CENTRAL NEW YORK – When it welcomed reigning state Division I champion West Genesee to the Morrisville State IcePlex Tuesday night, the Cazenovia ice hockey team owned a four-game win streak, all of it earned within an eight-day span.
Having won at the Ontario Bay Tournament Dec. 1 and 2, the Lakers were off until last Thursday night, when it again traveled north and again had a strong showing, this time defeating Watertown IHC 5-2.
All of Cazenovia’s damage was rendered in the first two periods, when it tore to a 5-0 advantage and, as a further benefit, displayed just how much scoring depth it might possess.
Five different players – Jack Penoyer, Jake Hightchew, Shamus Newcomb, Nat Gale and Jack Donlin- took turns netting goals. And though goalie Ezra Stahlberg’s long shutout streak halted in the third period, he still made enough stops to keep IHC from getting too close.
A much shorter trip followed on Friday night, Cazenovia going to Clinton Arena to face the Clinton side that this year adopted “Comets” as its new nickname, a tribute to the professional minor-league team that long played at this historic venue.
And while it proved closer than the IHC game, the Lakers still won 5-3, and found four different players to net the goals that helped produce a 4-2 advantage through two periods.
Alex Pappas, Henry Miller, Dylan George and Rhiley Montoya all found the net, and Montoya tacked on another goal in the third period to thwart the Comets’ comeback.
