The Oswego Buccaneers boys hockey team played the Cicero North Syracuse (CNS) Northstars in a high-scoring, Section III hockey battle on Friday night. With a final score of 7-5, the Buccaneers came away with the victory. 

The first period of hockey saw one goal scored by junior Marcus Baker with 1:09 left in the period. Just 33 seconds later, senior captain Adam Michalski was sent to the penalty box for the Buccaneers, resulting in a CNS power play. Oswego had no challenge killing the penalty and carried this newfound momentum through the rest of the second period, scoring the first five goals of the game.\

Just 2:28 into the second period, sophomore Brayden Miller netted a goal, giving the Buccaneers a 2-0 lead. Two minutes later, senior Frank Wincheck scored a breakaway goal to extend the Buccaneers lead to three, but the scoring fun had just started. With 4:38 left in the period, junior Collin Cianfarano scored a goal and followed it up with another one just two minutes later on a solo-zone entry, giving him two goals on the night.

As the scoreboard read 5-0, the Northstars crept their way back into the game. Emmit Porter, an eighth-grader, scored the first of the night for CNS with 1:10 remaining giving the Northstars a glimmer of hope. 

Oswego answered back with the first of the season for junior Jack O’Leary who made it 6-1 with just 17 seconds left in the period. With little time remaining, CNS found its second of the night just six seconds later off the stick sophomore Braden Porter, the older brother of Emmit. As both teams trotted back to their locker rooms, the scoreboard read 6-2 at the end of a goal-scoring frenzy of a second period.

The Northstars shined bright in the third period, though it still would not be enough to take down the Buccaneers. They opened the scoring 1:31 into the last frame with a goal scored by senior Aiden Mackenzie, his first of the year, to cut the lead down to 6-3.

Collin Cianfarano scored his third of the night with 11:15 remaining, after collecting a rebound and placing it over the pad of Jordan Miller, the CNS goaltender. Miller had a rough night in net, letting in 7 goals on 30 shots which was unlike his last outing against Oswego, where he made 28 saves and got the win on Jan. 25, 2019. Emmit Porter scored his second of the night, making it just a three-goal game with 8:12 remaining.

With a 7-4 score, all the Buccaneers had to do is stay out of the penalty box to protect their lead and secure a win. While they did maintain the lead, the Buccaneers could not stay out of the net, as 6:42 of the last 8:12 were spent on the penalty kill, after a tripping minor from junior Lukas Cady as well as a minor and major from Wincheck. Wincheck’s first penalty was with 7:39 remaining and just 11 seconds into his four-minute major, freshman Andrew Davis scored the final goal of the game, making it 7-5. 

Although senior netminder Brandon Demling played a vital role for Oswego with 24 saves, junior Collin Cianfarano stole the show. With a hat trick and five total points on the night, Cianfarano was the focal point for the Buccaneers forecheck in the win.

The next game for the Oswego Buccaneers is Saturday night at 6:30, against Christian-Brothers Academy at the Crisafulli Ice Rink.