CENTRAL NEW YORK – After 11 wins in its first 12 games, the Caenovia ice hockey team suddenly faced its first real crisis of the season.
A 4-1 loss to Baldwinsville on Jan. 23 wasn’t a severe blow since the Bees were riding an 11-game unbeaten streak and had climbed into the state Division I top five.
Six days later, though, the state no. 7-ranked Lakers fully expected to go to the Twin Rinks and handle a Cicero-North Syracuse side sporting a 6-8-1 record and sitting in seventh in the area Division I standings.
But the Northstars had gone though a brutal slate of games in January, with consecutive losses to the top three teams in the division – B’ville, West Genesee and Syracuse.
And now, turning things around, C-NS would defeat the Lakers 4-2, taking over in the game’s latter stages.
They were scoreless until the second period, when Will Penoyer assisted on Bryson Weaver’s goal and, late in the period, Penoyer found the net himself to erase the Northstars’ 2-1 advantage.
That didn’t last long, though. C-NS moved back in front in the third and tacked on an insurance goal as it overcame 19 saves by Cazenovia goalie Tyler Nellis.
For the victorious Northstars, Hayden Scott scored twice, with Tanner Long and Devin Freeman getting the other goals. Andrew Davis and Emmit Porter had two assists apiece as Jordan Miller, in goal, turned back 22 of Cazenovia’s 24 shots.
Back at the Morrisville State IcePlex the next afternoon, Cazenovia looked to break its skid against New Hartford and was able to do so, finding its scoring spark again in an 8-5 victory over the Spartans.
It was Jack Donlin providing that spark in what proved to be a decisive first period, earning a natural hat trick of three goals as the Lakers raced out in front 4-0, Penoyer earning the other goal.
New Hartford roared back in the second, scoring twice short-handed and again on a power play to cut it to 4-3, but then James Dapson produced his own natural hat trick by hitting on three consecutive goals by period’s end.
Josh Whaley tacked on a third-period tally as Donlin and Jack Grevelding both prouced two assists and James LaFever topped them with three assists. Freshman Tucker Ives, starting in goal, recorded 16 saves.
Three more big games await this week, the Lakers meeting Ontario Bay and Whitesboro before a Friday showdown with Syracuse at the IcePlex that could go a long way toward determining playoff seeding for both teams.
