In every possible way, it was a super Sunday for the Skaneateles girls ice hockey team.
Completing a dominant weekend effort, the Lakers defeated Clinton, 6-3, at Allyn Arena to again win the Section III championship.
“It does mean a lot more,” said senior captain Megan Teachout, who had two goals in the title game, noting that earning this title in her last year with the Lakers added to the significance.
Head coach Andy Rozak said that what separates this group from other successful Laker teams of the past is their approach to the game.
“They work extremely hard and have fun while they do it,” said Rozak.
Much of the latter portion of the Lakers’ season involved patience. Prior to the sectional playoffs, its last game was Jan. 18 (a 7-3 win over Beekmantown), after which various forms of winter weather wiped out the remaining regular-season slate.
And the sectional games got altered, too. Not until Friday night did Skaneateles play its semifinal against Oswego, but that wait didn’t seem to affect the Lakers one bit as it blew out the Buccaneers 8-0.
This playoff game doubled as Senior Night for six Lakers – Teachout, Sophia Burns, Anne Rubel, Katrina Harter, Heather Tanzella and Jessica Smith – but there were no distractions as Skaneateles led 2-0 through one period and scored three more times each of the next two periods.
Teachout had three assists and was one of seven different goal-scorers. Only Burns scored twice as Tanzella got one goal and one assist, with Ioanna Christou, Campbell Torrey and Caroline Corbett also converting.
Rubel, Lizzy Sachar and Alexis Fassinger earned assists as, between them, goaltenders Evie Sheridan and Jessica Smith stopped all 18 Oswego shots they faced.
Then the weekend got better on Saturday night when Ithaca, who beat Skaneateles 1-0 in mid-January, lost at home to Clinton 4-2 in the other semifinal, clearing perhaps the most dangerous obstacle in the Lakers’ way.
So it was the Warriors who came to Allyn Arena, trying to turn around 5-0 and 4-1 regular-season defeats to the Lakers, and causing a bit of concern when it turned back a swarming Skaneateles attack in the first period, Luciana Robertelli recording 17 saves.
Rozak said that the only message to his team before the second period was to maintain the attack but start to crowd the net and get toward the crease, increasing both traffic and pressure.
Perhaps that traffic had to do with Christou giving the Lakers a 1-0 lead four minutes into the period with a shot from the left point that eluded Robertelli, and the pressure only grew as Clinton committed a series of penalties right after Drew Kopek tied it for the Warriors.
Twice 41 seconds apart, the Lakers scored on the power play, rebounds that Burns and Teachout converted as Burns earned points on each of the first three goals. Then Sachar made it 4-1 with another power-play goal late in the period, assisted by Torrey.
Clinton briefly caused some concern by cutting it to 4-2 on Mia Lopata’s goal with 9:55 left, but in a span of less than a minute, Sheridan made a crucial stop on a Clinton breakaway and, seconds later, Rebecca Cain scored.
Fittingly, it was Teachout putting in her team’s final goal on a trademark breakaway with 2:45 to play, the Lakers earning another chance at a third state championship.
Next Friday night at 8 p.m., Skaneateles (13-2) will face Section VII champion Plattsburgh in the state semifinals at Buffalo’s HarborCenter. The winner advances to Saturday’s state final at 6 p.m.
Teachout, who was on the 2017 state title team, said this Lakers team resembles that one in terms of quality and character, and Rozak said he can’t wait to see what these players can do in Buffalo.
“They’re mentality is in a good place right now, and they’re ready to go,” said Rozak.
