CENTRAL NEW YORK – All that the Sknaeateles girls ice hockey team has done for the last couple of years, navigating both the challenges of on-ice competition and the off-ice battle against COVID-19, has pointed toward the singular aim of defeating Clinton.

Trying to do so again in last Wednesday’s regular-season finale at Clinton Arena, the Lakers stormed back from a two-goal deficit and were on the brink of victory, only to get denied and settle for a 2-2 tie.

Skaneateles needed an outright win if it wanted any chance at the top seed for the upcoming Section III playoffs, and got in immediate trouble when Lauren Rey scored for the Warriors in the game’s opening minute.

Drew Kopek then made it 2-0 late in the first period, but Skaneateles did not panic, knowing that Clinton was down two goals before rallying for a 3-2 win when they had first met early in January at Allyn Arena.

So now it was the Lakers’ turn to come back, though it had to wait as each side was unable to score in the second period, which meant Skaneateles still trailed by a pair going to the third.

With 10:34 left, the Lakers cut it to 2-1, pouncing on a Clinton turnover as Lizzy Sachar scored, the assists going to Scout Oudemool and Rebecca Cain.

Picking up its pressure, Skaneateles fought for the tying goal – and got it when, with 39 seconds left in the third period, Oudemool found herself alone, charging at the net, and putting the puck past Casey Clausen.

As if this wasn’t enough, Oudemool got on a breakaway in the closing seconds of regulation, only to not convert. And neither side would break the tie in the OT period.

Defensively, the Lakers did a great job containing Clinton as Isabelle Wells stopped 24 of the 26 shots she faced, one less than Clausen’s total of 25 saves.

Just 24 hours earlier, Skaneateles had faced Oswego, going through uneven play for two periods before a fast finish produced a 6-0 win over the Buccaneers.

It was only a 2-0 game entering the third period, the Lakers constantly attacking but unable to get much past Oswego goalie Nyah Dawson, who ended with 19 saves.

Howver, in the third Skaneateles got away with four straight tallies as Oudemool was in the middle of most of it, augmenting her pair of goals by earning three assists.

Sachar also scored twice, adding an assist. Cain and Adriana Barbuto had the other goals, with assists going to Julia Quinn and Katie Combs.