As originally intended, the plan for the Cazenovia field hockey team was to make one trip to Maine-Endwell High School for the Class C regional final, and then a second trip a week later to try and gain the state championship that eluded the Lakers by such a slim margin one year ago.
But the second trip would not take place.
Whitney Point, burning from its own close call in 2013, would shut down the Lakers Saturday night and prevail by a 2-0 margin, stifling Cazenovia’s dream of adding a third state title to the ones it earned in 2010 and 2011.
Both the Lakers and Eagles shared bitter memories of last year’s state final four at Cicero-North Syracuse’s Bragman Stadium, courtesy of Pierson/Bridgehampton, who edged Whitney Point in penalty strokes in the state semifinal before going to overtime to topple Cazenovia 1-0 in the title game.
Now the two sides were together, and Whitney Point had a tall task in front of them. Cazenovia had torn through the post-season, outscoring its four opponents (Little Falls, Holland Patent, Weedsport and Hoosick Falls) by a combined 25-1 margin.
So the burden was on the Eagles’ defense to find a way to slow the Lakers down. It did so, doing a remarkable job in the middle of the field and keeping Cazenovia’s potent forwards from getting any possession near the net.
Meanwhile, the Lakers’ back line, led by Meredith Shephard, Maddie Langey, Josie Chiarello and Sarah Liddell, did its part keeping Whitney Point quiet for most of the first half.
Then, with 6:09 left in the half, the Eagles’ Rachael Burchill, taking a pass from Taylor Clink, pounded a shot past Kimber Nourse, and for the first time since a last-second 3-2 defeat to Liverpool on Sept. 29, the Lakers found itself trailing, the 1-0 deficit holding until the break.
Not until five minutes had elapsed in the second half did Cazenovia finally earn a penalty corner, but it got turned back, as did all the other Lakers’ attempts to pull even as its pressure built up and Whitney Point tried to hang on.
Eagles goalie Danell Jones made seven of her nine saves in that second half, and sparked by that work, Whitney Point made one more attack that led to a penalty corner. Two good passes later, Clink converted the clinching goal.
So a 17-3-1 season ends for the Lakers, as does the high school careers of a senior class that includes Liddell, Chiarello, Nourse, Shephard, Rachel McLaughlin, Sarah Willard, Ashley Kent and Gabby Yates. Replacing them will prove difficult, but the likes of Langey, Zoe Shephard, Maria Stalder and Bella Wheeler hope to keep Cazenovia at a top level in 2015.
