Now the busy portion of the Skaneateles girls ice hockey team’s season began, with the Lakers continuing to show why it is it the class program in the area.
Hosting Ithaca last Wednesday night at Austin Park Pavilion, the Lakers were patient and tough on the defensive end, both key factors in a 3-0 shutout over the Little Red.
Right from the opening face-off, Skaneateles controlled the game’s tempo, showing little effect from an 11-day layoff that followed its season-opening 3-2 win over Albany Academy on Nov. 22.
That pressure paid off midway through the first period when Grace Schnorr broke up the middle of the ice and put in a shot that Ithaca goalie Devin Baylor stopped – but the puck went loose, and Sophie Kush converted the rebound for the game’s first goal.
It would stay 1-0 for a while. Each side had power plays in the second period, but could not convert them, and the Lakers had a shot ring off the goalpost, too.
Then Claire Michel took over the game in the third period. With 9:58 left, she made her way to the boards and, when she appeared to be pinned by a defender, Michel passed it to the front of the net, where Paige Postalwait flung the puck past Baylor to make it 2-0.
Michel and the rest of the Lakers’ defenders made sure that lead held up, despite two late power-play attempts for the Little Red, as goalie Maria McLean stopped all 17 shots she faced.
Just when the second penalty was expiring, with 1:29 to play, Allison Weiss took advantage of a turnover and passed it a streaking Michel, who went with her shot over Baylor’s right shoulder for the night’s final goal.
The Lakers’ first road trip of the season followed, a Friday-night trip to St. Lawrence, where Skaneateles earned its second consecutive shutout, this time prevailing by a 2-0 margin.
Following a scoreless first period, the Lakers broke through in the second period, getting both of its goals as Abbie Kuhns and Caroline McGuigan found the net and Michel and Weiss were credited with assists. A stifling defense did the rest, as Kathryn Lindgren, taking a turn in goal, only had to make five saves all night.
With the postponement of Saturday’s game at Canton, the Lakers return home and play just once this week, hosting Alexandria Bay Thursday at Austin Park Pavilion.
Meanwhile, in its only action last week, the Skaneateles boys ice hockey team went to the Rochester area on Friday and shut out Webster Thomas 2-0.
What the Lakers showed, in its romp through the season-opening Queensbury Tournament on Nov. 28-29, was that its attack could take over a contest, as evidenced by the 15 goals scored in a pair of lopsided wins.
But that’s not the only way to win on the frozen pond, as the Lakers demonstrated against Webster Thomas.
In a game that promised to be physical and hard-nosed, Skaneateles met that challenge and, just as importantly, earned both of its goals in the first period to seize early control.
Owen Kuhns and Raymond Falso found the net, with assists credited to Patrick Major and Devin Callahan. From there, it turned into a long stalemate, which was just what the Lakers wanted.
A relentless rotation of Skaneateles defenders kept Webster Thomas from getting too many chances, and goalies Kyle Ochsner and Jarrett McDonald stopped all 23 Titans shots between them.
The Lakers have its home opener Tuesday at Allyn Arena against Cortland-Homer before paying a visit to Whitesboro on Friday night. These serve as preludes to two big games the following week against the last two sectional champions – CBA/Jamesville-DeWitt on Dec. 17 at home and Auburn on Dec. 19 at Casey Park.
