Though it only was a few weeks ago, the three consecutive defeats suffered by the West Genesee ice hockey team at the outset of the 2018-19 season seem much further away.
A four-game win streak was the perfect response to the Wildcats’ early woes, and what’s more, none of those defeats came to area Division I opponents.
So entering last week’s action, the Wildcats were back at no. 9 in the state Division I rankings, four spots behind the Syracuse Cougars at no. 4, who moved up after big wins over Baldwinsville and Skaneateles.
Going to Kennedy Arena last Tuesday night, WG took on Mohawk Valley and rolled to its fifth straight win, putting up its biggest goal total of the season in an 8-1 romp over the Raiders.
Most of the damage was done in the first and third periods, the Wildcats scoring seven times in those frames as Jack Anderson led the charge, eventually producing a three-goal hat trick plus a pair of assists.
Ryan Washo scored twice and added a pair of assists as Joe Comins had a goal and three assists. Jake Kopek contributed three assists and Jeremy Keyes also had two goals. Jack Miller added an assist.
Defending a perfect 7-0 mark, Syracuse went to Fulton last Wednesday night, and the Cougars unloaded a week’s worth of goals in the course of 51 minutes during a 15-1 romp over the Red Raiders.
The first two periods featured 13 goals, and by the time it was all done Philip Zollo and Nate Frye both had hat tricks and Ryan Durand had set a career mark with six assists.
Kyle Lamson scored twice as Steve Matro, Kaleb Benedict and Nelson Jones each finished with two assists. Jones, Jack Grooms, Ethan Petty, Shemar Thomas and Hugh White also scored, with C.J. Malone contributing an assist.
On Friday night, Syracuse hosted state no. 2-ranked Rochester McQuaid, and it turned into one of the most entertaining games of the season, not letting up until the sides ended in a 6-6 tie.
It was the Cougars starting fast, leading 2-0 after one period, but the Knights broke through against Syracuse’s defense in a wild second period, scoring four times.
Syracuse got three goals of its own in that frame and still led, 5-4, going to the third, but McQuaid caught up here, though the two sides could not resolve things in OT.
Zollo and Frye both scored twice, Zollo adding two assists and Frye one assist. Ryan Eccles had a goal and two assists as Benedict also scored, with assists going to Durand, Grooms, Cameron Walsh and Emmett Barry. Alex Moreno finished with 23 saves.
Meanwhile, at Shove Park, West Genesee won its sixth game in a row, battling past Cicero-North Syracuse 3-0.
The Northstars came to Camillus toting its own three-game win streak, but the Wildcats got in front of them with Keyes’ first-period power-play goal, assisted by Miller and Joe McLaughlin.
With the defense effective in keeping C-NS from many opportunities, WG preserved that lead, and doubled it to 2-0 on another power play as Washo converted off feeds from Billy Fisher and Jacob Farrell.
Kopek clinched it on goal with 3:27 to play, McLaughlin again getting an assist as James Schneid assisted, too. All that C-NS could manage was 12 shots that Chris Wells scooped up.
Despite the tie with McQuaid, Syracuse moved past them to no. 3 in the state Division I rankings, with the Knights at no. 4, both of them trailing the top two of St. Joseph’s (Buffalo) and Suffern.
West Genesee, meanwhile, stayed at no. 9 in that same state poll, and while the Cougars were off until a Jan. 3 rematch with McQuaid in Rochester, the Wildcats would host New Hartford on Friday in its last 2018 outing.
