Even in defeat, the Fayetteville-Manlius ice hockey team is learning that it is not far from reaching the elite level.
The Hornets led into the third period of last Tuesday’s Division I first-place showdown with defending champion West Genesee at Cicero Twin Rinks, only to see that lead get away in a 2-1 loss to the Wildcats.
F-M had taken its first loss of the season, 4-2, to Cortland/Homer on Dec. 30, just days before WG fell 3-1 to Gates-Chili three days into the new year. Both sides were eager to avoid two-game skids.
They played through a scoreless first period. F-M, like all other previous foes, found out just how much the Wildcats’ defense could snatch away scoring chances.
Still, in the second period, Matt Esposito got loose and, unassisted, put a shot past Evan Mazzoni, giving F-M a 1-0 lead that held for a while.
Going into the final period, the Hornets were still ahead — but it didn’t last. Less than a minute into the third, Casey Schattner beat Mike Poppleton for the tying goal, and Erich Haney’s tally midway through the period put WG in front.
For the night, Poppleton was sensational, earning 31 saves, but the Hornets paid enough of a price for keeping him under pressure. F-M managed just 14 shots all night.
On Thursday night, the Hornets face Cicero-North Syracuse at the Twin Rinks facility the two teams share.