They were deep into the third period of Tuesday night’s Division II American Conference ice hockey showdown at Allyn Arena and, to that point, CBA/Jamesville-DeWitt was doing an admirable job containing two-time defending sectional champion Skaneateles, but trailed by two goals.
Then Ben McCreary took over.
With six minutes of individual brilliance, McCreary recorded a natural hat trick and, by doing so, helped the Brothers stun the Lakers 3-2 for what was, by far, the biggest win of CBA/J-D’s season.
It only added to what has turned into one of Section III’s best rivalries on the ice, which dates back to the Brothers’ state title run in 2013. Two years later, CBA/J-D won the sectional title – but Skaneateles, as an at-large entry, got revenge in the state semifinals on that same Utica Memorial Auditorium ice and went on to win it all.
Now, just when it looked like the Lakers had gained a permanent advantage, the Brothers rose up again – but the roots of it were planted early this season.
Back on Dec. 9, CBA/J-D lost to Skaneateles 5-3 at Onondaga Nation Arena, but the Brothers outplayed the Lakers for large portions of that game and were done in only by a 3-0 second-period spurt by the visitors.
Now, in Skaneateles, the Brothers’ most important objective was to make sure the Lakers’ 100-goal man, Raymond Falso, didn’t burn CBA/J-D the way he did with four goals and one assist in that earlier encounter.
And Falso was contained, held without a point for just the second time this season. Even though Reggie Buell did score in the first period to put the Lakers up 1-0, that was the only tally for either side in the first two periods.
This was not just a tribute to what CBA/J-D was doing on the back line, it also reflected the tremendous effort of goaltender Peyton Bowler, who would finish the night with 40 saves.
But with all that Bowler was doing, it wasn’t rewarded until the final minutes. Buell had scored again with 10:05 to play to double the Lakers’ lead to 2-0, and there was little indication things would turn around.
McCreary began the comeback with 6:22 left, converting to put the Brothers on the baord. Suddenly energized, the Brothers’ pressure picked up and, with 1:54 to play, McCreary put another one past Skaneateles goalie Chris Falso to tie it.
Instead of feeling content that it was 2-2 and playing for overtime, CBA/J-D continued to surge. With just 17 seconds left in regulation, McCreary again flashed open, took a pass from the corner by Kodi Dotterer and converted an unlikely game-winner.
