Through three Division II West games, the Skaneateles boys ice hockey team was unbeaten, deftly mixing in a potent goal-scoring attack with a defense that could put up fierce resistance whenever it was necessary.
But the Lakers got tripped up in Thursday night’s trip to Fulton, unable to get much going past the first period of a 2-1 loss to the Red Raiders.
Fulton, just 6-18 (and 4-12 in league play) a season ago, was 2-2-1 this winter, and showed Skaneateles just how much it had improved.
They traded goals in the first period — Packy Jones scoring for the Lakers off a feed from Sean Cooney, Trevor Littler converting for the Red Raiders.
And it would stay 1-1 for a while. Skaneateles constantly flew into the Fulton end and had chances to pull in front, but Red Raiders goaltender Kara Pafumi turned them all away as he finished with 41 saves on the night.
For his part, Laker goalie Ethan Kupp was also stingy, stopping 29 of the 31 shots he faced. Kupp only got beat once after that first period — when, with 10 minutes left in regulation, Steve Seguin took a pass from Littler and put home what proved to be the game-winner.
