In the wake of the Syracuse Cougars ice hockey team’s 6-3 win over West Genesee in their lone regular-season encounter on Jan. 11, both teams would pick up shutouts against league foes in their next games.
At Shove Park last Tuesday night, the Wildcats handled Cazenovia 5-0, a margin that didn’t reflect just how much WG dominated the game, keeping the puck in the Lakers’ end most of the night.
In a tremendous performance in the net, Cazenovia goaltender Logan Palmer turned back most of the Wildcats’ shots, ending the night with 56 saves. WG was never able to score more than two goals in any single period despite the constant barrage.
Ryan Washo did get two goals, with single goals going to Joe Comins, Jack Miller and Joe McLaughlin as Billy Fisher earned two assists. Comins, Jack Anderson, Dan Holzhauer and Joe Artini had one assist apiece.
That same night at Meachem Rink, Syracuse, still at no. 3 in the state Division I rankings, got a shutout of its own, blanking CBA/Jamesville-DeWitt by that same 5-0 margin.
New to Division I this year, CBA/J-D had a natural rivalry with the Cougars, since its home rink at Onondaga Nation Arena is so close to Meachem. Entering the game, the Brothers had a 5-6-2 record.
A pair of first-period goals put Syracuse in charge. Then it went quiet for a while as CBA/J-D goalie Joe Salvador turned away 37 shots overall, but the Cougars scored three times in the third period to draw clear, limiting the Brothers to 13 shots, all stopped by Alex Moreno.
Nelson Jones picked up his first goal of the season in support of Ryan Eccles’ two goals and one assist. Wyatt Weil and Kaleb Benedict also found the net as Philip Zollo and Skariwate Papineau both got two assists. Single assists went to Emmett Barry, Cam Walsh and Kyle Lamson.
Two nights later, it was Syracuse against Ontario Bay, and it turned into a showcase for the entire Cougars roster, especially in the second period where it erupted for 12 goals against the Storm on the way to a 20-3 victory.
Eccles led the onslaught with three goals and three assists. Steve Matro also had a hat trick, adding an assist as Zollo notched two goals and three assists. Weil and Hugh White also scored twice.
Andrew Corning earned three assists, while Nate Frye had a goal and two assists. Shemar Thomas put in his first goal of the season as Benedict, Jones, Walsh, Ethan Petty and Tommy Rioux also found the net. Mack Etoll and C.J. Malone got assists.
Meanwhile, WG, no. 9 in the state Division I rankings, had its own game with CBA/J-D at Nedrow, and after getting shut out in the first period, it found the net twice in each of the last two periods and again got the shutout, blanking the Brothers 4-0.
Defensively, the Wildcats never let CBA/J-D do much, limiting it to 13 shots, all stopped by Chris Wells. Meanwhile, the attack was patient until getting on the board twice in the second period and doubling that margin in the final period as Holzhauer had two goals, the others going to Washo and Miller.
Staying on the road, WG takes on Ontario Bay next Tuesday and Liverpool next Friday, with Syracuse going to Mohawk Valley Tuesday for its lone game next week.
