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Goalie Andrew Ross of RFA has led a defense that's given up just 15 goals all season - (Frank Ordonez/The Post-Standard, 2012)
Before the No. 1 and No. 2 ranked teams in the state play one another on Friday night, the Cicero-North Syracuse and Rome Free Academy boys ice hockey teams must get through a couple of preliminaries. The Black Knights of RFA meet Central Square Tuesday night at the Cicero Twin Rinks. The Northstars of C-NS host Ontario Bay Wednesday night in Cicero.
??? Then, they can turn their full attention to Friday.
??? That?s when the No. 1-ranked Northstars (17-1, 11-1) visit the No. 2-ranked Black Knights (14-1, 10-0) at Kennedy Arena in Rome. The Division I, East Division showdown starts at 7 p.m.
??? RFA is the only team to defeat C-NS this season. The Black Knights did so in the season opener, beating the Northstars 3-1 on Nov. 30, 2012.
??? In fact, RFA could make a good case it deserves to be ranked No. 1. Its only loss was a 4-3 overtime setback at Massena on January 12.
The new state rankings came out on Tuesday with RFA moving from No. 3 to No. 2.
??? ?To be honest, it hasn?t come up,? said RFA coach Greg Cuthbertson. ?We?ve always said rankings count at the end of the year. That?s when you want to be No. 1. It really hasn?t been in conversations we?ve had with our kids. It?s nothing the coaches talk about or think about or build up to our kids.?
??? C-NS has rattled off 17 straight victories since its loss to RFA. Eric Hamilton and Matt Fiume are ranked 1-2 in points among all hockey players in Section III. The other member of the Northstars first line, Jesse Farabee, is ranked ninth. The three players have combined for 144 total points.
If the Northstars are at the top end of the scoring pool, the Black Knights are the antithesis on defense. RFA has surrendered just 15 goals all season. It has not given up more than four goals in any game. They?ve gotten two shutouts and held opponents to two or fewer goals in 10 games.
??? More impressively, RFA has won five games by one goal and four others by two. It?s a testament to the team?s toughness and its ability to grind out the third period.
??? Cuthbertson said his team is built from the ?back end out.? That means the foundation of the Black Knights and their success starts with the defense. It?s a group led by junior captain and defenseman Tyler Williams, senior goalie Andrew Ross, junior defenseman Joey Rutkowski, junior defenseman Nicholas Nardslico and junior defenseman Justin Hussey.
??? ?I think it?s how we?re built,? Cuthbertson said of all of his team?s close wins. ?We?re built from the back end out. In year?s past, we?ve had some pretty good forwards and counted on our offensive to kind of lead us. This year, we?re just built around our defense. We?re not going to go in and blow teams out. That?s not our make-up. We?re built to win those defensive battles, keep the shots down, keep the shooters away from our goalie. We preach, take care of our end first.?
??? RFA had to battle to defeat Central Square 2-1 on December 12 at Kennedy. The Redhawks (4-12-1 and 1-9-1) have lost nine of their last 10, though they did battle well in a 3-1 loss to West Genesee on January 11. That should keep the Black Knights from the understandable and natural inclination to look ahead to Friday night?s game against the Northstars.
??? ?You know, with other teams, that would be the case (to look ahead),? Cuthbertson said. ?I think this group of kids has been really focused this year. We?ve tried to instill in our kids that you can?t look ahead, that you?ve got to play one game at a time. When you look ahead, you?re not focused on what you have to do at that period of time. In other years, I?d worry. But with this group, I think we?ve got pretty good leadership with our juniors and seniors.?
??? The doors open at Kennedy Arena on Friday at 6 p.m. Tickets are $3 for adults and $2 for students.
Staff writer Donnie Webb can be reached at 470-2149 or dwebb@syracuse.com
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