CENTRAL NEW YORK – It was a pretty good time for the Cazenovia girls lacrosse team to pick up victories and gather up whatever momentum I could before the Section III Class D playoffs.
In last Monday’s game against Tully/Fabius-Pompey, the Lakers won its third in a row, shutting down the Black Knights for long stretched on the way to a 12-2 victory.
Riley Knapp, with five goals and one assist, led the way, while Madison DeAngelis got three goals and one assist. Sammy Sparks converted twice, adding an assist, with Katie Rajkowski getting a goal and two assists. Charlie Prior had the other goal, plus eight draw controls as single assists went to Prior, Megan Kuhn and Maren Smith.
By that same 10-goal margin, Cazenovia was successful against Cortland two nights later, the Lakers plenty productive during a 17-7 win over the Purple Tigers.
Leading 8-3 by halftime, Cazenovia got further away with nine different players netting goals, led by Rajkowski, who scored five times and added an assist.
Knapp had a three-goal hat trick of her own as Prior and Smith both converted twice. Kuhn had one goal and one assist, while DeAngelis, Hadley Schug, Dali Dennison and Lily Clonan also put in goals. Mackenzie Halliday finished with seven saves.
Now at 8-6, Cazenovia clinched a winning record with Friday’s 17-6 win over Jordan-Elbridge, a game where Knapp set a new career mark, scoring six times, and Reff was close behind with five goals.
DeAngelis and Kaitlyn Smithers both found the net twice as single goals went to Rajkowski and Clonan, with Smith and Leigha Fostveit earning assists.
Going into the week with a 7-5 record, Chittenango got close to clinching a winning record when it shut out Vernon-Verona-Sherrill in the first half of last Monday’s 13-2 victory over the Red Devils.
It was 7-0 at halftime, and the Bears kept adding to that margin, seeing Brooke Walters, with four goals and one assist, lead a well-balanced attack.
Ashley O’Hara scored twice, adding a pair of assists. Tomi Newkirk and Cailtyn Sgambellone also had two-goal outings as Cara Kielbasa picked up three assists. Abby Penfield and Emma Powers combined for seven saves.
Things reversed a day later, Chittenango falling 20-5 to Marcellus. O’Hara still had a three-goal hat trick, with Newkirk and Sgambellone getting the other goals as Cece Powell paced the Mustang with five goals and two assists.
Chittenango’s then lost 17-5 loss to Westhill. O’Hara had a goal and two assists, with Walters, Sgambellone, Alazayah Smith and Carlie Madonna getting the other goals. The Warriors built a 13-2 lead by halftime, led by Adelaide Lowery, who had three goals and three assists.
By the time the Bears faced Cortland Saturday, it was playing its fourth game in six days, and the toll may have played a factor in a 12-10 defeat to the Purple Tigers.
Again, O’Hara led the offense, netting four goals. Walters and Sgambellone had two goals apiece as Newkirk and Kielbasa had the other goals. Lillian Call led Cortland with five goals.
