Not until the last week of the regular season was the Cazenovia ice hockey team able to pick up the points it needed to continue into the Section III Division I playoffs.
Entering this stretch, the Lakers had four points. Of the 13 teams, 10 would qualify for the sectional tournament.
Two valuable points were gained last Tuesday night at the Morrisville State IcePlex against Mohawk Valley, with Cazenovia’s offense breaking out in the first period of a 6-3 victory over the Raiders.
In that opening period, the Lakers jumped out in front 4-1, all that it would need for the night as a well-balanced attack featured four different players scoring three points.
Josh Whaley scored twice, adding an assist, while Andrew Parkhurst, Dominic Paglia and James LeFever each finished with one goal and two assists.
J.D. Speer also had two assists as Forrest Ives added a goal and Dan Scholl earned an assist. The Lakers’ defense was active, too, with Logan Palmer having to make 37 saves to protect his team’s early advantage.
Going up north on Thursday night, Cazenovia faced Ontario Bay, and by roaring past the Storm 9-3, the Lakers further solidified its place in the post-season.
Parkhurst broke out, scoring four times and adding an assist, while Speer had a goal and three assists. Ives had a goal and two assists, with Dan Scholl and Justin Goodhue each getting one goal and one assist.
Ethan Isbell netted the other goal, while Paglia had two assists. Single assists went to LeFever, Whaley and Dylan McCrink.
Then it back to the IcePlex on Friday as the Lakers hosted Fayetteville-Manlius, and here the win streak ended as the Hornets scored all of its goals in the second and third period to beat Cazenovia 6-0.
Palmer did all he could to contain F-M, finishing with 35 saves, but Jackson Denton (two goals) and Zach Bookman (one goal, two assists) led the way as the Hornets clinched third place in the league standings.
Since it finished eighth in those same standings, Cazenovia would host Liverpool in a first-round sectional game Tuesday night at the IcePlex, with the winner to advance to the quarterfinals later this week.
