In order to hang on to its Division II lead, the Skaneateles ice hockey team had to cool off the league’s hottest entry – and did so.
The Lakers scored a pair of third period goals to topple CBA-Jamesville-Dewitt, 3-1, Tuesday night at Onondaga Nation Arena in Nedrow.
The first place Lakers (12-1-2 overall, 9-1-1 league) ended the Brothers seven-game win streak. CBA/J-D fell to 8-7, though it was the Brothers’ first defeat since Dec. 11.
Taylor Haberstock scored the eventual game-winner 3:01 into the final period. Haberstock took Patrick Major’s pass and tipped the puck toward Brothers goalie Tim Decker.
No one was sure if it slipped over the goal line because Decker covered it. All eyes looked to the referee who signaled it was a goal. CBA/JD coach Mike McKie disagreed.
“I never saw it go in the net,” McKie said. “I saw our goalie sitting on it. (The referee) said it was a goal so that’s the way it goes. We don’t think it was.”
The Brothers pushed hard for an equalizer, but couldn’t push one past Lakers goalie Ethan Kupp, who finished with 16 saves.
“Ethan was focused. I saw it in warm-ups,” Skaneateles coach Mitch Major said. “I knew he was going to have a big game.”
Kupp and the Lakers’ defenders held firm until the visitors got some insurance when Connor Hill sent the puck into the empty net with 42.7 seconds left.
After a scoreless first period, the teams split a pair of second period goals. Both were scored on Laker power plays.
Skaneateles opened the scoring at the 1:48 mark. Owen Kuhns sent a waist high shot from the right side that Jake Cooney tipped past Decker.
CBA/J-D responded at the 6:17 mark. Scott Firman and Ryan Durkin broke out of the Skaneateles zone short-handed, beat a Lakers defender, and bore down on Kupp. Firman got the goal, batting the bouncing puck over Kupp.
Major knew his team survived a stern test.
“That’s a big win,” Major said. “(CBA/J-D) is a very good team. Things didn’t go their way at the beginning of the year. They’re hitting their stride right now and they’re going to have a good end to the season. So for us to get that out of the way was huge.”
“It was tough to take, but it’s part of the game,” McKie said. “We had plenty of opportunities. We found some things we need to work on against (Skaneateles).”
CBA/J-D returns to action quicker than the Lakers, going to New Hartford on Friday for a 6:30 p.m. faceoff. Skaneateles is off until next Tuesday when it hosts Cazenovia at Allyn Arena in advance of a critical Jan. 25 home game against Oswego.
