Thanks to its own strong play and some help from others, the Fayetteville-Manlius ice hockey team has given itself a chance to host at least one Section III Division I playoff game.
Ever since a competitive Jan. 23 defeat to reigning state Division II champion Skaneateles, the Hornets have taken off, building a five-game win streak.
That fourth win in a row arrived last Tuesday and may have proved the most important of the group as F-M defeated Rome Free Academy 3-1 at Cicero Twin Rinks.
Entering the game, the Black Knights were 4-2-3 in league play and had a chance to move up the standings. And RFA did get on the board in the first period thanks to Kyle Lubey’s goal.
From there, though, the Hornets shut down the Black Knights, Konrad Walburger doing a terrific job in the net as he amassed 23 saves and watched as F-M converted once in each of the last two periods.
Ben Hammond had two of those goals, while Will Duncanson also found the net. Spencer Sasenbury recorded a pair of assist and Josh Kuchinski added an assist.
The Hornets went for five in a row Thursday against Cazenovia at the Morrisville State IcePlex and got it, keeping the Lakers off the scoreboard in a 4-0 shutout.
CBA/Jamesville-DeWitt was also in a battle for playoff position and helped itself last Tuesday by going north and handling Ontario Bay 7-1.
Leading a well-balanced Brothers attack, Seamus Nicholson had two goals and one assist, while Seamus McIntyre got a goal and two assists.
Justin Thies finished with one goal and one assist. Brockton Bowler, Donovan Watson and Finn Wheeler also found the net as John Greenwood and Isaiah Raby each got two assists. Single assists went to Kodi Dotterer and Tanner Burns.
Friday’s game with Ithaca was snowed out, so CBA/J-D will make up that game this Thursday, two days after another long bus ride north for a game against Watertown IHC.
F-M’s regular season concludes Tuesday against Baldwinsville, a game that could go a long way to determining the playoff seeding for both sides.
