CORTLAND – Due to its own all-out effort, the Cazenovia ice hockey team made its appearance in the Dec. 28-29 Cortland-Homer Tournament a memorable way to conclude 2023, even if it only resulted in a second-place finish.
Entering the tournament with a 5-3 record, the Lakers found itself in trouble against Albany’s Christian Brothers Academy in the opening round before rallying for a dramatic 6-5 overtime victory.
Other than Henry Miller’s goal, the first period proved forgettable, Albany CBA going out in front and then stretching it to 4-1 in the second before Lucas Cornish and Shamus Newcomb converted, cutting Cazenovia’s deficit to 4-3 with one period left.
Keyed by goals from Jack Donlin and Finn Hagan, Cazenovia finally caught up in the third, took it to overtime at 5-5 and then, with just 27 seconds left in the extra period, Rhiley Montoya netted the game-winner.
Montoya was Cazenovia’s sixth different goal-scorer, all of it aided by the generosity of Donlin, Miller and Newcomb, who joined Montoya earning a pair of assists. Splitting the time in goal, Ezra Stahlberg and Tucker Ives made 26 saves between them.
The tournament final pitted the Lakers against Fayetteville-Manlius, who beat host Cortland-Homer 7-3 in the other half of the opening round.
They were scoreless until the second period, when the Hornets went out in front, only to have Donlin convert off a feed from Cornish to tie it up, 1-1.
But F-M countered with two more tallies before the period was up and, helped by Chris Finger stopping 23 of Cazenovia’s 24 shots, prevailed 3-1 over the Lakers, their goals having come from Drew Mayne, Tyler Mayne and Will Sanzone. Ives, again in goal, finished with 22 saves.
Now the Lakers got some rest, having played to a 6-4 record in the first half of the season. It resumes next Tuesady against Mohawk Valley at the Nexus Center in Utica.
