With little time to fret following its defeat to Fairport in the Dec. 6 finals of the Wildcat Classic, the West Genesee ice hockey team intended to go back to its normal behavior of beating nearly everyone in its path, but that only worked for one game before the struggles returned in back-to-back weekend defeats.
Fulton brought a 2-1 record to Shove Park for last Tuesday night’s Division I American Conference opener, but the Wildcats were not cowed by it, controlling matters from start to finish in a 6-0 shutout of the Red Raiders.
A pair of first-period goals helped WG seize control. Then it patiently wore Fulton down until, up 3-0, it doubled its margin in the third period, taking 35 shots overall.
Grainger Sasso led the way, getting a three-goal hat trick, the first of his Wildcats career. Ryan McDonald and Chris Peer each got two assists as David Procopio, Steve Anderson and Pat McDonald earned single goals. Ethan Smith, Jay Considine, Marshall Winn and Garrett Schnorr picked up one assist apiece.
In a non-league game Friday night, WG hosted Scarsdale (Section I), a side it may have easily handled in seasons past – but not here, as the normally stout Wildcats defense never got together in a 5-3 defeat to the Raiders.
Scarsdale would build its margin by gaining a 4-2 lead through two periods, taking advantage of the scoring chance it attained and overcoming the work of Wildcats goaltender Nick Skidmore, who recorded 16 saves.
Battling to the end, WG got goals from Sasso, Pat McDonald and Ryan McDonald, with Procopio, Winn, Connor Bartlett and Matt McDonald joining Ryan McDonald in the assist column.
A night later, playing at The Rink, the Wildcats visited Ithaca, who stood at 3-2 on the season. Looking to reach that mark, WG instead saw the Little Red match Scarsdale’s production and prevail over WG by a 5-2 margin.
In truth, the Wildcats never recovered from a first period where Ithaca took advantage of its scoring opportunities and bolted out to a 3-0 lead. WG did get second-period goals from Winn and Ryan McDonald, but the Little Red stayed out in front.
Sammy Colabufo, in his first start of the season in goal made 25 saves, and fared better after some early struggles. Ithaca’s Don Ciccheti led his side by scoring twice as Scott Partington and Nate Walker each got one assist.
Unaccustomed to such a rough start, WG will get chances, in games this week at Watertown IHC and against Fayetteville-Manlius at Cicero Twin Rinks, to turn it around before the calendar turns to 2015.
