Almost like a movie script, the Fayetteville-Manlius boys lacrosse team’s two-decade quest to earn a Section III Class A title may hinge on conquering the one opponent most responsible for prolonging that drought.
Not only does the Hornets’ game against visiting West Genesee Tuesday night serve as a fitting and dramatic regular-season finale with the CNY Counties League American division title at stake as well as a chance to wrap up an undefeated regular season, it could also serve as a possible preview of the May 28 sectional title game in the Carrier Dome.
Since losing to F-M 7-4 in wintry conditions on April 2, the Wildcats endured an up-and-down first half of the season, but have caught fire with five straight wins, including last Tuesday’s 14-4 rout of the same Liverpool team it lost to April 4 right after falling to the Hornets.
More importantly, WG has returned several key players, including top defender Garrett Waldron, who missed that first game with F-M due to a knee injury he suffered during the team’s season-opening win over Penfield on March 30.
Of course, the state Class A no. 3-ranked Hornets still had two regular-season games before the WG showdown, and took care of them with ease, starting with last Tuesday’s 19-2 romp over Rome Free Academy.
It was 9-1 after one period, F-M slowing things down a bit the rest of the half, but then going on a 5-1 push through the third quarter as, by game’s end, 16 different players had earned at least one point.
Kevin Lux led them with three goals and two assists, glad to share the spotlight as Clay Arnold, Dan Cahill and Casey Greene each scored twice.
Jack Wilson and Andy Cummings both got one goal and one assist, with Luke Krizman, Jake Pulver, Ryan DaRin, Jack Cote and Charlie Lipe earning goals, too. Luke Jordan and Nick Walsh each got two assists as Alex Leuze and John Stone had one assist apiece.
Friday’s game against visiting Corcoran proved that F-M was not looking ahead to West Genesee, as Lux passed yet another milestone in the Hornets’ easy 16-5 win over the Cougars.
Settling things early, F-M bolted to a 6-0 lead on Corcoran by the end of the first quarter, and the margin grew to 11-1 by halftime, the Hornets content at that point to trade goals and maintain that big lead the rest of the way.
Lux, who became the school’s all-time leading goal scorer a week earlier, again piled up the points, as his five goals and seven assists gave him exactly 100 points for the season – 56 goals, 44 assists, a number only Jamesville-DeWitt star Jordan Evans (64 goals, 68 assists) can top.
Those passes from Lux went to several teammates, including Clay Arnold, who had three goals to go with three assists. Wilson (two goals, two assists) and DaRin (two goals, one assist) also produced as Cahill, Krizman, Tom LoSecco and Dan Wyman got single goals. Leuze joined Cahill and LoSecco in the assist column.
F-M’s girls lacrosse team, also heading for the post-season, hosted Oswego last Tuesday and outscored the Buccaneers 19-11, surviving a rough first half on the defensive side by pulling away in the latter stages and wearing Oswego down.
Four different Hornets – Cara Esposito, Sam Hotchkiss, Marri Ryu and Mac Everding – had three-goal hat tricks, with Esposito adding three assists. Lindsey Trachtenberg and Meg Fero were close behind, each with two goals and two assists, while Olivia Tejan, Hilary O’Neil and Julie Neubarger earned single tallies.
