CORTLAND – In two games it played at the Cortland-Homer Tournament over the holiday break, the Fayetteville-Manlius ice hockey team managed to hold up quite well and did escape with a split.
It was the Hornets’ misfortune to draw the host Golden-Eagles in the opening round. All Cortland-Homer had done was get off to a 5-0 start and move to the top of the Division II standings.
F-M cared little for this and, through three periods of last Wednesday’s game, it held up quite well, keeping it within range until it settled for a 4-2 defeat.
Down 1-0 after one period, the Hornets would get on the board in each of the last two periods thanks to goals by Connor McDonald and Will Sanzone, with Mike LaDuke and Brian Tonkovich getting assists.
Cortland-Homer stayed in front with goals from four different players – Andrew Partigianoni, Hunter Everle, Mitch Riter and Ryan Spalding, with Partigianoni adding two assists as they overcame 22 saves by Hornets goalie Chris Finger.
A day later, F-M faced Ontario Bay in the consolation game, the Storm having lost 7-5 to Cazenovia in the other half of the opening round.
It went to overtime, but the Hornets prevailed 4-3, trading goals most of the way before getting the winner in the extra frame to negate 41 saves by Ontario Bay goalie Collin Bennett.
Joe Leveroni scored twice for F-M, the other goals going to LaDuke and Tyler Mayne. Finger, aside from his 29 saves, was also credited with an assist, joining Sanzone, Walker Thomson and Brady Moore in that column.
The effort F-M showed against Cortland-Homer was enhanced by the fact that Cazenovia did not get as close to the Golden Eagles in the final, won 8-2 by the hosts.
At 3-6-1 midway through the regular season, the Hornets meet Rome Free Academy next Tuesday at State Fair Coliseum before traveling to Auburn Thursday to complete the first week of 2023.
