Heading into its busiest stretch of the regular season, the Skaneateles girls ice hockey team knew it could not always count on the kind of comeback it pulled off Jan. 9, when it erased a four-goal third-period deficit and beat Oswego in overtime.
In fact, the very next time the Lakers took the ice in last Tuesday night’s game at Alexandria Bay, it fell behind again, but could not rescue it in a 2-1 defeat – the exact same margin by which Skaneateles lost to the Purple Ghosts in their first encounter Dec. 11 at Austin Park Pavilion.
A month later, the rematch didn’t require overtime. Miranda Kolb notched both of Alex Bay’s goals, which was enough to overcome the Lakers, who only found the net once, on Grace Schnorr’s goal, assisted by Sophie Kush and Makie Kerr.
Now it was back home for a weekend set, which kicked off Friday when the Lakers took on Massena at Allyn Arena. And Skaneateles enjoyed the night, beating the Red Raiders 5-2 largely on the strength of its fast start.
Abbie Kuhns got the Lakers on the board 5:45 into the first period. Barely three minutes later, Paige Postalwait made it a two-goal margin, and when Claire Michel found the net late in the period, it was 3-0 going to the first intermission.
Massena got on the board late in the second period with a power-play goal, but 39 seconds later Postalwait countered with her second tally of the night, with Michel earning the assist.
Not content with that, Michel tacked on another goal less than three minutes later, deflecting in Postalwait’s shot to make it 5-1 through two periods. The Lakers got shut out from there, but had a comfortable margin and defended well, Johna Halko only having to make 11 saves as Caroline McGuigan earned two assists and Schnorr got an assist, too.
A day later, back at Austin Ice Pavilion, Skaneateles made it back-to-back wins, stomping Salmon River 10-1 by posting a season-high goal total and doing whatever it wanted against an overwhelmed Shamrocks defense.
Quiet for most of the season, Iowanna Christou broke out with a three-goal hat trick, one of eight different Lakers to find the net by game’s end.
Kuhns, Schnorr, Postalwait, Allison Weiss, Melissa Amory, Megan Teachout and Carly Mills each got one goal, with Kush and Katie Halko getting two assists apiece. Michel, Maria Christou and MaryKate McHale joined Kuhns, Amory, Schnorr and Teachout with assists.
On Monday afternoon at Austin Park Pavilion, Skaneateles took on Potsdam, the Section X leaders whom it beat 4-1 on Dec. 20 in their first encounter since last year’s epic state title game. A weekend trip for games against Saranac Lake and Lake Placid will close out the regular season.
