AMHERST — The Kenmore East hockey team will once again play on Super Sunday.

The top-ranked Division II team in the state breezed past Sweet Home, 3-0, in the Federation Hockey Division II Semifinal Tuesday night at the Northtown Center in Amherst.

Bulldogs Senior Dan Giliforte scored twice in the opening frame, while Nick Pagliacci added a another on the power play in the second period as Kenmore East (18-2-1) advanced to Super Sunday for the third time in four seasons. The Bulldogs will play Williamsville East for the Fed small school championship at 5 p.m. Sunday at First Niagara Center.

“It was a huge game. If we lost it was over,” Giliforte said. “Three years on the team, it’s just a big accomplishment winning. Hopefully we can win Sunday night.”

Giliforte got the Bulldogs off to a quick start, splitting the Panther defense and ripping a wrist shot over the glove of goaltender Peter Brooks just 2:28 into the opening period. Less than five minutes later, Giliforte accepted a strong pass on the tape from linemate Don Battista and went backhand-forehand before sliding it past Brooks to make it 2-0.

Ken East’s second goal was set up on the neutral-zone rush by defenseman Colin Farrell. Coach Kyle Pray said the defense’s involvement in the offense was a key factor in the game.

“We knew they were going to play a trap, so we kind of worked on that (Monday), moving the puck from ‘D’ to ‘D,’ and then kind of going out the weak side with the puck,” Pray said. “We also told guys when they have the room to carry it, to carry it.”

Then later in the second period, Pagliacci sealed it when he fired a slap shot from the top of the left circle past the short side to make it 3-0.

“That was a biggy because I think that really gave us some momentum going into the third period,” Pray.

The Bulldogs were just 1 for 8 with the man advantage, due in large part to the play by Sweet Home’s Brooks, who stopped more than 30 shots on the night. Kenmore East’s Mike Davern picked up the shutout in net on the other end.

“Where I was most proud tonight is that the guys really played well in the defensive zone,” Pray added. “They didn’t let guys get behind them.”

Sweet Home’s best scoring chance of the night came early in the first period when Davern was stripped of the puck behind his goal, but the Panthers couldn’t convert on the empty goal.

The Bulldogs fell in a heartbreaker to Will. East in the Federation final last season, 2-1. Battista said he hopes for a different result this time around.

“It’s a huge accomplishment. Since Day one of tryouts, first practice, it’s something that we wanted to get back to,” Battista said. “The loss was just terrible last year and it’s something we just want to pull through and get a win in the end here.”

Contact sports editor Brandon Koch at 693-1000, ext. 4117.