Even with back-to-back wins, there was little indication that the Fayetteville-Manlius ice hockey team would produce a program-defining moment.
Yet late on a Thursday evening at Cicero Twin Rinks, there were the Hornets, celebrating a 4-3 overtime victory over undefeated West Genesee, the first time since 2005 that F-M had ever got the best of the Wildcats.
True, the Hornets came into the game sporting some momentum, but it was playing for the third time in as many nights while WG had roared to wins in each of its first five games.
Sporting brand-new uniforms, F-M used goals by John Manzi and Charlie Lorraine (the first of his varsity career) to play the Wildcats to a 2-2 draw through two periods as defenders Jack Kent and Andrew Heyman protected the net well and goalie Konrad Walburger was on his way to 26 saves.
WG back in front 3-2 early in the third period, but the Hornets stayed close and, in a six-on-four situation with less than two minutes left, Jonas Oesterle netted the tying goal, assisted by Steve DiBlasi.
Then, after thwarting a WG power play that spilled into the OT period, F-M netted the game-winner when Jackson Denton pounced on a turnover caused by John Manzi and fired the game-winner past Wildcats goalie David Myers.
F-M had only played once (losing to B’ville on Feb. 12) when, against Cicero-North Syracuse last Tuesday, it snared bragging rights at the Twin Rinks in another 4-3 decision.
Denton and Manzi led the attack, each of them earning a goal and two assists. Kent and Joey Leveroni also earned goals, with Greg Manzi getting an assist as each of Walburger’s 30 saves proved important.
F-M then faced Liverpool Wednesday and making it back-to-back victories, topping the Warriors 3-1.
Once in each period, Kent used a timely pass to set up a Hornets goal, with the tallies going to Denton, Manzi and Oesterle.
Tthough Liverpool goaltender James Welch was superb in the net, recording 36 saves, the Warriors only got a second-period goal from Cole Broughton against Chris Finger, who stopped 22 of the Warriors’ 23 shots.
Though F-M wanted to celebrate the win over West Genesee, it had to turn around less than 24 hours later and play a Skaneateles side who had started 9-0 and sported a 50-game unbeaten streak.
The Lakers kept this up by handling the Hornets 8-0, led by Garrett Krieger’s three goals and two assists. Charlie Major got five assists, with Walburger earning 33 saves.
While all this was going on, Christian Brothers Academy/Jamesville-DeWitt put together its own win streak as February wound down.
The Brothers made it three in a row last Tuesday night at State Fair Coliseum where it hosted Oswego and fought its way to a 5-3 decision over the Buccaneers.
Production was spread around, with Tanner Burns the lone CBA/J-D player to score twice and John Greenwood chiming in with a goal and two assists, while Finn Wheeler picked up three assists.
Kodi Dotterer had one goal and one assist, with Brackton Bowler getting the other goal. Nate Christaldi contributed an assist and Ethan White, getting his turn in goal, earned 24 saves.
An even better performance took place Wednesday when the Brothers challenged long-time power Baldwinsville and got the best of it, edging the Bees 3-2 to make it four in a row.
To put CBA/J-D in front, Dotterer earned one goal and assisted on the other two, by Greenwood and Christaldi, while Wheeler had two assists and Greenwood also picked up an assist, joining Bowler.
Alex Pompo scored for B’ville and assisted on Matt Carner’s tally, but Salvador turned everything else away, ultimately stopping 27 of the Bees’ 29 shots.
Up against Auburn on Friday at the Coliseum, CBA/J-D ran the win streak to five by pulling out another close decision, edging the Maroons 2-1. Goals by Dotterer and Justin Thies proved enough as Greenwood and Christaldi earned assists and Salvador again produced 27 saves.
