FM hockey emerges 52 from busy opening stretch
Dec 13, 2024
CENTRAL NEW YORK – Perhaps nothing the Fayetteville-Manlius ice hockey team faces will top the effort it took to get through four games in a five-day stretch in the first week of December.
First there was the West Genesee Ice Breaker Tournament at Shove Park, where the Hornets lost a tough 3-2 decision to Syracuse in the opening round but then knocked off reigning two-time state Division II champion Skaneateles 5-2 in the consolation round.
Then F-M hosted its own tournament at Cicero Twin Rinks, starting Dec. 6 with a 6-1 romp over Section II’s Bethlehem where it blanked the Eagles after the second period while tacking on three goals to add to it 3-1 margin.
Only Jack Lalik scored twice on the Hornets’ side. Drew Mayne, Nico Capriotti, Connor McDonald and Will Sanzone also netted goals, with Tyler Mayne earning two assists. Greyson Mucha, Henry Dougherty, Asa Black, Brian Tonkovich and Jack Schalk had one assists apiece.
Moving to the Dec. 7 final against Thousand Islands, F-M trailed 1-0 after one period before a big second period produced a lead and the Hornets held on late to prevail 3-2.
Twice in that second period Sanzone found the net, with Lalik earning the other goal. Gavin Patnode grabbed a pair of assists as Capriott, Noah Chen and Dimitry Segreev also had assists. Each of Sean Lamarche’s 18 saves proved important.
There was no letup in the schedule, though, as Syracuse came to the Twin Rinks Tuesday before it hosted Baldwinsville on Thursday night.
Though it sought to avenge that defeat to the Cougars a week earlier, F-M could not do so, taking a 5-3 defeat as its record went to 0-2 against Syracuse and 4-0 against everyone else.
Here, the first period proved decisive, the Cougars jumping out 3-0 and never getting caught led by Nick Rayfield’s two goals and two assists.
F-M took more shots, but 36 of them were turned away by Conor Rose. Still, Dougherty led the comeback attempt, scoring twice and assisting on McDonald’s goal as he joined Sanzone and Mayne with single assists.
Back at the Twin Rinks Thursday to face Baldwinsville, the Hornets continued to excel outside of the Syracuse realm, recording its biggest-ever victory over the Bees in a 5-0 shutout.
Leading the way, Lemarche turned back all 23 of B’ville’s shots. A three-goal second period provided the getaway as F-M was led by Sanzone scoring twice and getting a pair of assists.
Capriotti, Dougherty and Drew Mayne put in their own goals, with Patnode earning two assists. Dougherty, Aiden Ashworth, Colton Walkup and Tyler Mayne had one assist apiece.
Christian Brothers Academy/Jamesville-DeWitt took a 2-1 record into back-to-back games early this week, traveling to New Hartford before hosting Ithaca at Onondaga Nation Arena.
The first of these games produced one of the biggest goal totals in program history as the Brothers kept on finding the net against New Hartford and didn’t let up until it had pounded the Spartans 14-2.
Hat tricks were earned by Jack Dement, whose five goals set a new caree rmark, and Ryan Hayden, who scored three times. Paul Brown tacked on a pair of goals.
Griffon Filighera earned three assists and Logan Novak two assists as they joined Henry Boynton and Denver Qioa with single goals. Charlie Letourneau earned four assists, Grady Shanly adding three assists as Liam Harty got two assists and Brody Novak joined Boynton with single assists.
From that extreme of 14 goals, CBA/J-D went to the other end of it against Ithaca, blanked 4-0 by the Little Red, whose constant attack led to goals despite a fine effort from Buffum, who made 36 saves.
As the Brothers host Oswego and Whitesboro next week, F-M will challenge West Genesee Tuesday at the Twin Rinks before hosting CNY Fusion two nights later.