Sauquoit knew that it wasn’t going to be easy to win a Sectional Title in 2010. Earning the #3 seed with a 8-4 record, the Indians were going to have to beat both Little Falls and Mount Markham (the #1 and #2 seeds) to do it.
Making the task even harder was the fact that Sauquoit split with the Mounties during the regular season and lost both games to the Mustangs. In the Little Falls series, each team won at their opponents place, and it the Mount Markham series, the Mustangs swept the Indians in both matches.
But as they always say, ‘it’s never over until it’s over’.
With that mentality the Indians went into both Little Falls and Oneida and knocked out both of the higher seed, winning both matches 3-2 against Little Falls and Mount Markham.
Sauquoit (10-4) went into Oneida High School, a place Mount Markham has lost the sectional finals in three consecutive seasons, and didn’t back down.
Led by David Stuhlman and Nate Matthews, the Indians weathered the Mustang storm early, falling down by four (17-13), but fought back to tie the match at 18. A quick time-out by Sauquoit Head Coach David Curtin allowed the Indians to regroup and eventually win game one 25-22 after Matthews killed the ball at the net.
Mount Markham (18-2) answered the Indians, winning game two by 12 (25-13) and game three by six (25-19).
Getting the Mustangs going in game two was Randy Schaffer. Schaffer replaced all-star Brian Gurtowski with the Indians up 7-5 early in game. Schaffer and the Mustangs responded with a 18-8 run, with Schaffer earning five service points, Alex Wrobel earning five service points, and Danny Roberts and Zach O’Sullivan both recording four kills.
In game three, with Gurtowski now back in, Mount Markham built a six-point lead (18-12) with the Indians coming unraveled a couple times, causing Curtin to call time outs to stop the Mustang attack.
The match ended with an ace by Mount Markham’s Zach King, kill by Gurtowski and kill by Steve DiNigro.
Down, but not out, the Indians looked themselves in the mirror, down 2-1, and brought their game to another level, one the Mustangs had yet to see the entire season.
In game four, Sauquoit jumped out to a 16-5 lead, with the entire team providing the spark. Not only were Stuhlman and Matthews doing their part, but Paul Brockett, Jon Marchione and Patrick Keida were as well, hitting the ball well enough at the net to cause the Mustang offense to stall.
Mount Markham did fight back, going on a 15-to-7 run, but the lead was too big and the Indians eventually won game four 25-19.
