Even with the Section III Division I championship in hand, the West Genesee ice hockey team had more hardware in mind – namely, a state title.
And when the Wildcats returned to Upstate Medical University Arena Saturday for its regional final against Ithaca, it never was close as WG, dominating from start to finish, shut out the Little Red 7-0.
It was a sharp contrast to the Feb. 28 Section III title game that the Wildcats pulled out 2-1. Here, despite a 12-0 shot advantage, WG scored just once in the first period, on Jeremy Keyes’ goal, but it started to get away in the second as Keyes scored again, bridged by goals from Jack Mellen and Liam Burns.
WG’s depth was on display in the third as three other players – Patrick Quinn, Ryan Stratton and Will Schneid – joined in with goals and the defense, as a whole, held Ithaca to just nine shots all afternoon.
Schneid also picked up a pair of assists. Burns and Keyes had one assist, as did Ryan Considine, Will Shields, Kyle Evanchak and Jared Jaeger.
Next Saturday at 11:30 a.m. at Buffalo’s HarborCenter, WG will face Section V’s Victor in the state semifinal, looking to avenge a January defeat to the Blue Devils and advance to the March 13 final against Suffern or Shenendehowa.
Skaneateles wanted to join the Wildcats in traveling west to Buffalo, but its dreams of another state Division II title were dashed as it lost, 4-2, to Section V’s Webster Thomas in the regional final at SUNY-Brockport.
Luke Renaud put Skaneaateles in front just 2:19 into the game, but despite nine first-period shots it couldn’t add to that 1-0 lead. And Thomas countered in the second period, Jack Stappenback assisting on one goal by his brother, Aidan, and putting in the other on a rebound.
Early in the third, Renaud scored on the power play to pull his side even, 2-2. Jason Tucker answered seven seconds later, converting off Joseph Crescimanni’s feed and putting the Titans back in front, this time for good.
Thomas absorbed all of the Lakers’ late pressure and clinched it with Dylan LaChance’s empty-net tally with 49 seconds to play. Titans goalie Jackson Gruttaduria stopped 25 of the 27 Skaneateles shots he faced, none bigger than a save on Renaud point-blank just before the clincher.
