The season-long rise of the Syracuse Cougars ice hockey team, from loads of promise to a league title and a no. 4 state ranking, could reach its defining moment next week, one way or another.
First, the Cougars will take on Rome Free Academy in the Section III Division I semifinals at Meachem Rink. A win there, and Syracuse makes the much-anticipated trip to Utica Memorial Auditorium on Feb. 28 at 3:15 to go for the sectional championship.
Before all this, the Cougars first had to navigate its way through Thursday night’s opening-round playoff clash with Cicero-North Syracuse. Not taking it lightly, Syracuse turned to a deep, well-balanced attack and roared to a 9-2 victory over the Northstars.
These same two teams had met 10 days earlier, on Feb. 9, with Syracuse easily prevailing 10-2 at Cicero Twin Rinks. Back home, the trick for the Cougars was to stay on task and expect C-NS to play better in the rematch.
And the Northstars did get on the board in each of the first two periods, thanks to goals by Sutter Donegan and Matt Siegel, who assisted on each other’s scoring plays.
But Syracuse still seized control thanks to a relentless attack that built up a 3-1 lead through one period and a 5-2 lead going into the third period before it closed with four straight goals.
Nick Matro set up everything, earning a career-best five assists and spreading it around to seven different goal-scorers, including Sean Eccles and Colby Skrupa, who each scored twice.
Matt Eccles, Liam Barry, Collin Thompson, Ryan Eccles and Matt Frye each had one goal. Each of the Eccles brothers got one assist, as did Barry, while Dan Hodgens, Andrew Hodgens and Bryan O’Mara also reached the assist column.
Now Syracuse could turn its attention to RFA, who shut out Fulton 4-0 in its opening-round game Thursday at Kennedy Arena. These teams met Jan. 9 at Meachem and the Cougars won 4-2, but their second encounter means a whole lot more.
