SKANEATELES – Just like before, the Skaneateles boys ice hockey team made it to the big stage of a Section III Division II championship game, partially strengthened by the path it took to get there.
The Lakers only had to win one playoff game to reach the finals, but it turned out to be a tense one as it turned back no. 4 seed Christian Brothers Academy/Jamesville-DeWitt 2-1 Tuesday night at Allyn Arena.
In this year’s playoff format, the top two seeds had byes straight into the semifinals. Thus, Skaneateles had more than a week to rest following its 5-2 victory over Baldwinsville on Feb. 15.
CBA/J-D, meanwhile, had edged New Hartford 4-3 in the second round and brought to Skaneateles a confidence partially based on playing the Lakers close in a 2-1 decision early in December.
True, Skaneateles had won the second meeting 7-0, but wouldn’t be a shutout here as Joe Dotterer, off passes from Kyle Binsack and Kyle Gaffney, got CBA/J-D on the board in the first period to answer a goal by Garrett Krieger. And the Brothers had many other chances, too, taking 11 shots overall in that opening frame.
It remained 1-1 until the second , when Luke Renaud broke the tie and put the Lakers in front. From there, though, the Brothers’ defense did a tremendous job containing the potent Skaneateles attack, Joe Salvador turning away 26 of the 28 shots he faced.
What thwarted CBA/J-D’s attempt to pull back even, though, was its inability to apply much pressure in the Lakers’ end. Over the course of the last two periods, the Brothers managed just six shots, all turned away by Chad Lowe. Henry Major and Jack Torrey were credited with assists on the two goals.
Two days later, Skaneateles watched as Cortland-Homer routed Whitesboro 8-1 in the other semifinal, setting up next Monday’s title game at the Upstate Medical University Arena between the Lakers and Golden Eagles. Skaneateles won both regular-season meetings by 5-2 and 6-3 margins.
