When the Skaneateles girls hockey team took to the ice at Allyn Arena on Jan. 16 against Massena, it began a crowded regular-season homestretch that would feature six games in nine days – and it would only taste defeat once.
Four of those games took place in a five-day stretch, starting with the home wins over Massena (5-2) and Salmon River (10-1), and continuing with last Monday afternoon’s visit from Potsdam and a Tuesday visit to Oswego, rescheduled from a snow postponement early this season.
Against Potsdam, with whom it shared the 2014 state championship after a triple-overtime epic a year ago, the Lakers played well enough to win, but the presence of a single star player, and an inability to get the one scoring play it needed, led to a 2-1 defeat to the Sandstoners.
Back on Dec. 20, Skaneateles won at Potsdam, 4-1. But the Sandstoners were without its top player, senior forward Kayle Grant, who was playing with a club team at the time and is going to St. Lawrence University next fall.
The rematch showed the Lakers just what Grant brought to the table. During the first period, Skaneateles had most of the possession time, but could not break through. Then, with 38.9 seconds left in the period, Grant stole the puck, went in on a solo breakaway and beat Johna Halko to put Potsdam up 1-0.
Early in the second period, the Lakers tied it, 1-1, when Sophie Kush scored on a rebound of a shot from Allison Weiss that Sandstoners goalie Allie Compeau couldn’t gather in.
Again, though, the Lakers couldn’t get in front, and with 22.8 seconds left in the period, Grant won a face-off, slid in and went high with a backhand shot into the top corner of the net.
Trailing by a goal, Skaneateles put Maria McLean in goal for the third period, and she stopped all four shots she faced, giving her side ample time to answer back.
But even with a pair of power plays, the Lakers could not convert, as Compeau made several point-blank stops, including one of Kuhns midway through the period. Amid a final scramble with 9.8 seconds, the Lakers did put the puck in the net – but only after it had crossed the blue line, making it offsides and disallowing the goal.
Potsdam hung on from there, and a day later, Skaneateles looked to bounce back at Oswego, the team it rallied to beat 5-4 in overtime after trailing 4-0 late in the third period in an epochal rally at Austin Park Pavilion on Jan. 9.
Just 11 days later, at Crisafulli Rink, the Buccaneers badly wanted payback, but wouldn’t get it. In fact, Skaneateles didn’t let the game get close to the stress levels of that original meeting, jumping out in front early and, getting another big effort from Kush, rolling past Oswego 5-2.
Never trailing, the Lakers built up a 3-0 margin by the second period, and Kush was in the middle of everything. Having scored three goals and two assists in the comeback win, she did the exact same thing here – another hat trick, and another pair of assists.
Grace Schnorr benefited from Kush’s passes, scoring twice, while Kuhns and Weiss checked in with three assists apiece. Halko played the entire game in the net this time and did quite well, turning back 18 of the 20 Oswego shots she faced.
One more long road trip remained, and it started Friday for the Lakers in Friday’s game at Saranac Lake, where it put together one of its best offensive performances of the season in an 8-0 shutout.
A four-goal second period highlighted the effort, which included a goal and three assists from Kush, anchoring things as several different players got involved. Kuhns scored twice, while Schnorr, Katie Halko and Megan Teachout also found the net. Weiss, Caroline McGuigan, Melissa Amory, Claire Michel, MaryKate McHale and Iowanna Christou also earned assist.
Playing Lake Placid the next afternoon, Skaneateles did not dominate as much, but a solid effort led to a 4-1 victory as Postalwait, Schnorr and Halko took turns finding the net, with Kuhns getting a pair of assists. Michel and Weiss each had one assist.
All of this moved the Lakers to 11-4-1 heading into the post-season, where it looks to match last year’s state championship effort.
