Should the West Genesee ice hockey team return to the top of the Section III Division I ranks after a three-year absence, it will look at the final minutes of last Tuesday’s game at Baldwinsville as a turning point.
Just when it looked like the two long-time rivals were on the brink of another overtime decision, the Wildcats put together a clutch scoring play, which led to a 3-1 victory.
No matter the records or the stakes, every game between WG and B’ville is an intense, physical affair, and more often than not produces a memorable conclusion.
So it was again when the two rivals gathered for their lone regular-season meeting at Lysander Arena, the Wildcats trying to stay just behind Syracuse in the Division I standing and the Bees looking to stay in the race, too.
Having routed Cazenovia 8-1 in its last outing Jan. 31, B’ville had some confidence, and it played a fine all-around first period, keeping the Wildcats off the board and taking a 1-0 lead with Luke Hoskin’s backhand shot.
They stayed that way until Joe McLaughlin tied it in the second period for WG on a goal assisted by Anthony Felix and Jeremy Keyes. Deep into the third period, it remained 1-1.
But with two minutes left in regulation, Wildcats captain Billy Fisher broke free and put one past Brad O’Neill, which proved the game-winner as WG tacked on an empty-net goal by Andrew Schneid in the final minute.
Fisher and McLaughlin both assisted on goals, as did James Schneid and Jake Kopek. David Myers would stop 21 of B’ville’s 22 shots.
Now the Wildcats hoped to turn its attention to Senior Night Friday at Shove Park, where WG would take on Ontario Bay, but it got snowed out and would get made up Tuesday night.
As for Syracuse, the same weather that pushed back the WG game with Ontario Bay also moved back its trip north for games on the weekend against Massena and Potsdam.
The Massena game had particular drama. Trailing 4-3 late in the third period, the Cougars tied it with an extra attacker on Ryan Durand’s goal, and then had Kaleb Benedict score 30 seconds later for the game-winner in a 5-4 victory.
For the game, Benedict had two goals and two assists, with Stephan Matro also scoring twice and earning three assists as Nelson Jones also got an assist.
Meeting Potsdam a day later, Syracuse didn’t need last-minute heroics, prevailing 3-1 over the Sandstoners to improve its overall record to 12-4-2, the exact same record of WG.
A pair of first-period goals held up, the Cougars adding to its margin in the final period as Matro, Jones and Ethan Petty found the net, with Benedict getting two assists. Ryan Durand and Nick Richards also had assist.
Once back home, Syracuse would have its own game with Baldwinsville on Wednesday. That, along with a game against Cicero-North Syracuse two nights earlier, would make it four games in five days and help determine if the Cougars won the regular-season league title and the top seed for the Section III playoffs.
