Mason Sines comes up with a save for the Hilliard Hockey Club. Sines is a freshman at Fairbanks High School. (Photo submitted)
Hockey fans, like those of other sports, may be going through withdrawal and the athletic world has crashed with a resounding thud due to the coronavirus outbreak.
A pair of local athletes, however, recently concluded a very successful season on the ice.
John Pastryzk, a senior, and Mason Sines, a freshmen are Fairbanks High School students who play hockey.
Since the Panthers do not offer hockey as a sport, both played this past season with the Hilliard Hockey Club that had a great deal of success.
The squad finished the season ranked third in the state and won the Columbus Blue Jackets Cup.
That tournament serves as the league championship event for the Ohio Scholastic Hockey League.
Pastryzk, a center, and Sines, a goalie, helped the team qualify for the USA Hockey state championship tournament.
Hilliard (which finished the season with a 26-17-4 record) won two games and lost one during the state tourney that was held in Cleveland.
The squad opened the tournament with a 3-2 shootout victory over the Cleveland Wildcats.
The score was knotted at 2-2 after regulation.
The teams played a five-on-five overtime session that lasted five minutes.
Pastryzk tallied the game-winning goal during the overtime session, while Sines came through with 24 saves.
Overtime was still on Hilliard’s plate with a 6-5 double shootout triumph over the North Royalton Bears.
The fierce battle remained knotted at 5-5 after regulation play and the initial OT.
Pastryzk tallied a goal during regulation time.
Sines was not in the net during that game.
The area outfit dropped its third game of the tournament.
Hilliard lost to Dayton Stealth by a 5-2 verdict.
Sines made 31 saves and Pastryzk scored a goal.
That loss did not allow Hilliard to advance to the tournament’s semifinal.
The Cincinnati Swords downed North Royalton in the championship game to win the Buckeye Cup.
The Journal-Tribune talked with both Fairbanks students about the season.
Both started playing hockey at very young ages.
“I was seven years old when I began playing CCYHA hockey at the Chiller Complex (near Dublin and Hilliard),” said Pastryzk. “Hockey has been a great experience for me.”
Pastryzk played for the club’s JV squad as a freshman and was called up to the varsity for the state tournament.
He played varsity the next three years as Hilliard won CBJ Cups and moved on to state competition.
Pastryzk will attend college at Miami of Ohio University.
He won’t, however, play Division I hockey.
“I’m just going to play some intramural hockey in college,” he said.
Sines took to the ice when he was four years old and started with skating lessons.
He then began playing for a hockey recreational team called “The Wild” when he turned six.
“I tried hockey and really liked it,” said Sines.
He rose through the ranks to join the Hilliard Club this past season as a freshman.
Although Sines was pleased with the team’s post-season, he feels he didn’t play his best during the state tournament.
“I did well, but not to the top of my ability,” he said. “I feel I could have done better.
“I couldn’t stop a couple of goals I should have.”
Sines said he hopes to continue his hockey career the next three seasons with Hilliard and then beyond.
“I hope I can play in college,” he said.
Fairbanks’ John Pastryzk, left, lines up for a face-off for the Hilliard Hockey Club. The team went 2-1 during the state’s scholastic tournament. (Photo submitted)