Just as it was set to return to action, the Syracuse Cougars ice hockey team received sad news about one of its former players.
The team announced that Wyatt Weil, a member of the 2019 state Division I championship team, was diagnosed with positive acute lymphobiastic leukemia, and would receive treatments in South Carolina, where he was just about to graduate after training with the United States Marine Corps.
To honor Weil (also a member of LaFayette’s 2019 boys lacrosse state Class C championship team), the Cougars sold “Wyatt Strong” bracelets at Meachem Rink during last Tuesday’s game against Fulton, with all proceeds helping to pay for Weil’s treatments.
And the sales would continue at Cicero Twin Rinks on Thursday when Syracuse faced Fayetteville-Manlius, since so many of its players were teammates with Weil when they were both with the Valley Hockey Youth organization.
Not only that, but a local company, Syr Clothing Inc., is putting together special “Wyatt Strong” T-shirts, and parents are organizing a March fund-raiser for the family, too.
Amid all this, Syracuse kept its focus on the ice and won, 3-1, over Fulton last Tuesday, scoring twice in the second period after neither team scored in the opening frame.
Kaleb Benedict had two of the Cougars’ three goals, with Ryan Durand getting one goal and one assist. Stephen Matro earned a pair of assists as Syracuse held Fulton to just 15 shots, 14 of which Evan Carter stopped.
Then, against F-M on Thursday, Syracuse fell behind 2-1 in the first period, but shut down the Hornets the rest of the way and, taking charge in the middle stages, prevailed 5-2.
A three-goal second period turned it around, the Cougars seeing Matro convert twice as single goals went to Durand, Nelson Jones and Tommy Rioux. Benedict got two assists, with Ethan Petty and Nick Richards also getting assists.
West Genesee was the only other team unbeaten in Division I games despite its 5-4 overall record going into the week, and the Wildcats had little trouble handling Mohawk Valley 9-1 last Tuesday at Shove Park.
Billy Fisher and Michael Bergan each notched three-goal hat tricks to pace a steady Wildcats attack, with Andrew Schneid earning four assists.
Single goals went to Will Shields, Liam Sexton and Joe McLaughlin, with Ryan Considine picking up three assists. Liam Burns and Anthony Felix had two assists apiece as Jeremy Keyes, Ryan Kemp and Max Hahn had single assists.
On the same night as Syracuse’s game with F-M at the Twin Rinks, WG met Cicero-North Syracuse, giving high school fans a rare opportunity to see two games at the same time.
They saw a real battle, too, as the Wildcats claimed a 3-1 advantage through two periods, and then held on late to edge the Northstars 3-2.
Hahn, James Schneid and Tom Shields earned those early goals, with Bergan, Felix, Sexton, Billy Fisher and Andrew Schneid each finishing with one assist.
It took all of Jacob Sachar’s 21 saves to help WG hang on, C-NS getting on the board thanks to two goals by Holden Sarosy and eager for a rematch with the Wildcats that takes place Monday in Camillus.
