All of the temperamental winter weather meant that the Cazenovia ice hockey team would have to pack in its last three regular-season games within a four-day span.
Of them, none was more important than the one in the middle, last Friday’s battle with Ontario Bay at the Morrisville State IcePlex. A win was required for the Lakers to assure itself a Scction III Division II playoff spot.
Or at least that was the plan.
Ontario Bay decided to forfeit the contest, sealing for Cazenovia its post-season berth. However, that means these Lakers will have to meet two-time defending sectional champion Skaneateles in the opening-round game this Wednesday night at Allyn Arena.
Two nights before the forfeit, the Lakers made its way to Casey Park to face Auburn, a game that was played on even terms most of the way – save for a rough second period that cost Cazenovia in a 5-1 defeat to the Maroons.
Going into the second period, the Lakers only trailed 1-0, but Auburn scored four times in that frame to get away. Jake Morin, with two goals, and John Malandruccolo, with a goal and two assists, led that push as Matt Hesse also got two assists.
Preventing the shutout, the Lakers got on the board when Trey Schug netted an unassisted goal in the third period. Cameron Dye, aside from those mid-game struggles, did quite well between the pipes, finishing the night with 30 saves.
With the pressure off after the Ontario Bay forfeit, the Lakers would host Whitesboro on Saturday afternoon and play the Division I National Conference champions tough in a 3-1 defeat to the Warriors.
Neither team found the net until Whitesboro did so in the second period, and even then it was 1-0 leading to the third period, where the Warriors scored twice more to counteract Dominic Paglia’s goal for the Lakers, assisted by Trey Schug.
Cazenovia had more shots than Whitesboro, but Warriors goalie Jacob Donegal stopped 26 of the Lakers’ 27 attempts. By contrast, Dye had 15 saves, giving up goals to the Whitesboro trio of Noah Scranton, Andrew Terenzetti and Andrew Maycock.
