Twice on consecutive Wednesday nights – this week at Meachem Rink, next week at Shove Park – the West Genesee and Syracuse ice hockey teams will settle the Division I American Conference regular-season title and, at the same time, shape the bracket for the Section III playoffs.
Before that, though, the Wildcats had to take two trips east, to Rome’s Kennedy Arena, which both proved successful, while the Cougars got another big test on home ice when Skaneateles paid a visit.
WG’s first visit to Rome was to face Mohawk Valley last Monday night, and for the second game in a row it scored in double digits, smashing past the Raiders 11-2.
Following up on its 10-1 win over Cicero-North Syracuse at Shove Park on Jan. 16, the Wildcats continued to show a new offensive spark with Derek Farrell back in the lineup.
Both of Mohawk Valley’s goals came in the first period, but WG still led 4-2 at intermission, and put it away with five unanswered tallies in the second period.
Farrell managed a three-goal hat trick in his second game of the season, adding an assist, while Jay Considine scored twice and contributed three assists. Mike McGuigan stepped up, too, gaining two goals and two assists.
Just behind them, Grainger Sasso had two goals and one assist. Pat McDonald got a goal and two assists as Steve Anderson also found the net. Ryan McDonald matched Considine with three assists, while Matt McDonald and David Procopio each got two assists. Single assists went to Chris Peer and Ryan Smith.
Then, on Friday night, WG was back at Kennedy Arena to face Rome Free Academy, the team it beat in each of the last four sectional finals, but only had a 6-8 record this winter.
WG showed no mercy, routing the Black Knights 8-0 as Ryan McDonald took over early, scoring on his team’s first shot and tacking on two more goals for a natural hat trick in the first period.
From there, his teammates took over, Sasso scoring twice as Procopio got a goal and three assists. Garrett Schnorr and Cameron Crane also found the net, with Matt McDonald joining Schnorr with a pair of assists. Farrell, Considine, Peer and Patrick Ciarla had one assist apiece.
Syracuse started its week by facing Liverpool at Lysander Arena, and a big first period made the difference as the Cougars held off the Warriors 5-3.
Before Liverpool could settle into its own rhythm, Syracuse struck hard, putting a trio of shots past the Warriors’ acclaimed goaltender, Steve Kozikoski, unanswered.
The attacks would continue the rest of the night, as the Cougars outshot Liverpool 40-16, but the Warriors did get back within range thanks to goals by Nick Northrup, Donny Husted and Kyle Terzini.
But the Cougars’ depth proved enough as five different players – Sean Eccles, Matt Eccles, Colby Skrupa, Matt Frye and Andrew Hodgens – earned the team’s five goals. Collin Thompson managed a pair of assists as Skrupa, Nick Matro, Ryan Lehrer and Byran O’Mara picked up assists.
Just 24 hours later, the Cougars got its non-league test against state Division II no. 7-ranked Skaneateles, and with a stirring late-game comeback, it beat the Lakers 3-2.
Rarely during the season had the Lakers faced the kind of constant pressure Syracuse threw at them, but it proved that it could meet that challenge, especially in goal, where Bennett Morse proved that he could withstand the Cougars’ heavy barrages and keep the puck out of the net.
Skaneateles went in front, 1-0, midway through the first period on a deft pass from Ben Russell that Reggie Buell took and deposited in the net, and it stayed that way the rest of the frame despite all kinds of Syracuse chances to even it up.
Not until the 7:02 mark of the second period did the Cougars break through, and that required Skrupa to tip in a shot from Sean Eccles. That 1-1 tie lasted less than six minutes before McGlynn put the Lakers back in front on the power play, assisted by Buell and Devin Callahan.
Deep into the third period, Syracuse trailed 2-1, Morse continuing to excel in the net as he ran his save total to 30, the most any Laker goalie has recorded this winter.
Yet that pressure led Skaneateles to commit a pair of ill-timed penalties, and Syracuse made them pay for it. Skrupa beat Morse for the tying goal with 5:54 left, and another power play late in regulation led to Matt Eccles putting home a backhand shot with 1:47 to play.
