Now the next chapter in the Fayetteville-Manlius ice hockey saga is underway, with no guarantee that it will come close to matching the extremes experienced by Hornets fans a season ago.

What was a strong regular season that was going to culminate in a first-round Section III Division I home playoff game at Cicero Twin Rinks turned, instead, into a stunning ouster when it was found that the Hornets had played one more game than the regular-season maximum of 20 laid out by both the section and New York State Public High School Athletic Association.

So, instead of a serious push for the program’s first-ever sectional title, the Hornets sat out the playoffs, and head coach Sean Brown stepped down.

As that went on, the Central Square program dissolved, and remaining players moved to F-M (they both had home games at the Twin Rinks), as did players from East Syracuse-Minoa and Bishop Grimes.

Josh Becker, who assisted Brown the last two seasons, takes over as head coach, inheriting a roster that includes the players from Central Square, ESM and Grimes, but is missing the likes of Trevor Chase (a first-team All-League selection last winter), Ryan Amidon (second-team selection), Tom Doucet and Matt McDonough, among others.

Also, the Division I leagues were revamped. Instead of East and West division, there’s the American Conference, which includes F-M, five-time defending champion West Genesee, Watertown IHC, Fulton and the Syracuse Cougars. Rome Free Academy, Baldwinsville, Cicero-North Syracuse, Liverpool and Mohawk Valley (formerly Utica Proctor) are in the National Conference.

With everything settled down, F-M went to work last Wednesday night in its season opener against Fulton, managing a 3-3 tie with the Red Raiders.

This game went back and forth all night. Each time one team scored, the other would answer, so it was 1-1 through one period, 2-2 through two periods and even again after an exchange of third-period goals before an overtime period where neither side could win it.

One of the F-M newcomers, Daren Dunnewold, scored twice, each of them assisted by Mateo Capriotti, who earned the other goal. Ryan Daly also had an assist. Ben Napierala, who returns in goal, made 27 saves.

As F-M rested before resuming action this Saturday against Ithaca, CBA/Jamesville-DeWitt, fresh off a split in a pair of Buffalo-area games on Nov. 29 and 30, started Division II American Conference play still without its goaltender, Tim Decker, in the lineup as he recovers from knee surgery.

The Brothers played Whitesboro to a 2-2 tie in last Tuesday night’s home opener at Onondaga Nation Arena, rallying from a 2-1 deficit to tie it in the third period and salvage a point.

Ryan Durkin scored one goal and assisted on the other, by Ryan McKee. Kane Alletzhauser and Sam Mueller also got assists as CBA took 10 more shots than Whitesboro, but couldn’t get much past Warriors goalie Tim Evans, who made 29 saves.

In Friday night’s game at Cortland-Homer, the Brothers looked to be in position for its first league win, only to squander a lead late in regulation and settle for yet another tie, this one 3-3.

They were even, 1-1, when CBA/J-D scored twice in the second period to grab a 3-1 lead. Lucas Relkin led this charge, scoring twice as Jed Raby notched the other goal. Kane Alletzhauser picked up an assist.

And yet none of this proved enough, as Cortland-Homer got back even in the third period before, again, the OT produced a stalemate. Ryan Bradford, continuing to play in goal while Decker recuperates, made 11 saves, but Golden Eagles goalie Tyler Wallace had 25 saves to keep his side close.

CBA/J-D returned to the win column Saturday, at Nedrow, where it prevailed 4-1 over a Salmon River side that had tied Skaneateles 3-3 the night before. And much of the damage was rendered in the first period, when the Brothers roared out to a 3-1 lead on the Shamrocks.

Pete Dziergas stepped up, getting a pair of goals, while Braeden Doust earned a pair of assists. Sam Mueller and Ryan McGuire also scored as Raby and Gavin Gray earned single assists. Peyton Bowler, taking his turn in the net, stopped 14 of Salmon River’s 15 shots.

Among CBA/J-D’s games this week is a visit to Onondaga Nation Arena from John Jay-Cross River the team the Brothers beat in the state Division II final a year ago. An Alumni Game will precede the 7:30 faceoff, as CBA/J-D also visits Auburn on Wednesday night.