Ignoring its 2-8-1 record and the quality of the opposition, the CBA/Jamesville-DeWitt ice hockey team pulled off a weekend sweep of two games against Cicero-North Syracuse.
Bad weather earlier in the month prevented these teams from facing each other in the C-NS Optimist Tournament. Ultimately, what was decided was for the teams to play on consecutive days – one Friday at Onondaga Nation Arena, the other Saturday at the War Memorial.
The first game Friday night was a tense, low-scoring battle, but a second-period outburst and strong, consistent defense pushed the Brothers past the Northstars 2-1.
Jacob DenBleyker’s goal in the first period got C-NS in front, but from there CBA/J-D’s back line ruled the way, limiting the Northstars to 13 shots overall.
Given time to operate and plenty of chances to catch up, the Brothers did so during the second period as Tanner Burns and Bailey Doust earned goals, with assists going to Kodi Dotterer, Tanner Coleman and Jack Lester.
The CBA/J-D defense maintained that slim one-goal margin the rest of the way, and was a central figure again when, at the War Memorial the next afternoon, the Brothers pulled out another close decision over C-NS, this time 3-2.
This game would go back and forth, with the Brothers trailing 1-0 before Dotterer tied it late in the first period and Tanner Burns converted in the second period to give his side a 2-1 edge.
So the score was the same as the night before as it entered the third period. This time, C-NS would tie it up before Coleman put CBA/J-D back in front to stay.
Though it’s assured of making it to the Section III playoffs, the Fayetteville-Manlius ice hockey’s main concern was how it would fare against the top area Division I sides.
A week after getting shut out by defending sectional champion West Genesee, the Hornets took on another traditional power, Baldwinsville, at Cicero Twin Rinks, which proved a defensive stalemate most of the way before F-M took a 2-1 loss to the Bees.
Having lost its last two games (to state-ranked Rochester McQuaid and Fairport), B’ville carried some urgency into this game, but the Hornets turned them back throughout the first two periods.
Defensively, F-M kept things from getting too lopsided, with goaltender Brandon Heyman sharp as he recorded 30 saves overall. Yet he didn’t get any help on the other end, and it remained 0-0 going to the third period.
It wasn’t until six minutes passed in the final period that B’ville put itself in the lead, adding another goal less than five minutes later as Isaiah Pompo and Brendan Lynch converted.
With 1:13 left and the net empty, Will Duncanson, off feeds from Ben Hammond and Sam DiChristina, put one past Josh Smith to cut the Bees’ lead to one, but the visitors held on in those last 73 seconds.
As a follow-up, F-M would go to Meachem Rink Thursday night to face the state Division I no. 12-ranked Syracuse Cougars, who had won nine in a row.
But the Hornets would not get on the board in a 4-0 defeat as Syracuse, not looking ahead to its showdown with West Genesee two nights later, got on the board in each period and overcame a stellar effort in the net from Heyman, who recorded 33 saves.
Syracuse held F-M to just 12 shots all night, and converted enough as Andrew Corning, with two goals and one assist, led the charge. Bryan O’Mara and Zach Delaney had the other goals as Nate Frye got two assists.
It wouldn’t get easier for the Hornets as it traveled to Shove Park to face 16-0 West Genesee on Tuesday. Meanwhle, CBA/J-D plays three times in four nights, going to Ithaca Tuesday before hosting New Hartford Thursday and Cazenovia on Friday.
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