This is the first in a series of regular looks back at important parts of local sports history.
Binghamton hockey fans felt joy, then heartbreak.
The Binghamton Rangers defeated Rochester 3-1 to take a 2-1 lead in the American Hockey League's Southern Division final series.
Goals from Rob Zumner and Mike Stevens and an empty-netter from Jody Hull gave the Rangers the lead in the second period, with a crowd of 3,127 at Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena.
Goaltender Mark LaForest made 23 saves and earned his sixth win in seven playoff starts.
However, Rochester came back from a 3-1 deficit in the series and defeated host Binghamton 4-2 in Game 7.
This result marked the first time in 19 seasons of professional hockey that a Binghamton team suffered a decisive 4-0 loss to an AHL and NAHL team in either Game 5 or Game 7, all of which were played at The Arena. It happened.
“It's very disappointing,” Zamner said. “I really thought we had a chance this year. I still can't believe we lost. It's a shame this team will never be together again.”
An afternoon of softball with lots of pitching
Defending state champion from Johnson City – Debuts in state softball rankings as No. 1 in Class B – Extends two-season winning streak to 16th The match against Vestal was won 6-1.
The Wildcats improved to 7-0 against Vestal thanks to Charlene Cook's three-hit pitching and Chris Dyman's 3-for-4, 2 doubles, and 2 RBIs.
Also that day, Union-Endicott's Jennifer Fitzgerald joined the team for her second straight shutout game in a 15-0 win over Susquehanna Valley, although she fell an inning short of a perfect game.
