Wildcats edge CBA/J-D in overtime, roll past Oswego, Fulton

One of the area’s most sacred winter sports traditions was seeing the West Genesee ice hockey team compete on a cold evening in the intimate atmosphere of Shove Park.

Through November, December and January, the Wildcats’ players and coaches wondered if that tradition would renew itself. Then “high-risk” sports finally got the go-ahead, and a season was salvaged.

The long-awaited season opener took place Monday night, with WG hosting Oswego and methodically dominating all phases of the game in a 6-0 shutout of the Buccaneers.

It took less than five minutes for Jeremy Keyes to put the Wildcats on the board, assisted by James Schneid, who would score late in the period on a power play with Keyes and Kyle Evanchak getting assists.

Midway through the second period, Anthony Felix converted on a power play and, one minute later, Will Shields made it 4-0 before Schneid returned to get his second goal late in the period. Just 23 seconds into the third period, Ryan Stratton became WG’s fifth different goal-scorer.

Schneid finished the night with three assists and Keyes got two assists. Single assists went to Michael Bergan and Cam Hovater as the Wildcats’ defense held Oswego to 12 shots, all stopped by David Myers.

A night later, facing Christian Brothers Academy/Jamesville-DeWitt, WG had a far more difficult time, pushed to overtime before eighth-grader Will Schneid rescued a 2-1 victory.

James Schneid’s goal late in the first period was the only tally for either side most of the game. Well into the third period, the Wildcats clung to that 1-0 advantage.

Facing far more pressure than it did against Oswego, WG’s defense held up to it, for the most part, Myers recording 23 saves. But the shutout streak ended when CBA/J-D’s John Greenwood tied the game with 6:52 left in regulation, assisted by Kodi Dotterer.

So it went to OT. The Wildcats attacked again, and with 3:39 to play Will Schneid flashed open and put the game-winner past Brothers goalie Joe Salvador. Liam Burns and Patrick Quinn both got credit for assists.

WG played its third game in as many nights Wednesday at Fulton, and despite the possible concern about fatigue, the Wildcats erased those worries by routing the Red Raiders 12-2.

This was a steady effort, with WG scoring four times in each period and keeping Fulton off the board until the third as it took 60 shots to the Red Raiders’ 18.

Keyes netted the three-goal hat trick, helped by Burns, Evanchak and James Schneid each scoring twice. Stratton and Joe Snyder both notched three assists, but it didn’t stop there.

Will Schneid scored again, as did Ryan Kemp and Owen Zoanetti for the first time this season. Braeden McNeil had two assists, while Felix and Jeb Kopek also had assists.

Three more games are on WG’s schedule next week, starting with a trip to State Fair Coliseum to face Liverpool Monday before hosting Cicero-North Syracuse Wednesday and meeting Fayetteville-Manlius Feb. 25 at Cicero Twin Rinks.