Impressive as the CBA/Jamesville-DeWitt ice hockey had proven in Division II play, it seemed to do even better outside of that realm.
First, there was the 3-2, come-from-behind victory over Division I contender Syracuse on Dec. 22 at Meachem Rink. Then came a trip to Clinton for this weekend’s Warrior Holiday Classic, where the Brothers knocked off the hosts en route to another first-place trophy.
CBA/J-D and Clinton squared off in the Dec. 26 opening round at historic Clinton Arena, where yet another remarkable effort in goal from Gabe Vinal produced a 2-0 victory over the Warriors.
Despite a 2-4 start, Clinton would, as always, prove tough on home ice, not yielding much more after Connor Flanagan’s first-period goal.
The early part of the second period proved crucial. CBA/J-D killed off a Clinton man advantage and, just seconds after it was done, Zach Taylor ripped a shot into the Warriors’ net, doubling the Brothers’ advantage.
Clinton didn’t allow anything more, meaning that CBA/J-D’s defense would have to protect that two-goal margin. It did so, overcoming a Warriors two-man advantage during the second period full of penalties that hurt both sides.
Those trips to the penalty box continued in the third period, and it thwarted Clinton’s comeback attempt, Vinal stopping every shot to get a shutout.
CBA/J-D now faced Clarkstown North in the championship game Dec. 27 after Clarkstown beat Rochester Aquinas in the other half of the opening round. It didn’t prove easy, but well-timed scoring plays allowed the Brothers to prevail, 4-2, and run its unbeaten streak to nine games.
Durkin got CBA/J-D on the board just 12 seconds into the game, set up by an opening face-off the Brothers won and passes from Taylor and Tanner Coleman, only to see Clarkstown pull even, 1-1, before the period ended.
Midway through the second period, Durkin struck again off a feed from Taylor his goal giving CBA/J-D the lead for keeps. Coleman then made it 3-1 early in the third period before Sam Mueller’s power-play tally helped clinch it. Taylor assisted on both goals from Coleman and Mueller, giving him four assists for the day.
Playing better defense than it did against Clinton, CBA/J-D limited Clarkstown’s chances, as Vinal only had to make 13 saves. One of those defenders, Kane Alletzhauser, also earned an assist.
A week later, the Brothers were at the Cicero-North Syracuse Optimist Tournament, where it stayed unbeaten despite playing Syracuse to a 1-1 tie in a rematch of that Dec. 22 classic.
The Cougars had control of the flow of play throughout the first period, taking 10 shots to CBA/J-D’s three, but few of those chances were tough ones for Vinal.
They were still 0-0 when, early in the second period, CBA/J-D earned a power play. But at the 3:52 mark, Nick Matro stole the puck and broke in, alone, beating Vinal with a backhand for a short-handed goal to give the Cougars a 1-0 lead.
Still, the Brothers remained quiet until the 10:29 mark of that same second period, when the puck bounced in front of Syracuse goalie Sam Walsh, and when he couldn’t handle Durkin’s shot, Taylor pounded home the rebound.
Going into the third period, Syracuse had a 20-8 shot advantage, but that quickly changed. CBA/J-D, even without forward Pete Dziergas in the lineup (injury), sent waves of attackers that forced Walsh to scramble to make a series of stops.
All told, Walsh had 12 saves in that third period, and with Vinal making 27 saves, regulation ended 1-1, with neither side able to convert in the five minutes of overtime, either.
So it went to a shoot-out, five players apiece. Through the first four rounds, Walsh was perfect, including a spectacular stick save on Mueller, while Syracuse’s Matt Eccles managed to beat Vinal to put Syracuse up 1-0.
Down to its last shot, CBA/J-D kept it alive when Coleman sent a backhand past Walsh. But in the sixth round, Walsh made a glove save on Ben McCreary, and when Colby Skrupa converted his shot, Syracuse had advanced to the final against Orchard Park.
CBA/J-D, meanwhile, had to face host C-NS in the consolation game, and quickly recovered, shutting out the Northstars 6-0 by scoring twice in the first period and then, after a dry spell, pouring on twice as much offense in the third period to get away.
Durkin, with two goals and two assists, led a deep, well-balanced attack. Lucas Relkin had a goal and two assists, with McCreary, Alletzhauser and Jack Austin netting the other goals. Coleman, Jamie St. Amour, Lynch Raby and Ryan McGuire also picked up assists.
