Skaneateles — So this is what getting even looks like for the Skaneateles boys ice hockey team.
It involves attacking the net at will, providing physical play along the boards and elsewhere, getting timely saves from the man in the net and providing a relentless drive for 45 minutes, from opening face-off to closing horn.
All of this was on full and vivid display Friday night at Allyn Arena, when an overflow crowd watched the state Division II no. 2-ranked Lakers defeat state no. 12-ranked Auburn 4-2, avenging a loss to those same Maroons 17 days earlier at Casey Park.
Two goals in the game’s first eight minutes pushed Skaneateles ahead for good and, according to head coach Mitch Major, changed his team’s entire tone.
“We were fortunate enough to score early,” said Major. “That takes a lot of pressure off.”
Early goals was something Skaneateles lusted for, since it didn’t happen on Jan. 5 at Auburn, where the Lakers were kept off the board until the second period and, despite controlling most of the game’s flow, lost, 3-2, on Johnny Malandruccolo’s tally with 35.7 seconds left in regulation.’
Now, back on home ice, and having gone 4-0-1 since that defeat at Casey Park, Skaneateles made absolutely sure the Maroons didn’t prevail here, too.
If ever there was a time an unsuccessful power play set the tone, it did here. Early in the first period, the Lakers, with the man advantage, missed multiple chances at going in front, including two shots that were blocked, another shot deflected wide by Auburn goaltender Jack Farrington and an opportunity at the side of the net that was whiffed.
The attack continued after the Maroons went back to full strength and, at the 5:20 mark of the first period, Devin Callahan pounced on a rebound of Raymond Falso’s shot and lined one over Farrington’s right shoulder to get Skaneateles on the board.
continued — Before the Maroons could recover, the Lakers made it 2-0 just 2:37 later when passes from Reece Eddy and Reggie Buell set up Falso to zing a shot off the right post and into the net.
Farrington, so good in that first meeting (he stopped 33 of 35 shots) could not hold on to Matt Leveroni’s floater less than two minutes into the second period, extending the Lakers’ lead to 3-0. Matt Benson earned the assist, one of two he had on the night.
Auburn recovered long enough to get on the board with Kaiden Tubbert’s goal at the 8:02 mark of the second, but that proved a temporary respite.
With 1:28 left in the period, Skaneateles engineered another fast break and, off a great pass from Sam Clymer, Buell ripped a shot to the top shelf that Farrington had no chance to stop.
All game long, the Lakers’ top line of Falso, Buell and Eddy ran ragged over Auburn’s defense. Major said their continual improvement springs from finding chemistry on the ice.
“They love coming to the rink every day and are starting to click,” said Major.
Skaneateles didn’t add to its 4-1 lead in the third period, but maintained possession most of the way, not letting Auburn get closer until Jake Morin found the net with 42.3 seconds left. Bennett Morse, playing in goal, recorded 24 saves, while Harrington again had 33 saves.
Each side had games snowed out last Tuesday – Skaneateles against visiting Ontario Bay, Auburn at Cortland-Homer. But the Lakers made up its contest with the Storm on Wednesday at Allyn Arena and handled it with ease, piling up goals in a 9-2 victory.
Contrasting all of the trouble it had on the road in places like Clinton, Auburn (where it lost) and New Hartford (where it tied 3-3 on Jan. 14), Skaneateles steadily built a 5-0 lead through two periods and then nearly reached double figures in the final period despite Alex Keegan and Sam Deleel scoring for Ontario Bay.
continued — Eddy had a big night, pairing a three-goal hat trick with a pair of assists, while Buell amassed four assists and Benson gained two assists. Falso got two goals and one assist as Leveroni, Marc Welch and Eric Huba each had one goal and one assist. Karl Adams also found the net as Callahan, Adam Lupo and Jacob Patalino picked up one assist apiece.
Two nights later, even as the large Lakers home crowd celebrated a key win over a long-time rival, Major said he was quite aware that Skaneateles and Auburn may yet play a. third time in the Section III playoffs.
“I’m sure our time with them (Auburn) is not over,” said Major.
Before that, though, there’s the matter of Skaneateles hosting 13-1, state Division I no. 4-ranked Syracuse in a non-league showdown on Tuesday before another home date against Oswego Friday night. The Cougars’ only loss of the season came to West Genesee on Jan. 14.
