Whether it was payback 12 months in the making or the reinforcement of a dominance over its opposition, the West Genesee and Skaneateles ice hockey teams both moved within two wins of their respective state championships.
The Wildcats’ 6-4 victory over Orchard Park Saturday at Buffalo’s LECOM Harborcenter in the Division I regional final avenged last year’s 1-0 defeat at Shove Park to those same Quakers in this same regional round.
Nothing like that was needed for the Lakers, although its 10-2 romp over Franklin Academy at Allyn Arena in Saturday night’s Division II regional final was much more like the team’s usual style after the overtime escape it made against CBA/Jamesville-DeWitt in the sectional title game earlier in the week.
WG’s task against Orchard Park involved more than just atonement, for it also required a lot of patience and perseverance as the Quakers broke the Wildcats’ shutout streak when Jack Ciano netted the only goal of the first period.
A wild second period followed. WG tied the game, then did so again after Ciano’s second goal. Yet another exchange of goals late in the period left the teams tied 3-3 going into the third, but it was already tied for the most goals the Wildcats had allowed in any game this season.
Then WG leaned on its depth in the final period, pushing its way to a 5-3 lead. Orchard Park cut it to one, but a late insurance goal sealed the Wildcats’ return trip to the Harborcenter the following weekend.
Nick Meluni and Christian Ball both stepped up to score twice, with Jonah Vormwold earning his 39th goal of the season and Matt Schneid also converting. Luke Beck stopped 24 of the 28 Quakers shots he faced.
WG won’t be alone representing Section III in Buffalo, for Skaneateles is in pursuit of its third consecutive state Division II title after overwhelming Franklin Academy, an at-large team from Section X, building an insurmountable 7-2 lead through two periods and then reaching double digits in the final minutes.
Luke Mizro, who scored the OT game-winner against CBA/J-D, put up a hat trick here, his three goals running his season total to 34 as Braedan Taggart and Luke Bobbett both finished with two goals and one assist and Jack Bobbett earned four assists.
Cole Palmer and Kaden Rutledge chimed in with three assists apiece, Rutledge adding a goal as Nate Orsen and Addison Taggart also found the net. Tye Kennedy and Asher Kozub also earned assists.
And this leads the Lakers to Buffalo where, Saturday morning at 9 a.m., it faces Section VI’s Williamsville East (a team it beat 4-1 in the finals of the Duke Schneider Tournament Jan. 4) in the state semifinals, the winner to get Queensbury or Ogdensburg in Sunday’s 11 a.m. final.
WG gets its turn in the state semifinals at 2 p.m. on Saturday facing Section V’s Pittsford. Suffern, a team the Wildcats beat in another 4-1 decision late in December in Camillus) meets Shenendehowa in the other semifinal, with the championship game Sunday also at 2 p.m.
