CENTRAL NEW YORK – Following a rough opening week that included three consecutive losses, the Cazenovia field hockey team found out that all it really needed to do was come back home to be comfortable again.
And when the Lakers welcomed Cato-Meridian to Burton Street Elementary last Monday afternoon, it took advantage of familiarity with home to lock down on defense and get one scoring spurt to beat the Blue Devils 2-0.
Having lost to Camden and Vernon-Verona-Sherrill by equal 2-0 margins in Baldwinsville’s Huntington Tournament, Cazenovia, playing for the third time in four days, stayed patient throughout a scoreless first half.
Then the Lakers took charge in the third quarter. Reid McMurtrie and Isabella Fazio both hit shots past Cato goalie Madison Morsdorf, and the defense made it stick, anchored by Madison Rothfeld, who had six saves.
Two days later, at Weedsport, Cazenovia made it back-to-back wins, again leaning on its defense and keeping the Warriors off the board while waiting until overtime to pull off a 1-0 victory.
All through the 60 minutes of regulation, the Lakers’ defense – with Grace Kingsley and Zosia Synborski working the middle, flanked on the left by Lucy Hagan and the right by Olivia Franks – silenced Weedsport, holding it to just one direct shot, yet found it difficult on the other end to get in front.
Weedsport goalie Arieanna Giacalone made seven saves, but in the seven-on-seven OT period the Lakers maintained the pressure and Meghan Mehlbaum, taking a pass from Isabella Fazio, put one past Giacalone for the game-winner.
After a Friday off day from practice that included kayaking on Cazenovia Lake, the team was back on the field Monday to face Homer and start a homestand that included Port Byron/Union Springs on Wednesday and Fayetteville-Manlius on Friday.
