensbury, and Webster Thomas forward Matthew Casillo and Ogdensburg goalie Chris Harper. Valenti is the only junior.

   Nike Indoor Nationals: New York was well represented on the podium once again on day two of the Nike Indoor Nationals in Boston, with Lancaster's Melissa Kurzdorfer (49-4.25) adding another spot put title to her Friday win in the weight throw, the Fayetteville-Manlius girls taking the national lead in the 3,200 relay at 9:02.80 and Saratoga's four-mile relay clocking 20:15.06 to go to No. 4 on the all-time girls list (past 'Toga quartets already ranked first and second).

   And Sheepshead Bay, fresh off winning the event a day early at the National Scholastic Indoor Championships in New York City, added another boys shuttle hurdles championship.

   Foot Locker Cross Country champ Megan Goethals (10:10.14) from Michigan won the girls two-mile crown, but Cornwall's Aisling Cuffe (10:11.65) set a national junior-class record en route to third place. They were part of a quartet that cracked the all-time U.S. top 10 in the event.

   More to come: I'll be back later Sunday with some highlights from Saturday's basketball action. In the meantime, use the links in the breakout box at the top of this column to check out pairings, dates and times for the NYSPHSAA final fours this weekend.