Two fierce, intense, exciting and physical regular-season contests were behind them, and the Syracuse ice hockey team, by getting the better of West Genesee on both occasions, secured first place in the Division I American Conference.
More importantly, the state no. 5-ranked Cougars (17-2-1) gained home-ice advantage for two rounds of the Section III playoffs, meaning it won’t have to leave Meachem Rink until a possible sectional final Feb. 28 at Utica Memorial Auditorium.
Meanwhile, the state no. 12-ranked Wildcats (11-6-3) finished second, and will host a first-round game against Liverpool (whom it beat 2-0 on Jan. 12) at Shove Park. But it likely will have to claim a semifinal at Lysander Rink against National Conference regular-season champion Baldwinsville if it wants a shot at an eighth straight sectional title.
Whatever the path they must stake, Syracuse and WG had no trouble getting through their last bits of regular-season work on back-to-back nights last week.
Syracuse played Cicero-North Syracuse (the same team it will face in the opening round of the sectional tournament) at the Twin Rinks Tuesday night, and actually trailed through one period – but then ran over the Northstars the rest of the way in a 10-2 romp.
Goals by Matt Siegel and Sutter Donegan had C-NS up 2-1 at that first intermission. The Cougars did not take that well, answering with four unanswered goals in the second period and five more in the third period.
Again, Sean Eccles was at the helm, scoring four times and adding an assist. Liam Barry and Nick Matro each had a goal and two assists, while Ryan Lehrer also had two assists. Casey Rodgers contributed a goal, with Matt Eccles, Colby Skrupa and Colin Thompson getting single assists.
Just 24 hours later at Meachem Rink, the Cougars shut out Fulton 6-0, this time not waiting to decide matters as it blitzed the Red Raiders for five goals in the first period.
Sean Eccles had two goals and one assist, with Thompson adding a goal and two assists. Matro and Matt Eccles both finished with one goal and one assist as Andrew Hodgens also found the net. Lehrer and Skrupa added single assists.
Given nearly a week to steam after the overtime defeat to Syracuse at Shove Park on Feb. 4, West Genesee took Watertown IHC apart Tuesday night in a 13-0 shutout.
A seven-goal first period set the tone, and it was 11-0 through two periods, the Wildcats getting four goals and one assist from Jay Considine as Marshall Winn scored twice and added four assists.
David Procopio and Grainger Sasso also had two-goal outings, with Ryan McDonald and Derek Farrell each getting a goal and two assists. Matt McDonald added one goal and one assist as Conor Bartlett and Mike McGuigan each had single assists.
It was much the same in Wednesday night’s 10-0 win over Fayetteville-Manlius, as the pull of Senior Night festivities at Shove Park didn’t keep the Wildcats from taking charge in the second period with six unanswered goals after scoring just once in the opening frame.
Taking 55 shots to the Hornets’ nine, WG saw Considine get his second hat trick in as many nights, finishing with three goals and one assist as Winn added two goals and two assists.
Sasso matched Winn, scoring twice, while contributing a single assist. Jimmy Zolo and Pat McDonald each had one goal and one assist. Single assists went to Farrell, Procopio, Jack Birchler, Conor Bartlett, John Bergan and Ryan Constance.
