For the CBA/Jamesville-DeWitt ice hockey team, climbing to the top in the Division II American Conference would largely revolve around what it did on consecutive Friday nights against the other two main contenders.
The first part involved a visit to Casey Rink to face an Auburn side that had won nine straight games, and remembered how it blew a two-goal lead in the third period and lost, 4-3, in their initial encounter Dec. 9 at Onondaga Nation Arena.
As it turned out, the game did have a different look – namely, CBA/J-D didn’t wait for the third period to bring its best stuff, using a mid-game scoring blitz to wound the Maroons and eventually win by a 6-3 margin.
It was the Maroons getting the first goal on a power play 6:24 into the opening period, but just 36 seconds later, Lucas Relkin answered, and then the Brothers took a 2-1 lead when it gained the man advantage and, at the 9:47 mark, Ryan Durkin found the net.
But if any play proved to be the turning point, it was Auburn tying it, 2-2, in the last minute of that first period. Though it took away CBA/J-D’s advantage, it served as a wake-up, and the Brothers responded in the best way possible.
Just 2:44 into the second period, the Brothers used a series of crisp passes to set up Durkin’s second goal. Before Auburn could regroup, it got caught in a change and, in a three-on-one breakaway, Sam Mueller scored, and it was 4-2.
By the time Zach Taylor had added another goal to make it 5-2, the Brothers had scored three goals in a span of less than five minutes and had chased goaltender C.J. Panek from the game.
Panek’s replacement, Jack Farrington, would make nine saves, and Auburn would cut the deficit to 5-3 in the third period, but CBA/J-D’s defense withstood all of the Maroons’ late charges, Gabe Vinal stopping 28 of the 30 shots he faced, and Durkin scored on an empty net in the final minute to complete his hat trick and seal it up.
Now, all that stands between the Brothers (13-1-2) and the league title is this Friday’s showdown with state no. 5-ranked Skaneateles (13-2-1) on Senior Night at Onondaga Nation Arena. CBA/J-D played the Lakers to a 3-3 tie in a Dec. 17 classic at Allyn Arena,
Meanwhile, Fayetteville-Manlius had an enjoyable Senior Night last Wednesday at Cicero Twin Rinks, lighting up the scoreboard in the first two periods against Watertown IHC and finishing with a 7-4 victory over the Cavaliers.
Led by senior Erik Badger, the Hornets jumped all over IHC, leading 4-1 after one period and stretching that margin to 7-2 by the time they reached the second intermission.
Badger scored twice and added three assists, part of an attack where 11 different players earned at least one point as Trevor Pokines finished with a goal and two assists, with Andrew Coughlin and J.P. Ciappa each also finishing with two assists.
Chris Hurley, Will Healy, Garrett Zogby and Zack Wisby also earned goals, with Zogby joining Edward Fielding, Tavish Daly and John Melnik in the assist column. Kwame Morris, playing in goal, stopped 24 of the 28 shots he faced.
F-M visits the Morrisville State IcePlex to face Cazenovia Wednesday and go to Meachem Rink to face Syracuse on Friday before ending its regular season Feb. 11 at Shove Park against the West Genesee Wildcats.