Once in a while, a team in ice hockey can have most of the possession and most of the scoring chances, and not have that fact reflected in the final result.
Such was the case for Cicero-North Syracuse in last Tuesday night’s game at Fulton. Despite an 0-11-1 record, the Red Raiders played its best game of the season and stunned the Northstars 2-0.
As it expected to do, C-NS spent lots of time in Fulton’s end, controlling the puck and waiting for opportunities. Plenty of them would happen, but each of the Northstars’ 34 shots got stopped by Red Raiders goaltender Jadon Lee.
Inspired by Lee’s work, Fulton sneaked in front in the first period and maintained that slim 1-0 margin until converting an insurance goal in the third period. Derek Schumacher and Eric Shear had those goals as Joe Galvagno had an assist, overcoming 15 saves by Jack Doren.
C-NS fell to 7-5-3 on the season and braced for back-to-back games against CBA/Jamesville-DeWitt on the weekend. The first game, at Onondaga Nation Arena, was a close, low-scoring affair, with the Northstars falling to the Brothers 2-1.
Jacob DenBleyker’s goal in the first period, assisted by Josh Matyasik and Matt Cramer, got C-NS in front, but from there CBA/J-D’s back line ruled the way, limiting the Northstars to 13 shots overall.
Given time to operate and plenty of chances to catch up, the Brothers did so during the second period as Tanner Burns and Bailey Doust earned goals.
Doren stopped everything else and gained 29 saves overall, but the CBA/J-D defense maintained that slim one-goal margin the rest of the way, and was a central figure again when, at the War Memorial the next afternoon, the Brothers pulled out another close decision over C-NS, this time 3-2.
This game would go back and forth, with the Brothers trailing 1-0 before Dotterer tied it late in the first period and Tanner Burns converted in the second period to give his side a 2-1 edge.
So the score was the same as the night before as it entered the third period. This time, C-NS would tie it up before Coleman put CBA/J-D back in front to stay.
Liverpool was facing its own struggles, stuck with a 3-9 record, when it hosted Cazenovia last Tuesday night at Lysander Arena, but the Warriors did enough on this night to gain a 5-4 overtime victory over the Lakers on Senior Night.
A strong second period helped Liverpool overcome a slow start and grab a 3-2 lead. Cazenovia rallied to tie it, only to have the Warriors break that 4-4 logjam when it scored in the five-minute extra period.
Marco Palumbo put in the first goal of his Liverpool career, one of five different Warriors to find the net. Bobby Welch had a goal and three assists, with Jack Irwin getting a goal and two assists.
John Coggiola and Connor Boland both gained one goal and one assist, with Carson Ferguson adding two assists. Dylan Husted tacked on an assist as Gavin Buza, in goal, stopped 36 of the 40 shots he faced.
Going to Clinton two nights later, Liverpool suffered a 7-4 defeat, its defense blitzed in the first period as Clinton sprinted out to a 5-2 lead.
During the second period, Liverpool closed the gap to 5-4 as Welch picked up a hat trick, with Boland getting the other goal as Ferguson earned three assists and Cory Grinnals added an assist.
Clinton got away in the third period, though, having seven different players score its seven goals as Garrett Frank, Jeremy Hearn, Zane Monaghan and Nolan Provost also picked up assists.
Liverpool’s record fell to to 4-10 overall as it would meet two state-ranked sides, Syracuse and Baldwinsville, this week at Lysander. At7-7-3, C-NS would host Baldwinsville Tuesday at the Twin Rinks.
