by Paul Lane
BUFFALO – Mitch Major’s last business trip to Buffalo was an unmitigated success.
The Skaneateles boys hockey coach made history in his final game Sunday, coaching the Lakers to the first three-peat in state tournament history.
Major’s players sent him into retirement in grand fashion, shutting out Section X’s Ogdensburg 3-0 to give Major one last celebration at LECOM Harborcenter in Buffalo.
The Lakers never trailed during the weekend and opened the scoring early Sunday, capitalizing on a two-man advantage four minutes into the first period.
Senior Luke Mizro beat Blue Devils goalie Ty Jacobs up high off a Luke Bobbett pass to make the score 1-0. The Lakers were outshot in the period 13-9 but withstood late Ogdensburg pressure thanks to senior goalie Danny Angelina, who stopped every shot he faced.
“Danny’s been great for us throughout this,” Major said of his graduating goalie.
Momentum swung the other way early in the second period, with Skaneateles using its size to keep Ogdensburg out of the Lakers zone. The Blue Devils went the first seven minutes of the period without a shot and only managed three in the period overall.
While the Lakers defense strangled the Blue Devils, an opportunistic offense helped stretch the Skaneateles lead.
Just after killing a penalty, Bobbett took a tipped shot from center ice and rushed in on goal. Jacobs stopped his shot, but a trailing Kaden Rutledge tapped in the rebound from the goalies right to make the score 2-0 at the 10-minute mark. That was the only one of 12 Lakers shots to be converted in the period.
“They never quit,” Angelina said of the defenders in front of him. “We needed good focus today, and we got it.”
Addison Taggart sealed it in the third period, winning a battle for a loose puck and converting a wrist shot to score the game’s last goal a minute into the period. The Lakers defense kept the Blue Devils at bay, allowing only six shots through the final 17 minutes.
“It’s a great feeling to give this to coach Major,” Angelina said. “With this win, it puts a cherry on top of my career here.”
These Lakers earned their spot in Sunday’s final by besting Williamsville East (Section VI) 4-2 in the semifinal game the day before.
The hometown Flames were done in by a four-goal surge in an eight-minute span of the second period. Rutledge scored twice in that span, with Tyler Calkins and Braeden Taggart adding the others. Angelina saved 43 of the 45 shots he faced.
Major said his team’s approach entering the weekend wasn’t on the destination, but the journey.
“We didn’t talk about winning and losing,” he said. “We wanted to get the most out of what we have. And we did.”
Major said he spent his final moments on the bench looking in disbelief as his trainer, realizing his final game would result in a third straight championship.
Though he plans to continue teaching and work to mentor future coaches, the finality of Major’s Lakers career hadn’t fully sunk in after Sunday’s game – not amid a championship celebration.
“This is a fantastic feeling right now,” he said.
