Through the first half of the Section III ice hockey regular season, teams and schools had managed to avoid, for the most part, the need to reschedule games around winter weather, since little snow had fallen.
That started to change last Wednesday, when CBA/Jamesville-DeWitt saw its home battle with Auburn at Onondaga Nation Arena snowed out. It kept the Brothers from a chance to rebound from a tough 4-3 defeat to state Division I top-ranked Syracuse in the Jan. 9 finals of the Cicero-North Syracuse Optimist Tournament.
Things had cleared out, though, by the time CBA/J-D ventured to Morrisville State IcePlex to face Cazenovia on Saturday afternoon, where it led by two goals going to the third period, but could not hang on and lost in overtime to the Lakers in another 4-3 decision.
Tied 1-1 through one period, CBA/J-D appeared to take control when it found the net twice in the second period to go in front, 3-1, but Cazenovia had shown it could rally before, making a big comeback to win at Auburn on Dec. 18, and did so again here.
Just 4:02 into the third period, the Lakers pulled within one on Colin McGaugh’s goal. Then it kept attacking and, with 6:11 left in regulation, Jake Stowell fit a shot past CBA/J-D goalie Peyton Bowler to tie it, 3-3.
It stayed that way until overtime, when the Lakers, flush with all of the momentum attacked again. It culminated when Cole Willard, taking a pass from Nate Morgan, beat Bowler to fit in the game-winner.
Not having to worry about the weather yet, Fayetteville-Manlius did get in last Tuesday’s game against Liverpool at Lysander Arena, where it took a 4-2 defeat to the Warriors.
These two sides traded goals in the first period, but Liverpool inched in front by nabbing the only goal of the second period. Then it held on late, overcoming 24 saves by F-M goaltender Brandon Heyman.
Trevor Pokines and Zack Wisby earned the Hornets’ goals. Tommy Ryu, Garrett Zogby, Karl Farber and Ben Hammonds had one assist apiece. Liverpool had four different players – Bobby Welch, Riley Thompson, Tom Bianchi and Nick Northrup – earn its four goals, with Kyle Terzini getting two assists and goalie Steve Kozikoski earning 21 saves.
Back at Cicero Twin Rinks on Friday night, F-M hosted Fulton, and though it proved close, again the Hornets were on the wrong end of it, surrendering a late lead in a 3-2 defeat to the Red Raiders.
Pokines and Ryu both found the net, and assisted on each other’s goals, helping F-M grab a 2-1 edge through two periods as Will Healy also earned an assist. Fulton, unfazed by this, rallied in the last period, overcoming Heyman’s 22 saves as Rocco Cannatta led the Red Raiders comeback, finishing with two goals and one assist.
F-M (3-10-1) would have to go to Shove Park Wednesday to face 12-1 West Genesee, its only action before a Jan. 29 trip to Kennedy Arena to face Rome Free Academy. CBA/J-D would host Whitesboro Wednesday at Onondaga Nation Arena and stay in Nedrow on Friday for a game against Clinton.
