CENTRAL NEW YORK – For the second time this season, the Skaneateles boys ice hockey team will put its long unbeaten streak on the line against West Genesee, the two sides clashing Friday at Allyn Arena.
Just before this, the Lakers blanked Auburn 7-0 Wednesday night at Casey Park, improving to 6-0 on the season while getting yet another big production night from Garrett Krieger.
Krieger struck first late in the first period, making it 2-0 after assisting on Carter Corbett’s early goal. Then Krieger scored twice more in the second period to complete a hat trick.
That helped make it 5-0, and Skaneateles converted twice more in the final period as Krieger and Henry Major both picked up three assists, with Corbett getting two goals and two assists.
Andrew Gaglione and Luke Renaud had the other goals, with Jack Torrey, Colin Morrissey and Curran McGowan earning assists. Chad Lowe stopped all 14 shots he faced.
While remaining the firm favorites among local Division I contenders, West Genesee and Syracuse would each face upstart challengers on consecutive nights.
In the Wildcats’ case, that meant hosting a Cazenovia side off to a 3-0 start, and it proved quite a test before WG got away in the latter stages to defeat the Lakers 4-1.
Cazenovia got the only goal of the first period, Jacob Owens scoring off passes from Will Penoyer and Russell LaFever.
Not until early in the second did the Wildcats tie it on Jeremy Keyes’ goal, but less than two minutes later Will Schneid converted to put WG ahead for good.
It stayed 2-1 until early in the third period, when Jack Gianuzzi netted an insurance goal. Schneid added an empty-net tally as Liam Burns, Ryan Stratton and Ryan Kemp all joined Gianuzzi and Keyes in the assist column.
All of this followed an 11-0 destruction of Fayetteville-Manlius the night before where WG somehow managed to score nine goals in the first period alone.
By the time the barrage was done, Schneid had a three-goal hat trick, plus an assist, while Keyes scored twice and got three assists.
Stratton had one goal and two assists, with Jack Mellen and Kyle Evanchek both getting one goal and one assist. Goals were also earned by Ryan Considine, Patrick Quinn and Will Shields.
That same Tuesday night at Meachem Rink, Syracuse welcomed 4-0-1 Ontario Bay and proved quite overwhelming, bringing a quick halt to the Storm’s five-game unbeaten streak.
Prevailing 9-1, the Cougars put together a dominant first period where it recorded six unanswered goals, all but settling matters and also spreading its production around.
Owen Mahar scored twice and got two assists, with Vern Cooke and Colin Johnson also netting a pair of goals. Liam Mahar had one goal and two assists as Adam Frye got one goal and one assist. Tommy Rioux added a goal. Jameson Bucktooth and Brady Hubbard both earned two assists.
Before this, the Cougars romped past visiting Shenendehowa 11-3 on Dec. 11. Syracuse jumped out to a 5-0 first-period lead and kept on adding to that margin even as the Plainsment scored three times in the second period.
Owen Mahar notched four goals and one assist, Bucktooth earning four assists to go with his lone tally. Hubbard had two goals and two assists as Cooke, Johnson and Mike Madigan each got one goal and two assists. Rioux had the other goal, with Owen Etoll and R.J. Kirby adding assists.
