Now the Cazenovia ice hockey team wants to take it one or two steps further and contend for a Section III Division II championship.

The 2015-16 edition of the Lakers got to the sectional semifinals before falling to New Hartford, and head coach Seth Howard brings back a solid core of players this winter that, in its very first game of a new season, proved it could prevail in a close spot.

Cazenovia took the long road trip north to Haldane Arena last Tuesday night to face Ontario Bay, and though it was unable to hold a third-period lead, it recovered long enough to score in overtime and beat the Thunder 4-3.

All game long, the Lakers exchanged goals with Ontario Bay, blanking the Thunder in the second period while moving in front 2-1. Despite another goal in the third period, Cazenovia could not prevent an Ontario Bay comeback that tied it, 3-3, before the OT decision.

One good part for the Lakers was its scoring balance. Nate Morgan netted two goals and Jacob Kumiega got a pair of assists, while R.J. Smith and Chase Cross earned single goals. Dominic Paglia added an assist.

Goaltender Cameron Dye had 18 saves as Alex Keegan led Ontario Bay, netting one goal and assisting on the other two, by Brandon Ackley and Jack Ryan. Austin Bovee made 25 saves for the Thunder.

This proved an ample warm-up for the Lakers’ appearance in Baldwinsville’s Bobby Conklin Memorial Tournament, which began Friday night at Lysander Arena with Cazenovia challenging the Division I Syracuse Cougars.

But it didn’t prove much of a challenge as the Cougars crushed Cazenovia 10-0, scoring five times in the first period and not letting up the rest of the way, even as Dye tried to stop the Syracuse tide, finishing with 32 saves.

What made the Cougars so impressive was that it didn’t depend on a single line. Eight different Syracuse players scored a goal, with only Matt Frye and Ryan Eccles finding the net twice as Andrew Hodgens and C.J. Walsh each got a goal and two assists.

This put Cazenovia into Saturday’s consolation game against Fulton, who lost 4-1 to host Baldwinsville in the other half of the opening round. Looking to turn things around, the Lakers instead saw its defense taken apart again in a 9-2 defeat to the Red Raiders.

Just like Syracuse did, Fulton grabbed a 5-0 lead by the first intermission. And it was 7-0 by the third period, when Cazenovia broke its drought by having Trey Schug twice find the net and Jack Bookbinder pick up an assist.

Dye had 19 saves, but saw the Red Raiders, similar to the Cougars, have eight different players put in goals, with Josh Dynka (two goals, one assists) and Kameron Whipple (one goal, two assists) lead that charge. Thirteen different Fulton players had at least one point.

Now Cazenovia faced a fourth straight road game, at Whitesboro on Tuesday night, and doesn’t take the ice at the Morrisville State IcePlex it calls home until a Dec. 13 visit from New Hartford.