Now the work of the Cazenovia ice hockey team was gaining some respect beyond Central New York’s boundaries, as evidence by its rise to no. 5 in last week’s state Division II rankings, right behind no. 2 Skaneateles and no. 4 New Hartford.
And all looked fine – at least until the third period of Thursday night’s game at Whitesboro, where the Lakers, who had already made a series of memorable late-game comebacks this season, fell victim to one in a tough 5-4 overtime defeat to the Warriors.
Whitesboro carried a 3-11-1 record into the game. One of those defeats came to Cazenovia in a 3-1 decision at the Morrisville State IcePlex on Dec. 9. Nearly two months later, the same pattern unfolded – at least for a while.
In fact, the Lakers led again 3-0 at one point in the first period after Jake Lewis netted a short-handed goal. Whitesboro fought back, but Cazenovia was up 4-2, going to the third period, having seen Lewis score add a pair of assists as Brenden Whalen and Cole Willard each had one goal and one assist. Adam Race also had an assist.
Absorbing all of this, the Warriors fought back and, in the third period, made up all the ground, capping off its comeback with an overtime game-winner as Brandon Webb (two goals, one assist) and Jacob Hyer (one goal, two assists) led the hosts. Tripp Clarke, playing in net for Cazenovia, had 21 saves, but Whitesboro counterpart Jacob Domagal managed 33 saves to keep his team in it.
Before all this, Cazenovia was in top form when Cicero-North Syracuse visited the IcePlex last Tuesday night. Unleashing an offense as potent as it has shown all season, nearly getting to double digits and routing the Northstars 9-2.
It didn’t take long for the Lakers to assume control, thanks to first-period goals from Willard and Graham Demo. Then, just 10 seconds into the second period, Collin McGaugh found the net, and before C-NS could regroup, McGaugh scored again just 10 seconds later.
Not until a two-man advantage did the Northstars, trailing 4-0, get on the board, but the Lakers restored its margin when Adam Race scored with 42 seconds left in the period, setting up a final frame where it found the net four more times, seeing McGaugh score a third time for a hat trick, to go with a pair of assists, and Demo add two more goals for a hat trick of his own.
Jack Bookbinder also found the net in the third period, while Lewis earned two assists. Race, R.J. Smith, Nate Morgan and Alex Marshall got credit for single assists as Cameron Fry recorded 16 saves, facing far less pressure than C-NS goalies Jack Doren and Chris Burger, who had 35 saves between them.
The late-game struggles at Whitesboro left the Lakers at 11-4-1 and, with 12 points, tied with Auburn in the Division II National Conference, with New Hartford right next to them. After a Thursday trip to Oswego, Cazenovia hosts the Spartans this Saturday and the Maroons on Feb. 10, which will likely determine both the league title and Section III playoff seeding.
