CENTRAL NEW YORK – Now the area’s pair of high school ice hockey teams know they will host Section III playoff games this week.
Fayetteville-Manlius, who went 11-8-1 in the regular season but also beat the likes of Skaneateles, Rome Free Academy and Cicero-North Syracuse, earned the no. 4 seed in Division I.
This means the Hornets face no. 5 seed Cazenovia Wednesday night in the sectional quarterfinals at Cicero Twin Rinks, the two sides having played to a 4-4 tie in mid-January at Morrisville State IcePlex.
As for Christian Brothers Academy/Jamesville-DeWitt in Division II, it had a chance, if the weather held and all the games were played, to surge to the no. 2 seed behind Skaneateles if it won out and Whitesboro lost its last two games.
Things held for last Wednesday’s game against Oswego at Crisafulli Rink and, with a fine all-around effort, the Brothers put away the Buccaneers by a score of 6-2.
The key to the game was a second period where CBA/J-D, up 1-0 going into the frame, added three more goals to offset both of Oswego’s tallies from Mason Naumann and Jason Bartlett.
Charlie LeTourneau scored twice, with Liam Harty getting a goal and assist. Grady Shanley, Ryan Hayden and Coby Steele also converted as Griffon Filighera and Logan Novak picked up assists.
A night later another key road trip, to Clinton, would determine if CBA/J-D ultimately passed Whitesboro (who lost to Skaneateles 8-0 earlier in the week) in the standings for the time being.
And the Brothers pulled it off, prevailing 3-1 over the Comets with a timely late scoring surge from Hayden to go with consistent defense.
Shanly’s goal in the first period was the only early CBA/J-D conversion, the visitors going quiet as Clinton tied it, 1-1, on Nolan O’Brien’s goal assisted by Dylan Monroe.
Then, early in the third period, the Brothers applied net pressure and a shot glanced off Comets goalie Carter Jarvis right to Hayden, who netted the eventual game-winner.
Justin Buffum stopped 20 of the 21 shots he faced overall, and Hayden tacked on an empty-net goal to clinch it. Novak got two assists, with single assists going to Harty and Jacob Dubrey. Jarvis, in defeat, recorded 35 saves.
Even with all this, CBA/J-D would need Auburn to upset Whitesboro Monday to have the no. 2 playoff seed, otherwise getting the no. 3 seed and playing Cortland-Homer in the quarterfinals at Onondaga Nation Arena this Thursday at 7 p.m.
