Even though the CBA/Jamesville-DeWitt ice hockey team generated plenty of excitement by its last-second upset of state no. 2-ranked Skaneteles and its overtime win over Cortland-Homer two nights later, it’s still nicer to win games without resorting to late-game drama.
Such was the mission during last Tuesday night’s game against Oswego at Onondaga Nation Arena, and though the Buccaneers made things quite interesting, another hat trick, this one by Lynch Raby, made the difference for the Brothers in a 4-2 victory.
To start his big night, Raby scored early in the first period, but after Ben McCreary made it 2-0, Oswego struck back, notching two goals of its own to forge a 2-2 tie with plenty of time remaining.
Again, though, the Brothers played some of its best hockey in the latter stages, and Raby not only broke the tie with his second goal of the night, he added another one to put the Bucs away.
Having clinched a first-round Section III playoff home game at Nedrow, CBA/J-D now went to Crisafulli Rink for a rematch with Oswego, and again it would end 4-2 – but this time in the Bucs’ favor.
Thanks to goals by Tanner Coleman and Kodi Dotterer, the Brothers led early and were still 2-2 through two periods, with McCreary, Raby and Cole Mathews earning assists. Oswego got in front in the third period, though, overcoming Peyton Bowler’s 22 saves as four different Bucs – Alec Caroccio, Dominick Donabella, Bryce Hourigan and Nate Schultzke – got those four goals.
So the Brothers finished the regular season at 10-9-1, and since it finished second in the Division II American Conference, it will face the National Conference’s third-place team, New Hartford, at Nedrow in the sectional tournament Friday night, with the winner to face Whitesboro or Cortland-Homer in the semifinals.
Fayetteville-Manlius was already locked into its post-season assignment, a daunting one this Friday night at Shove Park against defending sectional champion West Genesee, a team it lost to by a 7-0 margin in mid-January.
For its last regular-season test, the Hornets had to face state Division I no. 4-ranked Syracuse, who handled F-M 11-1 on Dec. 16 at the Twin Rinks and, now, defended its home ice at Meachem Rink, prevailing 9-1 to finish its regular season with a 19-1 record.
Syracuse scored three times in each period, keeping F-M off the board until Karl Farber’s unassisted goal in the third period. Goalie James Kaffenberger made 43 saves, but the Cougars had 13 different players score at least one point, with Ryan Eccles (two goals, two assists), Matt Eccles and Bryan O’Mara (one goal, two assists) leading the way.
