CENTRAL NEW YORK – On a Saturday evening in mid-April, two championship girls lacrosse teams squared off, Skaneateles against West Genesee, and it proved memorable in every conceivable way.
For much of the game, it looked like the Lakers would emerge victorious, but a stunning rally in the waning seconds allowed the Wildcats to snatch a 10-9 victory.
Entering the final minute of a tense, back-and-forth battle, Skaneateles was up 9-7, and simply had to make one more defensive stop to seal the win.
Instead, with 28 seconds left Ashleigh Blanding cut it to 10-9. Then WG won the draw, sprinted downfield and Madelyn Ryder netted the tying goal, returned to the draw circle, quickly got possession again and, just before time ran out, Molly Doran hit the game-winner, her fourth goal of the game to go with an assist.
Blanding dished out four assists to go with her pair of tallies. Maria Snyder, Keira Vrabel and Addison Foster joined Ryder with single goals as Anasofia Cirincione led Skaneateles with three goals, Paige Willard and Camryn Calabro each scoring twice and Tatum Ryan adding a goal and two assists.
Both won big earlier in the week, Sknaeateles having outclassed Christian Brothers Academy 12-5 at Hyatt Stadium on the same night that WG handled Jamesville-DeWitt 16-4.
The Lakers away late after only being up 5-3 at halftime against a CBA side determined to slow the game down, but Skaneateles adjusted and still pulled clear.
Willard and Grace Marquardt both led the way with three goals apiece. Ryan converted twice, with Calabro and Mara Stanton ach getting a goal and two assists. Cirincione and Ana Nichols both got one goal and one assist.
For its part, WG also spread around its attack against J-D, no player netting more than the three goals from Blanding and Mia Gialto as Doran and Allison Kittell had two-goal outings. Ryder put up a goal and two assists, with Vrabel, Snyder, Mia Kehoskie, Sophia Lawrence and Katelyn Stone also picking up goals.
While all this was going on, Westhill shut out Mexico 16-0 last Tuesday and, al day later, it got an even better win against reigning sectional Class A champion Baldwinsville, bashing the Bees 15-5.
Up 7-2 by halftime, the Warriors kept going. Kara Rosenberger’s seven goals were two more than the entire B’ville roster. Rosie Mahoney, Sophia Lasher and Aubrey Holowinski each scored twice, with single goals going to Nora Fitzgerald and Grace Stroman.
Rosenberger had netted five goals against Mexico, with Holowinski earning a three-goal hat trick. Lasher piled up five assists as she joined Fitzgerald and Reagan Robbins with two goals apiece. Kaylin Murphy added a goal.
Another rout followed, 21-3 over Cortland on Friday night, with Sophia Lasher at the forefront thanks to her four goals and four assists. Mahoney and Fitzgerald had three-goal outings, with Rosenberger, Stroman and Ava Lasher earning two goals apiece.
Marcellus was back in the win column , pulling away from Southern Hills 16-8 to move its record to 2-2 while displaying an attack far more diverse than in previous games.
Claire Card and Cece Powell led the way again, each netting four goals, but the Mustangs had two more hat tricks as Avery Shute and Lauren Weidner each scored three times, Shute adding two assists, and Sophia Pilon converted twice. Powell picked up five ground balls and Shute four ground balls as Janie Powell and Mia Caryl combined for eight saves.
Jordan-Elbridge fell to Christian Brothers Academy 17-6 last Wednesday night, all of the damage done in a first half where the Brothers jumped out 13-2. Kelsey Brunelle still managed a three-goal hat trick, with Briella Gilfus, Charlotte Hsiao and Stella Opanhoske adding single goals.
Back on the field Saturday, J-E defeated Vernon-Verona-Sherrill 6-3, coming through with Ryleigh Gill’s nine saves and Brunelle’s two goals and two assists. Gilfus also scored twice, with Penird and Evelyn Bennett also converting.
