Still in the hunt to get a Division I playoff home game, the Fayetteville-Manlius ice hockey team made a dramatic comeback to keep its momentum going after a tie with West Genesee on Feb. 3.
Meeting Cicero-North Syracuse Friday night at the Cicero Twin Rinks venue they share, the Hornets needed overtime to beat the Northstars 3-2.
Thanks to goals by Brad Monroe and Aaron Hildreth, CNS had a 2-1 lead through two periods, with only Ronnie Caputo’s goal preventing the Hornets from further trouble.
Early in the third period, though, Matt Esposito, bottled up for nearly two games, finally got back in the scoring column, feeding Kent for the game-tying goal.
It remained 2-2 through the rest of regulation, and much of overtime. Just 57 seconds before the clock ran out, Esposito, off a pass from Caputo, slid a shot past Northstars goalie Joe Feldman to win it. Prior to that, Feldman had recorded 38 saves. Poppleton stopped 21 of the 23 shots he faced.
Staying at the Twin Rinks Tuesday night, F-M would host Baldwinsville, with the winner possibly getting that home playoff game. The Hornets also host Liverpool on Thursday night.
