Tory Cole was just a youngster when he caught Mitch Major's eye. Major, the varsity hockey coach at Skaneateles, worked with Cole in day camp and in the summer program while Cole was growing up. There was something about him that captivated Major. His effort.

Or, more precisely, his lack thereof.

“He was one of those individuals, that the way he skates and handles the puck, he has that natural ability and you can't help but notice him out there,” Major said. “Everything he does is very smooth and effortless.”

That's not to say Cole, the Lakers' second-leading scorer this season, isn't a hard worker. Talent #- which Cole has in abundance - can only take you so far. What he needed was some patience to go with it.

Off to a slow start his junior year, Cole was switched back to defense for about 10 games, a decision Major said was just to give him a new look and take some pressure off.

“Next thing you know, he's getting points in every game,” Major said. “Ironically, he started producing from the defensive position.”

His position changed after that, back to offense; his steady production didn't. This year, the senior captain, as selected by his teammates, averages more than two points per game with 15 goals and 16 assists in 15 games.

“He's become very reliable,” Major said. “I know no matter what else happens, he's going to put points up on the board.”

That's one of the reasons he gets so much ice time.

Cole, who plays on the Lakers' top line, also has the defensive skills that earned him a spot on the penalty-kill unit. Not to mention he plays an important role on the power play: the sniper.

“One of the set plays is to get Tory a high-percentage shot with the goalie moving,” Major said. “That takes the whole (power-play unit) to get him that pass, but he's the one who buries the puck.”

Still, he doesn't need a power play to make things happen. Cole has spent most of the season on the top line with Keith Buehler, a junior standout who leads the team in scoring (41 points). Together, they are the perfect complement for one another on the ice.

“It's a team sport and two guys don't make a team, that's for sure,” Major said. But it's nice in those situations where you have a close game and you need someone to count on. When you have that special talent, it gives you that one extra wild card to get over the hump.“

That hump includes three consecutive second-place finishes for the Lakers (11-4-1, 8-1-1), who currently sit atop Division II West with the playoffs looming.

For Cole, however, it's not all about lighting the lamp. It's not a coincidence that his teammates named him captain. Cole, who didn't receive much playing time as an underclassmen himself, has come a long way since his first shift, when he took a retaliation penalty.

“There was a play in front of the net, he got cross-checked and then he turned around and slashed the guy as hard as he could and got a penalty,” Major recalled. “He came back to the bench and I said, ‘Tory, what are you doing? Everybody saw it.' He said, ‘He did it to me first.' He was a freshman. He didn't know how to deal with that situation.”

Now the mentor, Cole is always striving to ensure the young Lakers don't make the same mistakes.

“He really cares for the underclassmen,” Major said. “He's always looking out for those players who may not be getting a lot of playing time. It shows a sign of maturity - the fact that he looks outside of himself and cares about them.”

Sometimes, that's all it takes.

“The biggest challenge Tory had was believing in himself,” Major said of Cole as an underclassmen. “Once he started to do that I've really seen a change in his attitude.”

The Lakers hope it'll also change their trend of finishing runner-up.