CENTRAL NEW YORK – In very different manners, the West Genesee and Skaneateles boys ice hockey teams offered important reminders to all possible challengers that the road to glory still runs through them.
In the Lakers’ case, the choice of statement was an emphatic 7-0 romp over Christian Brothers Academy/Jamesville-DeWitt at Onondaga Nation Arena in an early clash of unbeaten Division II sides.
Having paid full attention to what the Brothers did in starting its season with three straight wins, the Lakers were patient in the early going, waiting for opportunities to spring up.
They did so in the second period as Skaneateles, up 1-0, struck four times to put CBA/J-D away, with Luke Mizro at the forefront as he would record a three-goal hat trick and add an assist.
Jack Marquardt scored twice, with Jack Torrey getting three assists. Luke Bobbett and Sutton Paro had single goals as Cole Palmer got two assists and single assists went to Sean Kerwick, Andrew Gaglione and Casey Morrissey, with the Lakers taking 51 shots to the Brothers’ 11.
If this was impressive, what Skaneateles did to Route 20 rival Auburn at Casey Park two nights later was downright emphatic, with all of the goals in the first two periods of a 12-0 destruction of the Maroons.
During the onslaught, Braden Taggart had a breakthrough performances, scoring three times for a hat trick and adding an assist as Marquardt and Gaglione got two goals apiece.
Tyler Calkins had a goal and two assists, Tye Kennedy getting a goal and two assists. Torrey, Morrissey and Trevor Jensen also found the net, with Palmer, Kaden Rutledge and Addison Taggart getting two assists apiece. Mizro, Paro, Luke Bobbett, Jack Bobbett and Andrew Falkenberg also had assists.
Far different, and far more exciting, was West Genesee’s 5-4 win over Cazenovia last Tuesday at Morrisville State IcePlex where the Wildcats pulled it out despite blowing two different two-goal leads.
Even after the Wildcats jumped out 2-0 in the first period, Jack Donlin’s goal cut the margin in half before the period was done. Then Donlin struck again to tie it, 2-2, early in the second before the Wildcats reclaimed the lead.
Trailing 4-2 going to the third, Cazenovia again fought back, Shamus Newcomb and Jake Hightchew each putting in goals to tie the game as Dylan George had two assists, single assists going to Donlin, Hightchew and Lucas Cornish.
With five minutes left in regulation, though, WG’s Christian Ball put one past Ezra Stahlberg on a breakaway, and the Wildcats held on from there, having overcome Stahlberg’s 22 saves.
Jackson Pensabene earned a pair of goals, with Nick Meluni and Jesse Desena joining Ball earning single goals. Desena, Ball, Parker Berg, Carson Berg, Matt Schneid, Jacob Pensabene, Evan Zoanetti and Jonah Vormwold had one assist apiece.
Back at Shove Park Friday night, WG faced Cicero-North Syracuse and saw its offense struggle at times, but it did just enough to push past the Northstars 3-1.
One goal in each period proved enough, despite C-NS goalie Leyton Sullivan’s 32 saves. Vormwold had two assists as Meluni and Jacob Pensabene each had one goal and one assist, the other goal going to Desena.
Syracuse hosted CNY Fustion (the newly-combined Fulton and Liverpool team) last Tuesday night and was trailing 3-0 through two periods when bad ice halted and, ultimately, stopped the game.
A full game was played on Friday, though, and the Cougars rallied past Ithaca 3-2 in overtime, managing to overcome a 1-0 deficit through two periods by getting all of its offense in the late going.
Nick Rayfield and Ryan Victoriano each finished with one goal and one assist. Will Glass got the other goal, Grady Etoll adding an assist as each of Conor Rose’s 31 saves would prove important.
