In some kind of way, this would prove a defining week for the 2015 edition of the Westhill boys lacrosse team, and it could only blame itself for that predicament.
Just when the Warriors were ready to head to Cazenovia and seek payback for that 7-6, triple-overtime defeat to the Lakers on April 14, it got beat at home, again in OT, by another state-ranked team, Christian Brothers Academy, last Tuesday afternoon in an 11-10 thriller.
These same two sides had met in CBA’s March 31 season opener at Alibrandi Stadium, and Westhill, with a big mid-game surge, won 11-6. Now, in the rematch, the Brothers had good timing, since perhaps the Warriors were thinking about its second encounter with Cazenovia (whom it lost to in triple overtime on April 14) later in the week.
Strong on both ends of the field, CBA led 4-2 after one period, and blanked Westhill the rest of the half before a third-quarter exchange left the Brothers still in front, 8-5, with one period left.
But Westhill, led by Richie Easterly (who finished with four goals and one assist), stormed back and forced a 10-10 tie, and it appeared the Warriors had all the momentum for the OT period.
Here, though, the Brothers showed its heart. It regained possession in the OT and worked the ball around to Jack Jeschke, who ripped a shot pat Westhill goalie Dan O’Connell for the game-winner.
That was Jeschke’s third goal of the game, to go with a pair of assists. Sam Martin and Lincoln McGarrity also scored three times, with Alex Calkins and Zach Taylor each picking up a pair of assists.
O’Connell still finished with 17 saves, four more than CBA counterpart Matt Vavonese. And no other Westhill player got close to Easterly’s production as Casey Rogers and Mark Purcell both scored twice, with Ryan Zimmerman, Matt McAnaney and Andrew French getting single goals.
No one quite knew how that defeat would affect Westhill as, on Friday night, it played Cazenovia again, this time at the Lakers’ home field, the Sean Googin Sports Complex.
For a long while, it looked to be triumphant payback, the Warriors holding a five-goal lead in the second half, only to give that up and see the Lakers pull it out, 10-9, again in OT, only this time it took a single extra period to decide.
With a potent, patient attack and a zone defense to match Cazenovia’s approach, it was little wonder that the Warriors gave the Lakers so much trouble.
Casey Rogers, in particular, bugged the reigning Section III Class C champions, striking for four goals in a first half where Westhill had the ball most of the time and was up, 5-4, at the break.
Early in the third quarter, all went the Warriors’ way, from face-offs to attacks that paid off with goals from Rogers, McAnaney, Zimmerman and Easterly, which made it 9-4 and forced Cazenovia to use a time-out.
From that point on, Westhill did not score again, with Rogers covered by defender Kevin Frega while, on the other end, Cazenovia hit on four straight goals, two of them in the last 13 seconds of the third period, that cut the Warriors’ margin to 9-8.
They stayed that way through most of the fourth quarter, Westhill unable to regain its earlier rhythm, until P.J. Brown netted the tying goal with 1:50 left. Even with the ball at the end of regulation, the Warriors could not get a clean shot at a possible-game winner.
During the OT period, Cazenovia’s Cole Willard put one past O’Connell – but it hit the post. Unfazed, when the Lakers got the ball back after yet another Westhill turnover, it worked the ball around to Willard, and with 34.2 seconds left in the first extra period, Willard fit one inside that same post and won it.
