CENTRAL NEW YORK – Already the Fayeteville-Manlius ice hockey team has played more than half its games, accumulating a 6-5 record and sitting fourth in the Division I standings. Yet the Hornets were 6-3 going into a two-game trip north where, on Dec. 27 and 28, it would have difficulty for long stretches of ice time, leading to a pair of defeats. First there was a 4-2 loss to Ogdensburg at Alexandria Bay Municipal Arena where neither team scored until the second period, when Ogdensburg struck for three goals to take the lead for good.A All F-M would get in response were goals by Tyler Mayne and Henry Dougherty, with Connor McDonald, Gavin Patnode, Drew Mayne and Jack Lalik earning assists. Sean Lamarche recorded 24 saves. Playing Thousand Islands 24 hours later on that same Alexandria Bay ice the Hornets saw Tyler Mayne score in the first period, assisted by Will Sanzone. The game remained 1-1 until the third period, when Thousand Islands got the go-ahead and insurance goals to win it 3-1, overcoming 20 saves from Lamarche and playing sensational defense to stifle F-M all through the closing stretch. Back home at Cicero Twin Rinks last Friday night, F-M would face the Adirondack Rivermen, and a new year brought a different result, too, as the Hornets prevailed by a score of 5-2. Christian Brothers Academy/Jamesville-DeWitt made its own trip to the Twin Rinks for the Cicero-North Syracuse Optimist Tournament where, in the Dec. 28 opening round, it defeated New Hartford 3-1. Bolting to a 2-0 first-period advantage, the Brothers traded goals in the second and maintained pressure all game long, only kept from more by 43 saves from Spartans goalie Rocco Mastrovito-Smith. Griffon Filighera picked up a goal and assist, with Logan Novak adding a pair of assists. Ryan Hayden and Jacob Reynolds also found the net. Then it was CBA/J-D against host C-NS in the Dec. 29 final, but this one belonged to the Northstars, who were up 4-0 after one period and cruised from there, handing the Brothers a 6-1 defeat. Only a second-period goal by Novak prevented a shutout as C-NS goalie Trevor Smith made 30 saves. Justin Buffum had 36 saves, but the Northstars got two goals apiece from Nate Bustin and David Cooley to lead its charge. Rebounding on Friday night, CBA/J-D went south to face Section IV”s Broome County and put up plenty of goals on the way to a 7-5 victory. This win required CBA/J-D to rely heavily on its depth. Six different players netted goals, with only Henry Boynton scoring twice. Jack Dement had a goal and assist, with Novak and Grady Shanly each earning a pair of assists. Filighera, Hayden, Coby Steele and Brody Novak took turns netting goals, all of them needed as Paul Brown and Liam Harty added assists.