CENTRAL NEW YORK – At last, the opportunity for the Christian Brothers Academy/Jamesville-DeWitt ice hockey team to rise to the top of the Division II ranks presented itself.

Having chased Skaneateles for so long, the Brothers went to Allyn Arena last Thursday night to further damage a Lakers side that had lost in overtime to Cortland-Homer two nights earlier.

Then again, perhaps the timing of the game hurt, because Skaneateles was bent on recovering from that loss and CBA/J-D had played the night before at Auburn, going all three periods to win a 3-2 decision.

Whatever the circumstances, the Brothers lost, 4-0, in a game where both teams had an equal amount of opportunities, but none of CBA/J-D’s 26 shots got past Lakers goalie Chad Lowe.

Ben Lovell made 21 saves for the Brothers, but Jack Torrey’s first-period goal got the Lakers in front for good, with Henry Major and Andrew Gaglione adding second-period tallies and Major striking again in the final period.

In the first of these back-to-back games for CBA/J-D at Auburn, the second period proved decisive, CBA/J-D scoring twice to break out of a 1-1 tie and then hanging on late by controlling the puck as it took 40 shots to Auburn’s 18.

Will Sharlow and Nate Vault both finished with one goal and one assist. Joe Dotterer had the other goal, with Quinn Wimer getting two assists and Finn Wheeler a single assist.

Back on Tuesday, Fayetteville-Manlius, outscored 20-2 in its first three games before a 6-6 tie with Albany CBA on Dec. 3, got into the win column with a 3-0 shutout of the Syracuse Cougars at State Fair Coliseum.

One goal in each period proved enough as Joe Leveroni, Will Sanzone and Charles Lorraine came up with those goals, assists credited to Tyler Mayne and Connor McDonald.

Even more important was what the Hornets’ defense did. Frequently under attack, F-M’s back line turned away all of Syracuse’s chances as goaltender Chris Finger recorded 34 saves.

This followed the battle with Albany CBA where a wild first period saw the Brothers go in front 4-3, and get the only goal of the second period.

However, F-M outscored the visitors 3-1 in the third period and survived OT as Joey Leveroni scored twice and got an assist, with single goals earned by McDonald, Sanzone, Tyler Mayne and Brian Tonkovich.

Mike Laduke, Drew Mayne and Gavin Patnode joined Leveroni and McDonald in the assist column as Tyler Mayne got two assists. Sean LeMarche, in goal, recorded 17 saves.