For the second time in a six-day span, the Skaneateles girls ice hockey team got the best of its budding rivalry with Ithaca, part of a resounding finish to the regular season that has produced at least one more chance to play in front of the home folks.
Like their first encounter, a 1-0 victory on Jan. 18 at Austin Park Pavilion, the rematch at Cornell University’s Lyman Rink Wednesday night was close and low-scoring, but again the Lakers came out on top, getting past the Little Red 2-1 in last Wednesday night’s clash.
It was 0-0 until the second period, but this time both teams would score in that frame. Skaneateles did manage to break the 1-1 tie in the final period, and held on thanks to superb work from goaltender Amanda Lupo, who stopped 27 of the 28 shots she faced. Claire Michel and Riley Donahue put up the goals.
A weekend road trip to the north country followed, and here the Lakers’ attack flourished in a manner it had rarely been able to show this winter.
Skaneateles faced Saranac Lake on Friday night, and prevailed by a score of 4-1. Over the course of the first two periods, the Lakers steadily built a 2-0 edge, and doubled that total in the final period as Michel delivered her best performance yet.
By game’s end, Michel had a three-goal hat trick, and she assisted on the other goal, by Donahue. Allison Weiss, Morgan Matthews, Paige Postalwait and Meredith Frank each got credit for one assist. Saranac Lake did break up the shutout in the third period, though Lupo still had 11 saves.
In a closer contest on Saturday, Skaneateles edged past St. Lawrence 2-1, all the goals coming in the second period after a 0-0 deadlock in the opening frame.
Now it was Sophie Kush’s turn to seize the spotlight, scoring one Laker goal and assisting on Michel’s fourth tally of the weekend, which proved to be the game-winner. Madison Singler got the assist on the Kush tally.
Maria McLean took her turn in goal, giving Lupo a much-needed rest. Despite a string of St. Lawrence chances down the stretch, McLean turned them all back, stopping 19 of 20 shots for the day.
All of this leaves the Lakers (7-3-1) with the top Section III seed going into the state tournament, which means it will host Oswego Wednesday night at 7 p.m. in one sectional semifinal. Ithaca and Alexandria Bay meet in the other.
