From the time the Skaneateles boys lacrosse team saw its 2015 season end with a defeat to eventual champion Cazenovia in the Section III Class C semifinals, the work has gone into making sure that 2016 had a different outcome.
For the Lakers, who have not won a sectional title in six years, things could not have started better.
At a warm, windy Hyatt Stadium, the Lakers hosted Jordan-Elbridge last Wednesday afternoon, and showed how ready it was with a full-game, full-field clinic that, for a long while, looked like it might end a shutout before Skaneateles eased up and won by a 15-5 margin over the Eagles.
J-E had won its season opener 15-7 over Chittenango on March 24, but Skaneateles presented a far different level of competition, evident early as the Lakers, despite some uneven moments, still gained a 3-0 edge by the end of the first quarter.
That was just a warm-up, though, for in the second period Skaneateles doubled its production and spread out to a 9-0 edge, its defense making every necessary stop while its attack toyed with the Eagles’ defenders. Then the margin got to 14-0 before the starters exited in the fourth quarter and J-E got some belated production.
Sam Duggan, with four goals and two assists, and Jack VanSlyke, with two goals and three assists, led the way, though Reggie Buell and John Danforth also scored twice. Single tallies went to Reece Eddy, Matt Goetzmann, Tristan Custer, Pat Hackler and John Ryan, with Buell and Jeremy Castle also earning assists.
In Saturday’s non-league game at Baldwinsville, the Lakers figured to get a tougher test – and did, unable to take advantage of a slew of opportunities throughout a 10-6 defeat to the Bees.
All through the first quarter, the Lakers found itself in a defensive mode, but only gave up a pair of goals while seeing its early chances to score thwarted by nice stops from B’ville goalie Riley Smith.
Skaneateles didn’t get on the board until VanSlyke found the net 4:06 into the second period. VanSlyke struck again less than three minutes later, and at halftime the deficit was a single goal, 3-2, but the Lakers would never pull even.
With his team still trailing 5-2, Reggie Buell netted the lone Skaneateles goal of the third quarter, only to have the Bees counter and then, early in the final period, score three times in a span of less than 90 seconds while holding the Lakers to a single tally in three different man-up situations.
Buell did match VanSlyke’s two-goal output, with Duggan adding three assists and Danforth also finding the net. Smith made the difference, stopping 15 of the 21 Lakers shots he faced as Kyle Oschner only had seven saves. Ryan Gebhardt and Charlie Bertrand led B’ville with three goals apiece.
Skaneateles was scheduled to face Cortland on Monday before the harsh weather hit. The Lakers pay a visit to Fayetteville-Manlius on Saturday afternoon.