Starting with its own Optimist Tournament title on Dec. 14-15, the Cicero-North Syracuse ice hockey team gained some crucial momentum leading up to the holiday break.
In the first round at the Twin Rinks, the Northstars beat Greece (Section V) 5-2, blanking the visitors in the first and third periods as Matt Cramer had a part in every single C-NS scoring play.
Not only did Cramer score twice, he got three assists, Holden Sarosy also earning three assists as Jake Den Bleyker earned two goals and two assists. Logan Ungelich and Josh Matyasik had single assists, Jordan Miller stopping 25 of 27 shots.
CBA/Jamesville-DeWitt edged New Hartford 2-1 in the other half of the opening round, so Saturday’s final pitted the Brothers against C-NS, where with a strong finishing kick the Northstars rallied to win 6-4.
Through one period, C-NS trailed 2-1, but it caught up in the middle stages and, in the final period, broke out of a 3-3 tie with Den Bleyker leading the way thanks to three goals and one assist.
Aside from Den Bleyker’s hat trick, Ungelich scored twice, with Cramer getting one goal and one assist. Matyasik and Aidan Long earned single assists and Miller recorded 17 saves.
C-NS went back on the road last Monday night, heading north to the Fairgrounds Arena to take on Watertown IHC and break out again on the offensive end as it earned an 8-1 victory over the Cavaliers.
Half of it was accomplished in the first period, the Northstars bolting to a 4-0 advantage, and it kept adding to that margin mostly thanks to Cramer, who netted four goals and added an assist.
The win streak was halted on Friday at Shove Park as West Genesee, who started the season 0-3, earned its sixth consecutive victory by blanking the Northstars 3-0.
Sarosy had three assists to go with his lone tally as Den Bleyker had a goal and two assists. Carter Wisely and Tyler Murray added goals as Matyasik got two assists. Wisely, Ungelich, Nick Sciore and Dan Quick had one assist apiece.
A night later, as C-NS got ready for a showdown with West Genesee at Shove Park, Liverpool faced Fayetteville-Manlius at the Twin Rinks, with the Warriors falling to the Hornets 3-1.
It was Liverpool getting a 1-0 lead on Connor Boland’s first-period goal assisted by Matt Gagnon, but from there F-M blanked the Warriors despite a constant barrage, Hornets goalie Brandon Heyman dazzling in the net as he recorded 44 saves.
Inspired by Heyman’s play, F-M tied it 1-1 in the second period and scored twice in the final period to move out in front as Zach Bookman, Ben Hammond and Jason Tedeschi earned the goals, with Trent McKiven getting two assists. All of this overcame a 32-save effort from Liverpool goalie Gavin Buza.
