Neither the West Genesee nor Syracuse ice hockey teams tripped up in the two games they each had to play before facing each other at Shove Park.
WG’s game against Mohawk Valley at Shove Park last Tuesday night proved stressful, the Wildcats not getting away until the third period of a 5-2 victory over the Raiders.
This was the same Mohawk Valley team WG handled 7-1 in December, but in the rematch the Wildcats did not have an ailing Dan Colabufo in the lineup, and goals by Henry Froass and Andrew Martino kept things tight as the Raiders only trailed 3-2 after two periods.
But WG closed strong, overcoming Michael Eastman’s tremendous effort in goal (he made 47 saves) as Patrick McDonald had a goal and two assists.
John Bergan, Joe McLaughlin and Chris Kleberg each had one goal and one assist as Timmy Winn got the other goal. Dan Holzhauer and Andrew Schneid also had assists.
That same night, Syracuse was smashing Watertown IHC 15-1 at Meachem Rink, the Cougars scoring five goals in each period and taking 67 shots overall against an overmatched Cavaliers squad.
Bryan O’Mara and Ryan Eccles each scored four times, with O’Mara getting three assists and Eccles two assists. Philip Zollo had a goal and three assists as other goals went to Andrew Corning, Nate Frye, Kaleb Benedict, Joe Lamson, Ryan Evanchak and Mack Etoll. Kyle Lamson, Emmett Barry and Zach Delaney had two assists apiece.
From there, Syracuse would host Fayetteville-Manlius Thursday night. Not looking ahead to the showdown at Shove Park, the Cougars shut down the Hornets and, led by Corning, prevailed 4-0.
Though far from spectacular, Syracuse overcame 33 saves by F-M goalie Brandon Heyman by scoring at least once in each period and having its defense hold the Hornets to just 12 shots, all stopped by Jack Klawitter.
Corning nabbed two of those goals, adding an assist, while O’Mara and Delaney also found the net. Nate Frye gained a pair of assists as Zollo, Wyatt Weil and Noah Durand also earned assists.
Now Syracuse watched as WG took its 14-game win streak to Kennedy Arena Friday to face Rome Free Academy, who itself had won six in a row before a defeat to Baldwinsville earlier in the week.
Staying focused on this game, and not the one 24 hours later, the Wildcats blanked the Black Knights 6-0, taking 36 shots to RFA’s three in the first two periods as it amassed a 5-0 advantage, Colabufo getting three of those goals in his return to the ice.
Winn, McLaughlin and Joel Comins also earned goals. McDonald and Bergan had two assists apiece as single assists went to Winn, Schneid, Ryan Washo, Ryan Smith and Jack Miller.
After facing each other, WG and Syracuse would spend the rest of the regular season apart, the Wildcats hosting Fayetteville-Manlius Tuesday on Senior Night as the Cougars went to Lysander Arena to face Liverpool Tuesday and hosts RFA Thursday night.
