SKANEATELES – Having shown it could recover from a rare defeat, the Skaneateles boys ice hockey team returned to its usual path of area Division II destruction, though it took nearly a week to do so.
A key game at Oswego last Tuesday was postponed and rescheduled for Jan. 22, but things had cleared up for the Lakers, who had fallen to no. 3 in the state rankings, to face Cortland-Homer two nights later at Allyn Arena.
Just as it did in an 11-0 shutout at Cortlnad-Homer on Dec. 7, Skaneateles kept the Golden Eagles off the board, prevailing 7-0 as it stayed patient through the early stages and peaked with a four-goal third period.
Andrew Falkenberg got three assists, with Jack Torrey and Sean Kerwick each earning two assists. Only Trevor Jensen scored twice, with single goals going to Luke Mizro, Casey Morrissey, Tye Kennedy, Braedan Taggart and Kaden Rutledge, with Noah Testa, Cullen Heintz and Andrew Gaglione joining Morrisey and Taggert in the assist column.
All this followed the Duke Schneider Memorial Tournament where Skaneateles did absorb that initial defeat to Pelham 3-2, but then recovered a day later to defeat Baldwinsville 4-1.
It was Skaneateles against Pelham, just as it was in Buffalo last March when the Lakers beat the Pelicans 4-1 in the state finals.
Only this time, it was Pelham who emerged victorious, getting out in front in the third period after both sides had scored twice in the opening period and neither side converted in the second.
During the Lakers’ early flurry, Rutledge earned a goal and assisted on Torrey’s tally. Assists also went to Marquardt, Taggart and Luke Bobbett. In goal, Danny Angelina recorded 21 saves.
Weather concerns rearranged the schedule of Saturday’s games, bringing the two local sides together as Skaneateles looked to bounce back against Baldwinsville – and did so.
In a 4-1 victory over the Bees, the Lakers went back to its trademark puck control, leading 1-0 through one period and 3-0 through two periods before B’ville finally got on the board in the third with Dan Hinman’s goal.
Four different Skaneateles players – Marquardt, Morrissey, Mizro and Gaglione – found the net. Gaglione also had an assist, with Kerwick getting two assists. Bobbett, Torrey, Jensen and Cole Palmer also had assists, overcoming 28 saves by Bees goalie Zach Bice.
At home all this week, the Lakers would take on CBA/Jamesville-DeWitt Tuesday and, two nights later, meets Auburn.
