So much for the need to tune up and spend inordinate amounts of time fine-tuning the game until all was ready.
Not even two weeks after getting its full roster together, the Skaneateles ice hockey team ventured east and began its championship quest in 2012-13 with a first-place trophy earned at the Queensbury Tournament over the Thanksgiving Day weekend.
From a hockey standpoint, Skaneateles has a lot to motivate itself this winter, much of it stemming from last February’s defeat to eventual state finalist Oswego in the Section III Division II title game at Utica Auditorium.
Just six seniors departed from that squad, but that included star goaltender Trevor Diamond, along with key contributors like Brendan Major and Jon Rogalia.
So head coach Mitch Major did not have major roster turnover, but he was clearly curious in how the new goalie, senior Ethan Kupp (who waited his turn behind Diamond), would fare as the new no. 1 man in the net.
The hard part in starting the season so early, at least in theory, was that two key players, Jake Cooney and Connor Hill, had to go right from key roles on the sectional championship football team (the season ended Nov. 10) to the ice.
As it turned out, Cooney and Hill didn’t need much of a warm-up, and Kupp was in top form right from the start in the opening round Friday at Queensbury, where the Lakers blanked Glens Falls 4-0 as Kupp stopped all 13 shots he faced.
Scoring in each period, including a pair of second-half tallies, Skaneateles spread the production around. Cooney started quickly, with one goal and one assist, while Owen Kuhns, Tom Bronk and Ray Falso also found the net. Hill joined Cooney, Taylor Haberstock, Patrick Major and Tyler Stanton in the assist column.
Now the Lakers met host Queensbury in Saturday’s final, and fell behind early. But a big second period, fueled by Cooney, was enough to give Skaneateles a 3-2 victory.
Though it trailed 1-0 in the first intermission, the Lakers kept calm, and in the second 15 minutes got to Queensbury for all three of its goals to roar in front 3-1.
Cooney had a part in each of the scoring plays, getting goal and assisting on tallies by Hill and Mitchell Jones, with Sam Clymer joining Jones with one assist apiece.
Protecting that 3-1 lead in the third period, the Lakers gave up a goal, but held on behind Kupp and his 12 overall saves.
League play for Skaneateles commences with Wednesday night’s home opener against Fulton at Allyn Arena, followed by a Friday-night trip to Whitesboro.
