For every bright moment the Fayetteville-Manlius and CBA/Jamesville-DeWitt ice hockey teams have enjoyed this winter, it has all proved fleeting.
The Hornets were in good form going into last Tuesday night’s game against Rome Free Academy at Kennedy Arena, only to get kept off the board in a 1-0 defeat to the Black Knights.
F-M entered this game 5-3-2, and RFA was 2-6-2. Yet it was the Black Knights getting out in front in the first period thanks to Danny Mecca’s goal, assisted by Griffin Eychner and Kyle Lubey.
Thanks to the Hornets’ defense, RFA didn’t get many more chances. Yet that single goal held up through the last two periods as none of F-M’s 25 shots got past Black Knights goalie Ethan Siderine.
On Friday night, F-M was set to be back at the Twin Rinks, taking on Liverpool, but it got snowed out, as did CBA/J-D’s home game against new Hartford.
Back on Tuesday night, CBA/J-D found itself visiting Casey Park to take on Auburn, who had risen to no. 3 in the state Division II rankings. The Maroons proved that wasn’t a fluke, defeating the Brothers 6-2.
Auburn raced to a 3-0 lead by the end of the first period. CBA/J-D played better from there, with goals by Kodi Dotterer and Liam O’Malley as assists went to Josh Grund and Donovan Watson, and even shut out the Maroons in the second period.
Yet Auburn closed strong as no one could stop Jake Morin, who not only scored four goals, but assisted on the Maroons’ other two tallies, by Brendan Williams and Johnny Malandruccolo.
As CBA/J-D dealt with road games this week at Oswego and Whitesboro, F-M would take on Division I state no. 2-ranked West Genesee Monday at the Twin Rinks before back-to-back games Wednesday and Thursday against Fulton and Auburn.
