ONONDAGA COUNTY – While most area high school ice hockey teams had to play somewhere during the opening week of the Section III playoffs, Skaneateles did not.
As the top seed again in Division II, the Lakers were part of a stepladder format that gave it a bye straight into the semifinals, which no. 2 seed New Hartford also earned.
Yet all that was known at week’s end was that Christian Brothers Academy/Jamesville-DeWitt was joining the Lakers and Spartans in the semifinal round.
Not until Oswego and Whitesboro met on Monday could the full semifinals be determined, with Skaneateles meeting the lowest remaining seed, which would be CBA/J-D or Whitesboro since the Buccaneers were the no. 3 seed and could only meet New Hartford.
But while the Lakers had to wait out the opening week and beyond, West Genesee, despite its own top seed in Division I, would have to begin its sectional and state title defense, but only after some rest.
A full 11 days passed between the Wildcats’ Feb. 6 regular-season finale against Watertown IHC and its return for last Saturday’s sectional quarterfinal at Shove Park, and it took a while for WG to get going – but when it did, it breezed past Mohawk Valley 6-0.
Back on Monday night, Mohawk Valley, the no. 9 seed, had come to Meachem Rink and, against no. 8 seed Syracuse, brought an end to the Cougars’ season in a 2-1 decision.
Despite the encouragement gained from late-season wins over the likes of Cicero-North Syracuse and Baldwinsville, the Cougars saw its season end with a 5-16 record.
By the time the first round ended – with Baldwinsville beating Fayetteville-Manlius in another 2-1 game (this one in overtime) and Watertown IHC topping Ontario Bay – the Jugglers were the lowest seed left.
WG had played a close one with Mohawk Valley late in January at the Nexus Center in Utica, holding on to win 4-3, and here it was scoreless in the first period -but the Wildcats took charge with three unanswered goals in the second period and then doubled that margin in the third.
In this Tuesday’s semifinal at 6:30 at Shove Park, WG will face IHC after the Cavaliers knocked off no. 3 seed Cazenovia in overtime. The other semifinal has Rome Free Academy, the no. 2 seed, meeting the winner of this Monday’s game in Fulton between no. 4 seed CNY Fusion and no. 5 seed Cicero-North Syracuse.
