CICERO – Going into the first full week of 2025 the Cicero-North Syracuse ice hockey team was feeling quite good about what it had accomplished so far.
Ten games had passed and the Northstars were 7-2-1, which included giving state Division I no. 1-ranked West Genesee its only blemish so far this season in a 2-2 tie Dec. 19 at Shove Park.
A win in the C-NS Optimist Tournament followed, and then on Jan. 3 at the Twin Rinks the Northstars faced Ithaca and proved, once again, that it could win any type of game as it outscored the Little Red 8-5.
Things were relatively quiet until the second period when the Northstars, up 1-0, increased its output only to get caught by Ithaca and find itself even, 3-3, with one period left.
Yet C-NS burned the Little Red by scoring five times in that final period, the attack led by Emmit Porter, who accumulated six points overall thanks to his two goals and four assists.
Nate Bustin scored twice and got two assists. Jase Knopp also notched a pair of goals as Andrew Gabor got a goal and two assists, Alex Kirkby adding one goal and one assist. Austin Clarke also managed an assist.
In its only action last week C-NS was supposed to travel to Utica’s Nexus Center and take on Mohawk Valley, but it got snowed out, allowing the Northstars a bit of a mid-season breather.
A pair of key league games await this week, the Northstars meeting Syracuse at Meachem Rink Tuesday before returning home Thursday night to face Baldwinsville.
