CENTRAL NEW YORK – Knowing that more important games still loom against one another, the Fayeteville-Manlius girls soccer team took on defending Section III Class AA champion West Genesee last Thursday afternoon.
For a half, all looked good for the Hornets, yet it all turned around after intermission as the Wildcats seized control and ultimately prevailed by a 3-1 margin.
They played on even terms much of the first 40 minutes but F-M grabbed a 1-0 lead on Macie Davey’s unassisted goal, the margin holding up until the second half.
Stepping up its level of play, WG swarmed the Hornets’ defenses, tying it then going in front as Maria Snyder’s three assists set up goals by Chelsea Donaldson, Anna Nelson and Kelly O’Donnell.
This followed a hot stretch for F-M where, in a three-game span, it piled up 28 goals, twice getting to double digits and peaking when it routed Rome Free Academy 11-2 in last Tuesday night’s action.
Nearly half of the Hornets’ 23 direct shots found the net, with nine different players netting goals as Davey got two goals and two assists and Una Vlasak also scored twice.
Rory Teaken had a goal and two assists, while Ashley Seidberg and Dafni Mountrakis each got one goal and one assist. Single goals were also earned by Addy Fiorkowski, Emery Gerace, Madison Romacki and Julia Rutkey, with Mara Gloo and Addison Costanza getting into the assist column.
Elsewhere, Christian Brothers Academy blanked Syracuse City 3-0 last Monday to move its record to 5-1. Only up 1-0 at the half, the Brothers drew clear behind two goals from Katherine Williamson and another from Francesca Canzano, with Carleah Morgia earning a pair of assists and another credited to Emma Hill.
A bigger win came Friday when CBA, tied 1-1 with Skaneateles going into halftime, took charge in the late going and defeated the Lakers 3-1.
Williamson led the late charge, ultimately scoring twice to run her season total to eight. Eleanor Moles also got a goal, with Olivia Jones and Meryl Murphy getting one assist apiece.
A day later, CBA went to Cazenovia and blanked the Lakers 6-0, getting a three-goal hat trick from Hill as Williamson assisted on two of those scoring plays to go with her own pair of goals. Ciara Duggan chimed in with a goal and two assists, while Canzano and Cara Macaluso also got assists.
Bishop Grimes entered the week with a 2-1 record and battled hard against undefeated Tully last Tuesday but lost, 2-0, to the Black Knights.
Under attack all game, Grimes was so effective that Tully had to overcome 23 saves by Cobras goalie Bailee Halsey with one goal in each half scored by Gloria Flatt and Wren Lawton.
Another test followed Thursday at Bishop Ludden, where the Cobras lost 5-0 to the Gaelic Knights. Under attack all game, Halsey and Olivia Bitz combined on 19 saves, but still saw Ludden get away in the second half led by Evelyn Allers’ two goals and one assist.
Then, facing Oswego on Saturday, Grimes again fell just short in a 2-1 defeat to the Buccaneers, who went up in the first half and then equaled Halsey’s second-half goal to keep that margin. Bitz stopped 13 of Oswego’s 15 shots.
Manlius Pebble Hill took a 4-0 defeat to Pulaski last Tuesday, unable to get any of its 13 shots past Blue Devils goalie Bridgette Fox as Kylie Dye led Pulaski’s attack with a goal and two assists.
A wild 5-4 defeat to Altmar-Parish-Williamstown followed, the Trojans not quite able to overcome a 4-2 halftime deficit despite two goals from Noor Chhablani and single tallies from Lilah Temes and Elaine Dussing.
