Sometimes the West Genesee ice hockey team is humbled – but it also learns fast.
When the state Division IV no. 4-ranked Wildcats went downstate to face no. 10-ranked Suffern Friday night, it found itself in the exact same situation as it did six days earlier at Pittsford, when it lost, 2-1, after leading 1-0 going into the third period.
Here, though, WG didn’t go quiet in the final act, instead pulling further ahead down the stretch to beat the Mounties 3-1, the second time this month that the Wildcats got the best of Suffern.
They had met nearly three weeks earlier, on Dec. 3, in the finals of the Wildcat Classic at Shove Park. WG won that time, 3-0, and would prove nearly as stingy in the rematch.
The difference here was that neither team would score in the first period. Instead, the Wildcats had to wait until the second to get on the board, a lone tally that left it with the same 1-0 lead that it squandered against Pittsford.
WG’s top line made sure that the late struggles against the Panthers did not repeat themselves at Suffern. Pat McDonald scored twice, while Jay Considine earned a pair of assists as Dan Colabufo got one goal and one assist. Garrett Schnorr added an assist as, again, the Wildcats’ defense proved stingy, Sammy Colabufo stopping 15 of 16 Mounties shots.
Back in Central New York, the Syracuse Cougars followed up its big win over Baldwinsville earlier in the week by defeating state Division II no. 13-ranked CBA/Jamesville-DeWitt 5-1 Friday night at Meachem Rink.
CBA/J-D, who plays home games a few miles up the road from Meachem at Nedrow’s Onondaga Nation Arena, could not overcome the Cougars’ three-goal first-period blitz, with Matt Eccles at the helm as he eventually got a three-goal hat trick, adding an assist.
Bryan O’Mara collaborated with Matt Eccles, notching three assists to go with his lone goal as C.J. Walsh picked up the other goal. Ryan Eccles picked up a pair of assists as Philip Zollo and Andrew Corning got one assist apiece.
Syracuse improved to 6-1 and will rest during the holiday break, resuming its season Jan. 3 against Cicero-North Syracuse. West Genesee plays twice during the break, hosting Canton Wednesday before its own game against C-NS Friday at Cicero Twin Rinks.
