ONONDAGA COUNTY – It took nine tries this winter, but the Cicero-North Syracuse ice hockey team finally found its way to the win column.
When the Northstars faced Ontario Bay last Friday night at the Twin Rinks, a second-period outburst, led by Braylen Tuff, brought an end to an eight-game skid as C-NS defeated the Storm 6-2.
They were 0-0 through one period, but in the second Tuff went to the forefront of a Northstars attack that blitzed Ontario Bay by scoring five times, building what turned out to be an insurmountable advantage.
All told, Tuff had four goals, plus an assist, while Tucker Knapp picked up a goal and two assists. Braden Porter also scored as Tyler Murray got a pair of assists and single assists went to Kyle Debejian, Tanner Long and Emmit Porter. Goaltender Jordan Miller finished with 19 saves.
C-NS took on Auburn last Monday night at the Twin Rinks and was one period away from that elusive first victory in 2021, only to see it disappear late in a 5-3 defeat to the Maroons.
A back-and-forth first period ended 2-2 and the Northstars inched out in front with the lone goal in the second period, led by Braylen Tuff, who assisted on all three scoring plays.
Tyler Murray netted two of those goals, while Andrew Davis also found the net. Devin Kellogg and Logan Bucher had one assist apiece.
Yet even with that 3-2 lead, C-NS could not prevent Auburn from a late comeback. Ethan McKenzie’s 23 saves were overcome as the Maroons’ Ty Hlywa finished with a three-goal hat trick and Mason Jones stopped 35 of the Northstars’ 38 shot attempts overall.
Now C-NS had to deal with 11-0 Skaneateles on Wednesday, and the Lakers, sporting a 52-game unbeaten streak, were not in a good mood after CBA/Jamesville-DeWitt pushed them to the limit in a 3-2 decision earlier in the week.
The Lakers proved too tough in an 8-0 decision, with the duo of Garrett Krieger and Charlie Major each earning two goals and two assists. Sharing duties in goal, Jordan Miller and Kaii Van Iuven made 27 saves between them.
One more chance to break this skid arrived Friday against 0-6 Ontario Bay
As for Liverpool, it too was on the ice last Monday, facing Cortland-Homer at State Fair Coliseum, and were again overwhelmed by a quality opponent in an 8-0 defeat to the Golden Eagles.
With steady production all night, Cortland-Homer overcame James Welch’s 58 saves. Jed Brtazo, in particular, flourished for the Golden Eagles, scoring three times for a hat trick and adding three assists as Andrew Partigianoni added a goal and two assists. Logan Goodman and Mitchell Riter also had two-assist outings.
Liverpool could not break out of this drought in last Wednesday’s 5-0 defeat to Cazenovia, who had only played its season opener the night before and lost to Cortland-Homer.
Welch was again under constant assault, finishing with 61 saves. The Lakers got all of its production in the first and third periods as Andrew Parkhurst netted four goals and assisted on the other, by Jacob Owens
Still at home Friday night, the Warriors took on Oswego and again was kept off the board in a 7-0 loss to the Buccaneers.
Brayden Miller’s two goals and three assists, along with Collin Cianfarano’s two goals and two assists, led the way for Oswego as Welch, trying to resist them, recorded 33 saves.
