CENTRAL NEW YORK – Five consecutive defeats by a combined 10 goals had threatened to derail a promising season for the Cazenovia boys lacrosse team, who had tumbled all the way back to the .500 mark.
But the Lakers started to recover during the last full week of the regular season, getting a trio of lopsided victories to move to 9-6 overall.
It began with last Moday’s 16-7 victory over Tully/Fabius-Pompey, where Cazenovia got a season-best performance from D.B. Falge, who netted five goals and added an assist.
Brody Coleman also scored five times, with Forrest Ives getting three goals and one assist. Wyatt Hartley had two goals and one assist, with James LaFever adding a goal and two assists. Tanner Ackermann picked up five ground balls, two behind Ives’ total of seven.
Finally at home to face Jordan-Elbridge Thursday as the sun set over the Sean Goggin Sports Complex, the Lakers played a near-perfect second half to put away the Eagles 16-7.
Led by Wade Brunelle, who had four goals and two assists, J-E pulled within one, 8-7, by halftime, but the Lakers answered with a dominant third quarter and didn’t let the Eagles score the rest of the way.
Ultimately, Coleman’s seven goals matched the Eagles’ entire lineup as he added an assist. Jack Wright had two goals and three assists, while Ives and Chris Vecchiarelli also scored twice. Falge had a goal and two assists as Hartley and LaFever converted, too, overcoming 20 saves by J-E goalie Austin Brunelle.
Cazenovia kept it up on Saturday afternoon by taking out Cortland 20-2, netting 14 unanswered goals in the first half and seeing Coleman score eight times to go with a pair of assists.
Falge and Ben Blanco both had three-goal hat tricks, Falge adding a trio of assists. LaFever had two goals as Hartley had a goal and two assists. Ives, Alex Kuper and Will Guider also earned goals.
Chittenango peaked in the second quarter of last Monday’s game against Whitesboro, averaging a goal per minute on the way to 12 goals in that frame and a 19-10 victory over the Warriors.
A day later, the Bears ran into Marcellus and lost, 16-4, to the Mustangs. Brendon Barnard had two goals, with the others going to Alex Moesch and Vince Lazzaro. Adam Rayfield and Chris Doshna led Marcellus with four goal apiece.
More goals were put up on Thursday, when Chittenango rolled past Holland Patent 22-8 as Ryan Moesch set a new career mark, scoring seven times to go with a pair of assists.
Barnard matched that point total, with four goals and five assists, and Meeks Vaughn complemented his three goals with six asssits as Lazzaro also scored four times. Jacob Owens, Alex Moesch and Jaden Miner had one goal apiece.
A day later, Chittenango ran into 11-1 Westhill and lost, 20-6, to the Warriors, who were up 13-5 by halftime and didn’t let up despite three goals from Barnard and two goals from Ryan Moesch. Emmet Starowicz (five goals, one assist) and Kyle Rosenberger (four goals, five assists) paced the Warriors.
