Rarely has anyone done what the Skaneateles boys ice hockey team managed to accomplish Tuesday night at Allyn Arena.
It wasn’t that the Lakers defeated perennial powerhouse West Genesee, but that it did so by a 7-0 margin, unleashing a diverse attack and getting superb goaltending from Chris Falso in a near-perfect effort.
True, a handful of strong seniors, including Pat McDonald, Ryan Smith, John Bergan, Timmy Winn, Aidan Procopio and Mike McGuigan, had departed from last year’s Wildcats side that was atop the state Division I rankings most of the 2017-18 season.
Yet it was widely figured that the returning WG players, still burning about an epochal four-overtime, shootout loss to Baldwinsville in the 2018 Section III semifinals, would be primed for another season to get underway, regardless of the opponent.
But the Lakers, full of confidence after a 9-0 wipeout of Cazenovia in its Nov. 21 opener, got things going with Ryan Gick’s goal just before the game was 10 minutes old.
Then, in the second period, Skaneateles pulled away. Gick scored again, as did Owen Van Holtz, and Luke Lynn struck a particularly decisive blow with a short-handed goal late in the frame.
Not letting up one bit, the Lakers nearly doubled its 4-0 margin in the third period, Van Holtz getting a second goal in between tallies by Garrett Krieger and Jack Henry.
Through it all, Bauer Morrissey produced three assists as Henry got two assists, with single assists going to Krieger, Lynn, Charlie Major and Cole Heintz.
And it wasn’t like the Lakers spent the entire game in WG’s end. The Wildcats had plenty of chances throughout the night to get on the board, but Falso turned them all away, his 23 saves producing a second consecutive Skaneateles shutout.
Now, for its Division II opener, Skaneateles hosted Whitesboro Thursday night, and anyone thinking that the Lakers would have a letdown after its superb effort against West Genesee had their minds changed in a hurry.
Skaneateles put away the Warriors 8-2, and again the second period proved critical. Clinging to a 2-1 lead, Skaneateles scored four times in that frame to pull clear and would take 49 shots overall.
Van Holtz led the charge, his three-goal hat trick augmented by a pair of assists as Major and Krieger also had two-assist outings.
Cam Lowe had one goal and one assist, with Lynn, Henry, Jacob French and Cole Heintz also finding the net. Single assists went to Bauer Morrissey and Colin Morrissey as Falso stopped 23 of 25 shots he faced.
Skaneateles now hits the road for the first time this winter, going to Cortland-Homer on Tuesday and then taking on Section V power Rochester McQuaid next Thursday night.
