It took a bit of extra effort, but the Cicero-North Syracuse ice hockey team now carries a 10-game win streak into Monday night’s showdown with four-time defending Section III Division I champion West Genesee at the Twin Rinks.
That win streak was threatened Saturday by the Syracuse Cougars in the championship game of the C-NS Optimist Tournament Saturday afternoon, but the state no. 7-ranked Northstars pulled it out, 6-5, on Matt Siegel’s overtime goal.
Against the very same Cougars team it routed 9-2 at Meachem Rink just three nights earlier, C-NS found the rematch a much more difficult task.
A fast-paced first period saw the Northstars go in front, 3-2, but it could not hold the lead. Syracuse fought back, tying it 4-4 by the time they reached the second intermission.
After a tense third-period exchange of goals, it went into overtime. By that point, Matt Fiume and Ben Cummings both had two goals, with Eric Hamilton adding one goal and one assist. Kyler Schilling contributed a pair of assists.
But it was Siegel emerging as the OT hero, flashing open and, after taking a pass from Chris Schneid, flinging the game-winner past Syracuse goalie Jim Albright.
For the game, Albright produced 35 saves, while C-NS goaltender Alex Johnston stopped 24 of the 29 shots he faced. Travis Hyde (two goals, one assist) and Pat Farrell (one goal, two assists) led a well-balanced Syracuse attack.
A day earlier, the Northstars had pummeled Greece 11-3 in the tournament’s opening round, led again by Hamilton, who poured in five goals on his way to securing tournament MVP honors.
Fiume, who like Siegel would make the All-Tournament team, recorded four assists. Siegel and Luke Keyes each got two goals and one assist, while Schneid and A.J. Merola also found the net. Devin Bronner, Ben Cummings, Connor Doren, Paul Ludden and Danny Rush also earned assists.
When the Northstars went to Meachem Rink for that first meeting with Syracuse, it put together a tremendous all-around effort.
A merger of the Corcoran and Solvay sides of seasons past, Syracuse had proven its toughness in recent weeks by stunning West Genesee 1-0 in overtime at Shove Park on Dec. 19 and, a week later, taking Rome Free Academy to OT at Kennedy Arena before falling 4-3.
None of this mattered to the Northstars, who needed just 3:24 to move in front as Farabee scored. Then Hamilton dealt a big blow when he notched back-to-back goals 42 seconds apart to make it 3-0.
Two more goals early in the second period made it 5-0 before Syracuse finally got on the board with Matt Thompson’s goal. That didn’t deter C-NS much, though, as Farabee answered a minute later, fed by Hamilton, to earn his third goal and a hat trick.
It was 7-1 going into the third period, and the Northstars would continue to add to the margin. Farabee would have two assists to go with his three goals, matching the point total of Hamilton, who had two goals and three assists.
Fiume, the third member of that line, scored twice and added a pair of assists. Keyes and Curtis Howland both scored, too, with Doren, Ludden and Schilling earning one assist apiece.
