CENTRAL NEW YORK – Even as it stayed just above the .500 mark at 7-6 overall, the Fayetteville-Manlius ice hockey team still found itself in the state Division I rankings in the no. 15 spot, a reflection of how close it had played strong opponents even in defeat.

And the Hornets were tough again in last Wednesday night’s game against Cazenovia at Cicero Twin Rinks, able to earn a 3-1 victory over the Lakers.

Right from the outset, F-M was the aggressor, scoring all of its goals in the first two periods while taking 30 shots, more than double Cazenovia’s total of 14.

Two of those goals came from Henry Dougherty, with Gavin Patnode also finding the net. Five different players – Drew Mayne, Joey Leveroni, Connor McDonald, Will Sanzone and Greyson Mucha – had one assist apiece.

Other than a second-period goal by Henry Miller, Cazenovia got nothing past Hornets goalie Chris Finger, who preserved his team’s two-goal margin throughout a scoreless final period and ran his total to 40 saves.

With no time to rest, F-M turned around Thursday night to host Watertown IHC, arguably the biggest surprise of the Division I season with its 7-3-1 record.

And the Cavaliers proved it wasn’t a fluke, defeating the Hornets 4-3 in a game all but decided in the second period when IHC broke out of a 1-1 tie with three unanswered goals, two of them by Aidan Trimper.

F-M battled back in the third, getting within one, but could not complete the comeback as Cavaliers goalie Brodie MacGregor stopped 32 of the 35 shots he faced.

Leveroni, Nico Capriotti and Teddy Smart each had goals for F-M, with assists credited to Dougherty, Sanzone and Walker Thomson.

Back in action last Friday night at Clinton Arena, Christian Brothers Academy/Jamesville-DeWitt took on Clinton and, climbing back to the .500 mark (8-8), defeated the Comets 4-2 ahead of home games this week against Whitesboro and Oswego. F-M, over a four-day span, will play three times, meeting Cicero-North Syracuse, Ontario Bay and Ithaca.