CENTRAL NEW YORK – Combining their forces once again, students from Cazenovia, Hamilton and Morrisville-Eaton are part of a single ice hockey team playing under the Lakers’ banner with most of its home games at the Morrisville State IcePlex.
That’s not where the season got underway, though.
The Lakers found itself at Onondaga Nation Arena facing Christian Brothers Academy/Jamesville-DeWitt on Thursday night and getting run over by a dominant Brothers attack in a 9-2 defeat.
Jack Donlin, back for his senior season, earned one of Cazenovia’s goals, the other one going to Rhiley Montoya. Assists were credited to Jake Hightchew, Shamus Newcomb and Jack Penoyer.
Busy all night, Ezra Stahlberg made 32 saves, but CBA/J-D had too much. Three different Brothers – Quinn Wimer, James Stanton and Grady Shanley – each scored twice, with Logan Novak getting a goal and two assists. Gavin Dunford also had a pair of assists as Jack Dement and Ryan Hayden converted goals.
Without time to rest, Cazenovia went north to the Lamante Nicholson Tournament at Ontario Bay and, with back-to-back shutouts, easily erased the troubles the first game had caused.
First, the Lakers blanked Broome County 5-0 on Friday night, quickly taking charge with a pair of first-period goals, one each by Montoya and Finn Hagan.
Then Cazenovia was kept quiet until the third period, when it pulled clear thanks to Montoya stepping up for his second and third goals of the night, completing a hat trick, not to mention a goal by Vinny DiNatale.
Newcomb and Jack Casey each earned a pair of assists, with Hightchew and Hagan also earning assists and Stahlberg stopping all 14 shots he faced.
Moving on to Saturday’s final against Ontario Bay, it turned into a showcase for Donlin, who quieted the Storm all by himself and carried the Lakers to a 6-0 victory and the tournament title.
Held without a point the night before, Donlin roared back to form and burned Ontario Bay for four goals by game’s end, helped by single tallies from Hightchew and Henry Miller, each their first in a Cazenovia uniform, as Stahlberg again had the shutout in the net.
Cazenovia goes back on the road for another set of back-to-back games late this week, visiting Watertown IHC on Thursday and going to Clinton a night later.
