Defeating a division rival twice during a season is a difficult task, no matter what the sport. Defeating that same rival three times is nearly impossible due to the fact that by that time, the losing team has figured out the winner's weaknesses and preys on them. Beating your division rival four times in the same season is even more rare, largely because teams just don't play each other that much in a campaign.
Unless you happen to be New Hartford, the state's # 3 ranked team, or RFA, who met tonight at the Rec Center in New Hartford in the Section III Division II Semi-final game.
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This year's version of the Spartans and Black Knights rivalry started last fall in the Dunkin Donuts Classic hosted by Utica College. Back then the Spartans needed overtime to defeat the Knights 6-5.
Since then, the Spartans have defeated the Romans 10-4 and 4-2 enroute to the Division II East Title and the Section III Tournament's #1 seed.
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(RFA's Joey Rutkowski (27) leads a rush into the New Hartford zone as Spartans Captain Jason Fitzgerald (18) gives chase.)
Tonight at the Rec Center RFA was out to try and stop the Spartans from making it four straight over them this season, and seven straight over the past two seasons.
The Knights had plenty of confidence coming into tonight's matchup following their convincing 6-3 road win over Corcoran last Thursday. New Hartford's got a first round win over visiting CBA/J-D last Friday by a score of 5-1.
The two teams battled back and forth in the early going, mostly between the blue lines until New Hartford's Clayton Whittemore picked up a loose puck in front of the Rome goal and beat RFA starting goalie Mike Endres to put the home club up 1-0 with 4:58 remaining in the first period. Jason Fitzgerald and Mike Critelli assisted on the Spartans first goal.
(Spartans celebrate one of four second period goals in front of their ever faithful student cheering section.)
Before the huge home crowd could settle back into their seats, RFA sophomore Rob Waller took the faceoff from center ice, walked in and put a solid wrist shot past Spartans goalie Spencer Landry.
Just :20 seconds after the Spartans took the lead, we were all knotted up 1-1, which is the way the first period would come to a close.
The second period of this game was reminiscent of what last year's State Champion Spartans team did to their opponents, score goals in bunches, when the game was tight.
Before the frist three minutes had burned off the clock in the middle stanza, New Hartford netted three goals to make it 5-2, essentially removing the wind from RFA's sails.
(New Hartford's Jason Fitzgerald (18) battles a minor snow storm to score his second goal of the game as RFA goalie Anthony D'Urso (30) dives to defend and Alex Fukes (10) looks on.) 
The first Spartan goal of the second came just 1:10 in when Dan Sheets slid a shot under Endres to make it 2-1. Just :27 seconds later, Alex Fukes took a pass from Tom Nitti and scored to put the Spartans up 3-1.
Then it was Chris Luker's turn as the big senior blasted a slap shot from the point beating Endres for a power play goal to make it 4-1, with 12:08 remaining in the second period. Jason Fitzgerald and Clayton Whittemore picked up assists on the Luker tally. Anthony D'Urso replaced Endres in goal for RFA after the 4th Spartans goal.
(Lots of extracurricular activities tonight!)
The two teams battled hard at both ends of the ice for the next 11 minutes of the second period until Clayton Whittemore notched his 2nd goal of the game (his 36th of the season) on a pass from Mike Critelli to make it 5-1 Spartans with just 1:10 to go in the middle frame.
Following a lengthy scuffle in the New Hartford end after the next faceoff, Whittemore took a penalty for roughing and RFA had a power play for the remainder of the period.
(Spartans center Clayton Whittemore (21) strides into open ice enroute to a second period goal. Whittemore finished with 2 goals and 2 assists on the evening.)
With just 41.6 seconds to go in the second, Rob Waller fed Eric Joyce with a beautiful pass and Joyce kocked it past Landry to pull the Knights within 5-2, which is the way we'd head to the second intermission.
The first half of the third period saw New Hartford's defense slow the RFA offense to a crawl, keeping the Black Knights to long range shots. Then, with 8:08 to go in the game, Chris Luker scored his 2nd goal of the game with assists from Mike Critelli and Clayton Whittemore to make it 6-2 Spartans.
The Spartans went on the power play again when Max Bartell was called for slashing and Jason Fitzgerald took a crisp pass from Alex Fukes and beat RFA's D'Urso to give the Spartans a 7-2 lead with just 6:14 to go in the contest.
(Party on at the Rec as Spartans celebrate a big home win.)
RFA pulled within 7-3 with 2:17 to go when Jeff Holzberger tallied with assists from T.J. Reilley and Garrett Reilley, which is the way this one would end.
Spencer Landry stopped 30 shots on the night and Mike Endres and Anthony D'Urso combined for 26 saves in the losing effort.
Chris Luker and Clayton Whittemore scored 2 goals apiece and Mike Critelli had 3 assists for the Spartans (17- 4 -1), who advance to the Section III Division II Final against Cazenovia, a 2-0 winner over Skaneateles, at the Utica Aud this Sunday at 1:00 p.m. RFA ends their season at 12-8-2.
Box Score:
1 2 3 Total
RFA 1 1 1 3
New Hartford 1 4 2 7
Leading Scorers:
Rome Free Academy
Robbie Waller- 1 goal-1 assist
Eric Joyce-1 goal
Jeff Holzberger-1 goal
Garrett Reilley-1 assist
Nick Tardugno-1 assist
TJ Reilley-1 assist
New Hartford
Clayton Whittemore- 2 goals-two assists
Chris Luker-2 goals
Jason Fitzgerald- 1 goal-3 assists
Dan Sheets-1 goal
Mike Critelli-3 assists
Eric Fitzgerald-1 assist
Tom Nitti- 1 assist
