CENTRAL NEW YORK – At least to this point, any Division II ice hockey team that has tried to challenge Skaneateles has found itself turned back, often in an emphatic and comprehensive manner.
This was again the case last Monday night at Crisafulli Rink – “The Fort”, as it’s often called – where Oswego took its turn against the Lakers and was kept off the board, Skaneateles prevailing by a 5-0 margin over the Buccaneers.
Oswego did have a 9-5 overall record and was third in the league standings behind Skaneateles and New Hartford, but here it found out just how big the gap was between itself and the state no. 2-ranked Lakers.
Steady and consistent, Skaneateles scored twice in each of the first two periods, built a 4-0 advantage and peppered the net, forcing Bucs goalies Mason Kurilovitch and Tanner Palmiteso to make 42 saves between them.
Not only did the attack produce, it spread things around, no one finishing with more than two points as Andrew Gaglione, Luke Mizro and Jack Torrey each had one goal and one assist, Jack Bobbett and Cullen Heintz both adding two assists.
Trevor Jensen and Luke Marquardt made it five different Skaneateles goal-scorers, with single assists going to Casey Morrissey, Cole Palmer and Kaden Rutledge.
At Meachem Rink three nights later, it was Syracuse challenging Skaneateles, but just like Oswego the Cougars could not get on the board against the Lakers, who prevailed this time by a 3-0 margin.
Scoring twice in the opening period, the Lakers quickly seized control with Palmer and Jack Marquardt at the forefront, both of them getting a goal and assisting on the other two as Torrey also found the net.
Once again, Skaneateles largely spent the night in Syracuse’s end, forcing goalie Conor Rose to make 37 saves to keep it closer. Danny Angelina only had to face 14 shots and stopped them all as Bobbett and Sean Kerwick earned single assists.
Meanwhile, West Genesee sat at no. 6 in the state Division I rankings heading into last Tuesday’s game against Mohawk Valley at the Nexus Center in Utica, which proved yet another close Wildcats victory, this one by a 4-3 margin.
Off for more than a week, the Wildcats were not rusty on offense, jumping out 3-0 in the first period led by Jonah Vormwold, who scored once and assisted on the other three goals, one each by Jacob Pensabene, Luke Alfieri and Nick Meluni.
The Jugglers battled back, especially in the third period to pull within one, but WG held on with puck possession as it limited Mohawk Valley to just 14 shots all night. Christian Ball had two assists, with Pensabene and Evan Zoanetti getting single assists.
Going to Ithaca two nights later, the Wildcats prevailed 2-1 in overtime, the seventh time this season (and fifth in a row) where WG found itself in a game decided by a single goal.
Luke Beck and Jesse Desena would ultimately save WG here. Attacked hard all night, the Wildcats only stayed in the game because Beck stopped 44 of the Little Red’s 45 shots.
And it was Desena both netting the only goal in regulation and then, in OT, putting home the game-winner, with each of those goals assisted by Matt Schneid as Jackson Pensabene and Jacob Pensabene both earned assists, too.
Back home at Shove Park on Saturday, WG finally broke the string of nail-biters and routed Ontario Bay 8-0, with seven different players earning goals and only Vormwold converting twice, adding an assist. Meluni had one goal and one assist, with Desena, Schneid, Jacob Pensabene, Jack Werbeck and Angelo Caruso also finding the net.
The win improved the Wildcats’ mark to 13-3-1 overall in advance of Tuesday’s first-place Division I showdown with Rome Free Academy.
