Based on the way they have dealt with each other head-to-head in recent years, there isn’t a big gap between the West Genesee and Syracuse ice hockey teams.
Yet a glance at the first state Division I rankings would suggest otherwise. The Wildcats, off to a 5-0 start, settled into the no. 3 spot, while the Cougars remained unranked, even though its lone defeat was to no. 2-ranked Williamsville North.
Weather postponements meant that WG would play back-to-back games late last week, with its trip to Fulton pushed back from Tuesday to Thursday, right before a home clash with Cicero-North Syracuse.
The first part was simple enough as the Wildcats hammered Fulton 8-1, giving up a first-period goal to the Red Raiders’ Eric Shear yet still building a 7-1 advantage through two periods and taking 50 shots overall.
Dan Colabufo’s scoring rampage continued, the latest three-goal hat trick augmented by a season-best four assists as Patrick McDonald also found the net three times and tacked on three assists.
Ryan Washo stepped up, converting twice and earning one assist. Ryan Smith got two assists as John Galimi, John Bergan and Dan Holzhauer each had one assist. Combined, goalies Aidan Procopio and Chris Wells stopped 21 of 22 shots they faced.
Then it was back to Shove Park on Friday, where C-NS was expected to provide a tougher test, and did so, keeping WG off the board for nearly half the game before the hosts broke through and blanked the Northstars 3-0.
The Wildcats took 15 shots in the first period, only to see them all stopped by C-NS goalie Jack Doren. It wasn’t until the 6:11 mark of the second period that WG put one past Doren as Colabufo got the goal, assisted by McDonald.
Even more important was Timmy Winn’s goal right before the second period ended. That gave the Wildcats a 2-0 cushion and a bit less stress for the third period, where Holzhauer found the net. None of the Northstars’ 15 shots got past Procopio.
Syracuse’s trip to Kennedy Arena last Tuesday night to face Rome Free Academy was postponed, so it would have 12 days of rest before resuming Tuesday, where it was again set to play at Kennedy Arena, this time against Mohawk Valley, before Friday’s non-league clash with Massena at Meachem Rink.
A far bigger game on Tuesday at Shove Park would pit WG against its long-time rival, Baldwinsville, for the only time in the regular season. Following that, the Wildcats go on the road to face a pair of Section II foes as it meets Saratoga Springs on Friday and Bethlehem on Saturday before an 11-day holiday break.
