Though the number 10 isn’t always associated with perfection, in the minds of the Cazenovia field hockey team, it is, at the very least, quite special.
When the Lakers crushed Little Falls 6-0 Thursday night at Liverpool High School Stadium in the Section III Class C final, it secured the program’s 10th consecutive sectional title.
That it turned out so lopsided wasn’t a big surprise, for several reasons. First, Cazenovia had proven itself a potent, high-scoring team all season, scoring six or more goals in a game nine different times during the regular season.
But the more important reason had to do with what happened on this same Liverpool turf in the Oct. 25 sectional semifinal against Holland Patent. Despite amassing 25 penalty corners, the Lakers only mustered a 1-0 victory over the Golden Knights, the game in doubt until the final horn.
Meanwhile, Little Falls, the no. 3 seed in the sectional tournament, had gained Cazenovia’s attention by upending no. 2 seed Canastota 4-1 in the other semifinal.
Combine all of those above factors, and it made the Lakers determined not to let the Mounties give any reason to think it could end Cazenovia’s long sectional reign.
In particular, Janie Kempf was in top form. The junior attacker struck for the game’s first goal 12:45 into the first half, giving Cazenovia a 1-0 lead. As the half went on, Little Falls’ defense tightened, and Cazenovia couldn’t add to that margin.
But then Kempf returned and, with 1:32 left in the half, drilled her second goal. And as the final seconds of the half ticked off, Cazenovia initiated a fast break, and Morgan Giordano was well-positioned to take the pass and put it into the net.
Just like that, a modest margin had turned to a 3-0 halftime lead, and the Lakers were far from content.
At the 9:53 mark of the second half, Kempf’s dream night continued when she poured in her third goal. Less than two minutes later, Kempf was again open in front of the goal, and again she converted.
Even with a running clock thanks to a five-goal margin, Cazenovia did not ease up until Mikaylee Whalen scored with 13 minutes to play.
The Lakers still need to win one more game to return to the state tournament. On Sunday, Cazenovia faced sectional Class D champion Weedsport, who earned that title with a 3-1 victory over Morrisville-Eaton after scoring in the final two seconds to survive its semifinal against New York Mills.
They had met in the regular season, on Sept, 21 at Burton Street, with the Lakers prevailing 6-0. Here, it was even more lopsided, Cazenovia taking charge in the opening minutes and not letting up until it had put away the Warriors 6-0.
Just 3;07 into the game, the Lakers were on the board thanks to Bella Wheeler’s goal amid a net scramble. Three minutes later, it was 2-0, Maria Stalder tipping in Wheeler’s shot on a penalty corner.
Amid another four-minute stretch midway through the half, the margin doubled to 4-0 thanks to goals from Stalder and Zoe Shephard. All told, the Lakers took1 4 shots in the first half and allowed none from Weedsport, the Warriors never getting it into Laker territory until the last five minutes of the half.
Shephard assisted on Wheeler’s second goal a minute into the second half. Despite a running clock the rest of the way, Cazenovia kept attacking, with Wheeler’s third goal completing a hat trick with 14 minutes left and Kempf joining in the fun with a goal in the latter stages.
Cazenovia now takes on Section II champion Schuylerville in next Sunday’s Class C regional final at Cicero-North Syracuse’s Bragman Stadium at 1 p.m. A win brings the Lakers back to the state final four, which takes place Nov. 14-15 at Maine-Endwell, near Binghamton.
