CENTRAL NEW YORK – Area ice hockey fans had plenty of reason to feel excited about the upcoming Section III Division I playoffs, given the way that both CNY Fusion and Cicero-North Syracuse have played for large portions of the regular season.
The fact that they finished fourth and fifth, respectively, in those regular-season standings meant even more.
This Friday at 5:15 at Fulton Ice Arena, Fusion hosts C-NS in the sectional quarterfinals. Whoever wins advances to next week’s semifinal round, with the title game Feb. 26 at Upstate Medical Arena at the War Memorial.
To begin its push down the homestretch, Fusion faced Geneva (Section V) on Feb. 3 and won an exciting 6-5 decision that featured all kinds of back-and-forth play.
They traded goals each of the first two periods, ending up 2-2 after one and 5-5 going to the second intermission. Then Fusion tightened up its defense to blank Geneva in the final period while it also got the decisive goal.
Alex Kirkby, scoring twice, and Will Burns, with a goal and assist, led a well-balanced attack. Evan Haskins, Dan Devendorf and Gavin Rodman also converted, with Dylan Ling, Tyler Bertrand and Calen Brown earning assists. Boston Darois relieved Trevor Smith in goal and finished with 35 saves.
Thursday night’s regular-season finale against Mohawk Valley at Fulton Arena was a 7-1 victory for Fusion, who broke a 0-0 deadlock with a pair of second-periond goals and then erupted in the third by getting five against the Jugglers.
Rodman led the late surge, scoring twice and adding three assists. Single goals went to Kirkby, Haskins, Calen Brown, Dan Devendorf and Andrew Gabor, with Ling, Griffin Scheftic and Reilly Bizgia joining Haskins with single assists.
In between these games, there was C-NS making its way north to Haldane to face Ontario Bay and, after a slow start, domnating the late stages to beat the Storm 5-1.
Adam Pooler’s goal had Ontario Bay in front 1-0 through one, but once the Northstars got settled it scored twice in the second period to go in front and then pulled away late.
Hayden Scott led the way, his two goals running his season total to 13 along with an assist. Tanner Long and Andrew Davis were close behind, each with one goal and one assist.
Cole Prevost picked up C-NS’s other goal, while Nate Bustin, Austin Benkoski, Drew Matyasik, Jake Roskopf and Chase Mearon all got assists, too, Leyton Sullivan recording 22 saves.
