CENTRAL NEW YORK – With back-to-back games last weekend against a pair of league rivals, the Cazenovia ice hockey team would get the perfect measure of where it stood heading into the Section III Division I playoffs.
The Lakers first hosted Rome Free Academy last Friday night at SUNY-Morrisville IcePlex and, in a back-and-forth affair, the Black Knights had the last surge, handing Cazenovia a 5-3 defeat.
Forrest Ives put the Lakers in front in the first period, only to have Brandon Natale answer for RFA. Then, in the second period, the Black Knights scored twice to build a 3-1 advantage.
Now it was Cazenovia’s turn to rally, Logan Hull converting at even strength and Jack Donlin on the power play to make it 3-3 going into the final period. Ives assisted on both goals.
But in the opening minute of the third, John Sharrino found the net and RFA led again. For the rest of the period, the Lakers were unable to answer it and Tyler Wilson’s empty-net goal clinched it for the Black Knights.
Aside from Ives, Jacob Grevelding and Jack Casey also picked up assists. Ezra Stahlberg, in goal, recorded 17 saves, with Black Knights counterpart Donte Sparace getting 23 saves.
A day later, it was Cazenovia against Cicero-North Syracuse at the Twin Rinks, and for a long while it looked like the Lakers would get a much-needed win, only to have the Northstars rally late and prevail 7-5.
It was Cazenovia getting the jump, James Dampson scoring twice and Jack Donlin adding a goal as the Lakers roared to a 3-1 advantage by the end of the first period.
During the second, C-NS cut it to 3-2, but Ives answered, only to have the Northstars close the gap to 4-3 headed into the third and then tie it early in the final period.
Donlin’s second goal had Cazenovia in front again, but in the last five minutes C-NS broke through with the tying and go-ahead goals, plus an insurance tally before the horn.
Ives and Bryson Weaver each finished the day with two assists. Casey added a single assist as Stahlberg and Tucker Ives combined for 22 saves.
With 11 teams in the sectional tournament, the top five seeds – Baldwinsville, West Genesee, Syracuse, C-NS and RFA – would get byes into the quarterfinals.
Cazenovia, on Tuesday night, hosts Mohawk Valley, with Watertown IHC facing Ontario Bay and Fayetteville-Manlius getting Liverpool.
