CENTRAL NEW YORK – Once more, the Cazenovia field hockey team is hard at work, eager to test itself both against Onondaga High School League foes and then well beyond.
It was a stark contrast to the Lakers’ abbreviated 2020 season, where it played just six times, notching only a single victories while absorbing three losses and two draws.
Cazenovia started at the Sept. 1-2 Fayetteville-Manlius Tournament, where it put a serious scare into the host Hornets before it took a 1-0 defeat.
For more than 50 minutes, the game stayed 0-0, with the defenses on both ends limiting scoring opportunities. Lakers goalie Mackenzie Halliday only had to make three saves.
Then, with eight minutes left, F-M’s Natalie Rameas took a pass from Nora Wilson and flicked a shot past Halliday, and Cazenovia could not answer it.
However, the confidence gained by such a strong all-around performance carried over into the consolation game against Cortland, where the Lakers reached the win column by beating the Purple Tigers 3-1.
Putting on constant pressure, Cazenovia broke out in front 1-0 by halftime, then doubled that margin as it took 13 shots to Cortland’s two.
Hadley Schug, Sammy Sparks and Nadia Segal took turns finding the net, with assists going to Sophie Clancy and Reid McMurtrie.
After a week to rest and practice, Cazenovia hosted a Rome Free Academy side that went undefeated in the abbreviated 2020 season but had dropped its season opener 5-0 to Cicero-North Syracuse.
It proved quite a game, the two sides tied 1-1 at halftime and again exchanging goals in the second half before the Black Knights pulled it out by a 3-2 margin.
McMurtrie scored, as did Ainsley Schug, with Halliday recording four saves. RFA pulled it out thanks to Alanna Fragapane’s pair of goals, plus a goal by Alyssa Nardslico.
Homer visited Burton Street two days later, and it was decided in the first half, the Lakers dashing out to a 4-0 advantage on the way to defeating the Trojans 7-2.
Cazenovia would now face three consecutive road games, starting with trips to Port Byron and Cato-Meridian this week and continuing Sept. 22 at Weedsport.
