Skaneateles — Mere hours after assuming the top spot in the first state Division II rankings of the season, the Skaneateles boys ice hockey team got dropped by Clinton in a 4-2 defeat at Clinton Arena on Dec. 15.

That did not sit well with the Lakers – or, at the very least, it shook them up and reminded them, as reigning state champions, it was bound to get every opponent’s best effort, regardless of talent or quality, and had to deal with it.

With the lesson learned, Skaneateles returned to Allyn Arena on Dec. 18 to face Cortland-Homer. Still angry, but refocused on the task at hand, the Lakers lay waste to the Golden Eagles in a 7-0 shutout.

From the opening face-off, Skaneateles attacked hard, and it took less than five minutes to get on the board with Raymond Falso’s goal. For the rest of the first period, the attack continued, and Reggie Buell’s tally with 30 seconds left made it 2-0.

The Lakers doubled that margin in the second period, with Reece Eddy and Devin Callahan finding the net. Then it kept going, Eddy tacking on two more goals in the final period to earn his first hat trick of the season and Buell finding the net for a second time.

Falso fed both Eddy and Buell as he finished with four assists. Sam Clymer, Jacob Patalino, Owen Van Holtz and Marc Welch had one assist apiece. Skaneateles took 39 shots, while Cortland-Homer had just 14, all of them stopped by Kyle Oschner.

A 12-day break follows, the Lakers mixing in practices with holiday relaxation before coming back to action Dec. 30 at Ithaca.

Then Skaneateles visits Cazenovia on Jan. 2 at the Morrisville State IcePlex, with those other Lakers still glowing from scoring four goals in the last six minutes to stun previously unbeaten Auburn 5-4 on the same night Skaneateles smashed Cortland-Homer.