CENTRAL NEW YORK – For the entire last full week of September, the Cazenovia field hockey team would play on home grounds at Burton Street Elementary School, starting in summer warmth and ending with a fall chill.
In between the rains that fell last Monday, the Lakers were able to squeeze in its game against Homer, making in three wins in a row by handling the Trojans 5-1.
Streaking to a 4-0 advantage by halftime, Cazenovia ultimately had five different goal-scorers. Grace Kingsley, Hannah Adams, Reid McMurtrie, Maya Gilmore and Margaret Huftalen each took turns pouring shots into the net.
They were helped by assists from Bella Fazio and Meghan Mehlbaum, with Homer managing just two shots against a vastly improving Cazenovia defense.
Two days later, the Lakers had a chance to climb back to the top of the OHSL standings, meeting the same Port Byron/Union Springs side it lost to 4-0 two weeks earlier.
The rematch proved closer, but again the Panthers kept Cazenovia off the board, this time claiming a 2-0 decision.
Cazenovia actually took more shots and applied relatively constant pressure, yet none of its nine shots got by Port Byron/Union Springs goalie Colleen Jump.
Rothfeld picked up five saves and the defense continued to show its constant improvement. Still, the Panthers got in front and stayed there as MacKenzie McDowell and Kylee Cordway put in goals, with Abby McKay adding an assist.
In a non-league game Friday against Fayetteville-Manlius, Cazenovia was not quite able to escape a two-goal deficit in a 2-1 defeat to the Hornets.
Single goals in the second and third periods – one by Sarah Porter, the other by Carine Smith – gave F-M a 2-0 advantage, yet it could not pull away thanks to Rothfeld’s eight saves.
Trying to come back, the Lakers inched within one on Adams’ goal, assisted by Fazio, in the fourth quarter, yet could not complete the comeback.
Having fallen to 3-5 overall, Cazenovia would go to Little Falls and Cato-Meridian early this week prior to a Friday visit from Weedsport.
