CENTRAL NEW YORK – Having only gone 2-6 in the first half of the regular season, the Cazenovia girls lacrosse team was in need of any kind of victory.
The way the Lakers got it last Tuesday had to instill some confidence as, trailing Jordan-Elbridge at halftime on the Eagles’ home turf, it roared back, went out in front and stayed there to prevail by a score of 10-8.
One storyline going into the game was seeing whether senior Charlie Prior would reach the rare milestone of winning 300 career draws. She did so, ultimately claiming eight draws.
A tightly played first half saw J-E inch out in front, 7-6, but Cazenovia made sure it didn’t stay that way, fighting back and playing strong defense the rest of the way, limiting the Eagles to just two goals as Eliza Smith ran her total to seven saves.
Prior, the Lakers’ top goal scorer, added five more to give her 36 for the season, and she had enough help, too, as Sally Hughes scored twice and Madison DeAngelis got a pair of assists. Hayden Bubble, Izzy Stromer-Galley and Tara Pratt had one goal apiece.
Now Cazenovia would rest for a week before a crucial stretch of three consecutive road games starting Tuesday at Cortland, continuing Thursday at Central Square and concluding Saturday at Oswego.
As the girls rested, the boys Lakers returned to action twice at home, starting on Thursday when it faced Whitesboro and, battling all the way to the final whistle, pulled out an 8-7 victory to climb back to the .500 mark at 4-4.
Whitesboro out-shot Cazenovia, but Tucker Ives made 16 saves, six more than his counterpart, Anthony Badolato, and all the work Ives did gave his teammates a shot of confidence.
The Lakers produced just enough on the other end, with Paul Mitchell earning his first three-goal hat trick in varsity play to match the three goals from Alex Kuper. D.B. Falge added a goal and two assists, with Owen Porter earning a goal and Finn Hagan getting an assist.
Then LaFayette/Onondaga showed up at the new turf complex on Saturday afternoon, beginning the second half of Cazenovia’s regular season, and the Lancers would again get the best of the Lakers 10-5.
Having lost 8-5 when the two sides met just nine days earlier, Cazenovia could not turn it around, only getting three goals from Kuper and two goals from Mitchell as Falge was held to one assist. Ives got 11 saves, but four different LaFayette/Onondaga players – River Porter, Bruce Benedict, Brennan Hill and Carter Chapman – had two goals apiece.
Cazenovia’s boys would host Cortland Monday and go to Whitney Point on Wednesday, while the girls Lakers have three straight road games at Cortland, Central Square and Oswego over a five-day span.
Having already played half its regular-season schedule, the Chittenango girls lacrosse team rested during most of the school break.
The boys Bears visited Oswego last Monday night, it just could not produce on a consistent basis to keep up with the Buccaneers, who gradually pulled away to prevail 14-7.
Chittenango managed just one goal in both the second and third quarters, which helped Oswego extend its margin to 11-5 led by Tanner Defren and Cooper Fitzgerald, who gained five goals apiece.
Brendon Barnard, who had three goals and three assists, was the only Chittenango player to score more than once. Single goals were credited to Norm Coomer, Kole Smith, Henry Miller and Cole Dawkins as Connor Bradbury recorded 16 saves.
