Hockey Lakers aim for sectional title

Only in Section III ice hockey, circa 2016, could the reigning state Division II champions still find itself in search of a championship.

Yet that’s the quest the Skaneateles Lakers would undertake starting this Friday night, at Allyn Arena, when it welcomes Whitesboro in the opening round of the Section III playoffs at 7 p.m.

A season ago, Skaneateles did indeed claim the state title – but only as an at-large entry after dropping the sectional final to CBA/Jamesville-DeWitt. Rectifying that result has proven the main aim of the Lakers this winter.

Now, Skaneateles goes there with a 16-2-2 record and placed as the state’s top-ranked Division II team, having risen from no. 2 into the pole position last week when no. 1 St. Lawrence took a 3-2 loss to Canton on Feb. 1.

In its regular-season finale Tuesday night, the Lakers, aiming to extend its unbeaten streak to 11, did so by going to the J.M. McDonald Sports Complex and earning a 5-2 victory over the Cortland-Homer Golden Eagles.

Back on Dec. 18 at Allyn Arena, Skaneateles blanked Cortland-Homer 7-0, and though the rematch wasn’t as lopsided, the Lakers were in full command, roaring out to a 3-0 first-period lead and then extending it to 4-0 before the Golden Eagles got on the board with third-period goals by Nick Johnson and Clayton Larson.

Unlike recent games, Skaneateles did not entirely lean on the “Three R” line of Reggie Buell, Raymond Falso and Reece Eddy for production, though Buell did get one goal and one assist as Falso and Eddy earned single tallies.

Matt Benson chimed in with one goal and one assist, with Luke Lynn also finding the net. Devin Callahan, Jacob Patalino and Dimitris Christou each gained two assists as Matt Leveroni and Marc Welch earned single assists. Controlling the flow of play, Skaneateles took 32 shots to Cortland-Homer’s 10.

Now the Lakers got to rest for 10 days before the playoffs open against Whitesboro, a team whose 6-13-1 record doesn’t seem imposing, but the wins include ones over strong foes like New Hartford, Cazenovia and Baldwinsville.