A long time has passed since the West Genesee ice hockey team has allowed a goal – to be precise, since the third period of a 5-1 win at Cortland-Home on Jan. 18.
Since then, no one has put the puck in the net against the Wildcats, a trend that carried on last Tuesday night at Shove Park as one big period led to the team’s fifth straight shutout, 3-0, over Ontario Bay.
In many ways, the Storm succeeded in containing the high-powered WG attack, holding them without a goal in the first and third periods, a direct result of Ontario Bay netminder Justin Geddings turning back 35 shots.
However, in the second period the Wildcats beat Geddings three times for its winning margin. Forwards Nick Holzhauer and Shawn Lynch found the net, as did defenseman R.J. Tinklepaugh, while Robbie Michel, John Sabert and Matt Schattner earned assists.
Just as importantly, the back line of Tinklepaugh, Michel, Schattner and Cody Ryan continued to slam shut any opposing attack, holding the Storm to a mere seven shots.
WG’s most one-sided result of the season occurred Thursday at Utica Memorial Auditorium as, in a sixth straight shutout, the Wildcats prevailed 13-0.
A six-goal first period set the tone for a night where WG saw 14 different players earn a point by the time it was done.
Josh Duquette had the only hat trick, his three goals and one assist topped, points-wise, by Holzhauer as he got a goal and four assists. Ryan had two goals and two assists.
Lynch and Tommy Hanley also found the net twice as Travis Wager posted a goal and three assists. Ryan LaVallee and Matt Skrupa chipped in with goals, while Schattner picked up three assists and Michel added two assists. Tinklepaugh, Jimmy Sauda, Jason Keyes and Jake Telpen all earned assists, too.
Solvay, with a chance to move up the Division I ladder, did so last Tuesday night at State Fair Coliseum with a big 7-4 victory over Baldwinsville.
The Bearcats trailed, 2-1, when its offense really came to life in the second period, scoring four times as it claimed a 5-3 lead. After the Bees moved within 5-4 in the final period, Solvay tacked on a pair of insurance tallies.
Tom Missert and Mike Sniffen both had two goals and one assist, with Will Downs also finding the net twice. Ben Carock had the other goal as Carmen Gacek and Alex Tripp both recorded three assists. David Graf had two assists and Tyler O’Mara one assists as Ryan Bonk finished with 31 saves.
But Solvay had a letdown Thursday, falling to Ontario Bay 2-1. The Bearcats did not get on the board until Missert, off a feed from O’Mara, beat Storm goalie Justin Geddings in the third period.
Geddings turned away everything else, though, making 33 saves, nearly twice Bonk’s total as Ontario Bay used goals by Ben Englebrecht and Ben Markle to finish on top.
As Solvay (7-5-3) plays four times in the last week of the regular season (against Rome Free Academy, Utica Proctor, Corcoran and Cortland-Homer) to determine its post-season fate, West Genesee (15-2-2) honors its seniors next Wednesday as it hosts second-place Cicero-North Syracuse.
