Between a coaching milestone for Mitch Major and the latest chapter in its most intense rivalry, plenty was at hand for the Skaneateles boys ice hockey team within a48-hour span.
At the end of it was Thursday night’s clash between the state Division II no. 8-ranked Lakers and no. 2-ranked Auburn, a game where Skaneateles, once it seized the momentum, never let go of it and pulled away to beat the Maroons 5-1.
These same teams had met two months earlier, on Nov. 23, in the season opener. Auburn won that meeting 6-5, but that was at Casey Park, and the Lakers roster was at far from full strength with several players still finishing their state championship football run.
Now it was at a jam-packed Allyn Arena, and both sides had all of their key players on hand, which would ultimately benefit the Lakers, though not in the first period.
Auburn killed off a Skaneateles power play and then, just 2:33 into the game, went up 1-0 when Jake Morin’s shot clanged off the post and behind Lakers goaltender Chris Falso.
That was all that Falso would allow, as he recorded eight of his eventual 27 saves in that opening period, not letting the Maroons build upon its early margin. Soon enough, that margin would vanish.
Luke Lynn turned the game in the Lakers’ favor. Just 10 seconds into the second period, his shot eluded Auburn goalie Jack Kalabanka and trickled across the goal line. Less than two minutes later, Lynn converted again, and the Lakers led for good.
For the rest of the period, Auburn kept it 2-1, but would ultimately pay a steep price for Aidan Hastings’ four-minute boarding penalty that would spill over into the third period.
Still on that power play, Skaneateles would get another quick conversion a mere 11 seconds into the third period, Ryan Gick scoring on a deflection. Barely a minute passed before Matt Leveroni made it 4-1 on a screen shot that Kalabanka never saw until it was in the net.
Nothing more was needed, but Charlie Russell tacked on a last-minute goal as, throughout the night, Bauer Morrissey provided help through his three assists. Lynn, Gick, Leveroni, Jimmy Liberatore and Colin Weeks had one assist apiece.
Two nights earlier, Skaneateles hosted Oswego and gave Major his 300th victory as head coach, riding a big second period to a 6-2 win over the Buccaneers.
Since taking over as head coach in 2000, Major, a captain on the Lakers’ state championship team of 1989, has added a pair of sectional titles along with another state championship earned in 2015.
Things started quickly with Leveroni’s goal 1:50 into the game, but Oswego blanked Skaneateles for the rest of the first period.
Then, nine seconds into the second period, Weeks scored off a feed from Gick. Liberatore converted three minutes later when he put in the rebound of his own shot off the post.
Morrissey used two goals a minute apart to make it 5-0, one on a breakaway, the other on a slap shot from the right point. This surge all but decided matters, though Gick added a third-period goal, assisted by Lynn.
That was one of a career-best four assists that Lynn earned on this night. Gick had three assists as Leveroni, Russell and Owen Van Holtz also got assists.
Skaneateles had no time to rest after the Auburn game, traveling to Fulton for a non-league test on Friday, but the Lakers handled it, leaning on Gick as it defeated the Red Raiders 6-2.
Twice in the first 10 minutes, Gick scored to put his team in front 2-0. By the second period, Gick had a hat trick and it was 4-0, and though Fulton got goals from Derek Schumaker and Joe Galvagno to cut the margin in half, the Lakers restored its cushion by night’s end.
All told, Gick had four goals, with Lynn gaining three more assists as he and Tom Coyne had one goal apiece. Weeks got two assists as single assists went to Leveroni, Morrissey, Charlie Major and Jack Henry.
Another big Division II game is in store for Skaneateles when it hosts Whitesboro Friday. The two leaders in the Division II American Conference met Jan. 2 at Whitestown Community Center and the Lakers prevailed 4-2 in that encounter.
