CENTRAL NEW YORK – It was a great week for the West Genesee boys ice hockey team beyond the fact that it completed its own unbeaten regular season.
Before it even took the ice the Wildcats found itself back in first place in Division I because Rome Free Academy suffered its first loss of the season at home 6-2 to Fayetteville-Manlius.
Still, WG had a challenge of its own last Tuesday when it traveled north to face Watertown IHC, who was battling for third place in the league standings and was riding a five-game unbeaten streak.
The Wildcats passed that test with a 6-2 victory over the Cavaliers, the game breaking open when WG, up 2-1 through a period, struck for four unanswered goals in the second.
Jonah Vormwold netted his 33rd and 34th goals of the season, adding an assist. Jacob Pensabene got three assists and Carson Berg two assists as Jackson Pensabene and Christian Ball each had one goal and one assist. Brayden Carvel and Mike Vetter also scored, with assists going to Parker Berg, Ryan Long and Greg Wood.
As for Skaneateles, any concerns that may have arisen from a tight 4-2 win over F-M on Jan. 30 dissipated in the midst of last Tuesday night’s 10-0 romp over Oswego at Crisafulli Rink.
A steady, relentless attack netted three goals in the first and third periods and four in the second, with Luke Mizro earning a three-goal hat trick and Braedan Taggart a career-best five assists while Cole Palmer had four assists.
Tye Kennedy had a goal and two assists, with Kaden Rutledge, Luke Logan and Sutton Paro each getting one goal and one assist. Addison Taggart and Cole Campbell added goals.
Remarkably Skaneateles would get another 10-0 shutout at Cortland-Homer on Friday night, this time with twin hat tricks earned by Palmer and Braedan Taggart as they each got an assist, too.
Mizro and defenseman Jackson Tank both notched two assists to go with their lone goals. Tyler Calkins and Luke Bobbett each got one goal and one assist, with Kennedy leading all players earning four assists.
Syracuse gained for itself some confidence before the sectional playoffs last Tuesday night when, against Baldwinsville, it pulled out a 3-2 overtime victory over the Bees.
Having gone 4-1-1 in its previous six games, B’ville had recovered well from a rough first half of the regular season and led here 1-0 through one period, bu the Cougars tied it in the second, exchanged goals in the final period and then pulled it out in the OT.
Will Scanlon carried Syracuse with a goal and assisting on both of Nick Rayfield’s tallies to overcome 30 saves by Zach Bice, which equaled the total on the other end by Conor Rose. Gaho Shenandoah also had an assist as Alessio McGrane and Joe Toland found the net for B’ville.
This carried over into last Friday’s game against Mohawk Valley where the Cougars blanked the Jugglers 6-0, the defense steady all nigh anchored by Rose stopping all 24 shots he faced.
Syracuse was up 2-0 before breaking it open in the third, with Ryan Victoriano at the forefront having earned his first three-goal hat trick of the season plus an assist. Scanlon, Braydon Amidon and Isaiah Polhamus had the other goals, with Rayfield and Shenandoah each getting two assists and single assists going to Grady Etoll and L.J. Ousby.
