ONONDAGA COUNTY – Halfway through the regular season, the West Genesee ice hockey team stood at 9-1, which helped it climb to no. 2 in the state Division I rankings behind Suffern.
Following this, the Wildcats had three games in four nights, beginning last Tuesday with a trip north to face Ontario Bay and another high-scoring outburst in a 9-2 win over the Storm.
Will Schneid led the way, his four goals putting him past 100 career points as Jackson Pensabene achieved his first goal in a WG uniform.
Michael Hard, Will Shields, Riley McAloon and Jonah Vormwold also earned goals, with Owen Zoanetti getting three assists. Jared Jaeger had two assists as Shields, Christian Ball, Jack Gianuzzi, Michael Vetter and Ryan Considine also had assists.
Two nights later at State Fair Coliseum, WG faced Fayetteville-Manlius, and while the Hornets’ defense put up a strong resistance, the Wildcats still prevailed by a 4-1 margin.
F-M goalie Chris Finger would make 37 saves and keep the game within range, but the Hornets were unable to get one past Luke Beck, who had 21 saves, until Nikolas Sergeev converted in the third period.
Building a 2-0 edge, WG then scored twice in the third, ultimately having Shields and Jaeger both get two assists. Schneid and Liam Burns each had one goal and one assist as Hard and Jackson Pensabene also scored, with Considine nad David Petrus also earning assists.
Then it was Friday’s showdown with state no. 6-ranked Victor at Shove Park, another instance where a close game against a state-ranked opponent did not go the Wildcats’ way as it lost 2-1 to the Blue Devils.
Kyle Evanchak converted on a rebound midway through the first period, Petrus and Jacob Pensabene adding assists, giving WG a 1-0 edge, but it would not last.
Drew McCandless tied it for Victor in the second and, in the third, Parker Erwin netted the go-ahead goal, something the Wildcats could not answer. Beck finished with 15 saves.
Syracuse continued its mid-season revival last Tuesday at Meachem Rink, the Cougars facing Cicero-North Syracuse and working its way past the Northstars 7-5.
Steadily, Syracuse built a 5-2 lead through two periods and withstood C-NS’s late surge led by Nick Rayfield, who had a career-best four goals and added an assist.
Gaho Shenandoah scored twice, with Jameson Bucktooth getting the other goal as he and Adam Frye both got two assists. Single assists went to Sam Militello, Will Glass, Owen Etoll, Mike Devereaux and Liam McCullough.
The Cougars’ momentum was halted Friday in a 9-2 defeat to Rochester McQuaid, who dropped Syracuse’s overall record to 4-9.
In girls hockey, the combined Skaneateles/West Genesee side claimed a hard-fought 2-1 decision over Oswego last Tuesday night.
It was the Buccaneers getting on the board first with Isabelle Dobson’s goal in the first period, but from there the Lakers would keep Oswego quiet, Isabelle Wells earning 17 saves.
Patient on the attack, Skaneateles/WG tied it in the second and then got the go-ahead with less than seven minutes left in regulation, hanging on from there.
Finley Hogan and Lily Kennedy picked up the goals, with Cora Major and Kendra Garlock earning assists. The Lakers overcame 23 saves by Bucs goalie Nyah Dawson.
