SYRACUSE – Garrett Krieger on one end, and Chad Lowe on the other end, did their parts again, and delivered a third consecutive Section III Division II championship to the Skaneateles boys ice hockey team.
Krieger’s pair of power-play goals put the Lakers in front of Cortland-Homer in Monday’s sectional final at Upstate Medical University Arena, and Lowe kept them there, recording a shutout as the Lakers won 4-0 over the Golden Eagles.
For Skaneateles, who improved to 21-1 on the season, the accolades go beyond a mere sectional title.
It also strengthened the Lakers’ case as the best team in the section, regardless of class, Skaneateles having already beat both of the Division I finalists, West Genesee and Baldwinsville, plus Syracuse, winners of the last state Division I title in 2019.
Winning here meant once again conquering a Cortland-Homer side that, despite its no. 3 state ranking, the Lakers handled by 5-2 and 6-3 margins earlier this winter.
The Golden Eagles did gain some early opportunities, but as the first period wore on Skaneateles began to apply more pressure, taking 14 shots to Cortland-Homer’s six.
Only one of them went in, just after the Lakers went on a power play and Garrett Krieger, unguarded at the right circle, walked in and ripped a wrist shot past Riley Delage.
Krieger returned at the 11:57 mark of the second period to double the Skaneateles margin, again on a power play, doing a give-and-go with Henry Major as Luke Renaud also got an assist.
But it was Lowe who stood out the most in that period, turning back all 12 of the Golden Eagles’ shots so the Lakers could maintain a 2-0 margin.
“Chad was awesome back there,” said Krieger.
“He (Lowe) played pucks behind the net and made key saves in big moments,” said defenseman Connor Morrissey.
Major gave the Lakers an even-strength goal early in the third period, taking a bounce pass from Renaud and, instead of giving back the puck, faked a pass and buried a top-shelf shot from the right point. Then Major converted into an empty net in the final minute.
Lowe, with his 27 saves, and the rest of the Lakers’ defense finished off the shutout, and once more Skaneateles could celebrate – with an eye on doing much more.
On Saturday, the Lakers face Section V champion Webster Thomas in the regional final at SUNY-Brockport, with the winner going to the state “Frozen Four” in Buffalo.
