At last, the most crowded part of the Skaneateles girls lacrosse team’s regular-season schedule is behind them – but not before a dramatic defeat made the Section III Class C championship race a lot more lively.
The Lakers’ eight-game win streak against archrival Marcellus, which dated back to 2011 and included several post-season victories, came to an end last Thursday night. Skaneateles was unable to hold a lead late in regulation and lost a 9-8 overtime decision to the Mustangs.
This game was close and tense from the outset. No one could get away, and the two sides were tied, 5-5, at halftime, before the defenses took over for much of the second half, at least keeping the pace within a range the Mustangs wanted.
With less than two minutes to play, Skaneateles led, 8-7, and were trying to run out the clock. But the Mustangs’ defense forced a big turnover and worked the ball to Maddie Conklin, who put a shot past Allison Weiss to tie it with 1:43 left.
Skaneateles reclaimed possession, only to see Sarah Annable make the biggest of her seven saves in the waning seconds of regulation. Again, the Lakers got the draw in OT, but again the Mustangs made a stop and forced a turnover.
Grace Coon would flash open and put the ball in the net for the game-winner, her second goal of the night. Colette Rigas and Katherine LoCastro also scored twice as Taylor Reich managed a goal and three assists. Olivia Bird also had a goal and Abby Vetsch contributed an assist.
Bailey Herr was the only player on either side to net a three-goal hat trick, with Emma Goodell adding a pair of goals. Hannah Logan had a goal and two assists as Catie Woodruff and Mae McGlynn had the other goals.
Back when it thought it would have a full-strength roster, the Lakers had booked tough opponents all over its early slate. But without Kyla Sears, Skaneateles took defeats to Suffern, Watertown and West Genesee, all on Saturdays in April.
Then the Lakers welcomed Long Island powerhouse Garden City to Hyatt Stadium last Tuesday afternoon. Amid wet, cold and foggy conditions, Skaneateles hung close for a long while before taking an 11-6 defeat to the Trojans.
Owners of more state championships (13) than any other girls lacrosse program, Garden City had beaten West Genesee 9-5 the day before, and quickly got a 2-0 lead here before the Lakers tied it on goals by Logan and Goodell 31 seconds apart.
The Trojans countered with a 3-0 spurt before Skaneateles battled back again, starting with Bailey Herr’s goal. When McGlynn converted on a last-minute free position goal, the Lakers were within one, 7-6, going into halftime.
That was as close as it would get, though. Just as it did against West Genesee, the Trojans dominated draw controls throughout the second half, possessed the ball for long stretches and wore down the Skaneateles defense. It was strong work by the Lakers to only allow four goals, but it never got on the board in the last 25 minutes.
Logan was the lone Lakers player to score twice. McGlynn and Woodruff each had one goal and one assist to add to the tallies from Herr and Goodell, with Michaela Bruno leading Garden City by scoring four times as Katie Muldoon added two goals and two assists.
Having fallen to 4-5 after the last-second loss at Marcellus, the Lakers had to turn around less than 24 hours later and face LaFayette, who fell the full wrath of Skaneateles working its way to a 16-6 victory.
Each half went 8-3 in the Lakers’ favor, and 11 different players netted at least one goal. Sophie Kush and Riley Brogan each led with three goals and one assist, with Molly Newton adding two goals and two assists. Woodruff had a goal and two assists as Herr, McGlynn and Olivia Navaroli each got one goal and one assist. Jessica Patalino had two assists as Goodell, Logan, Kuhns and Aubreah Lynn also found the net.
Saturday’s game with Queensbury was the Lakers’ fourth in six days, but it still found enough energy to put together a convincing 17-7 victory, led by McGlynn, who scored four times and tacked on a pair of assists.
Newton and Woodruff each netted three goals, with Newton adding two assists. Herr got two goals and one assist. Single tallies went to Brogan, Kush, Kuhns, Lynn and Patalino, with Logan and Goodell notching assists.
Having survived this busy stretch at 6-5, Skaneateles got a week of much-needed recuperation before another set of back-to-back games this weekend against Cazenovia and Tully that precedes a May 10 showdown with state Class A no. 1-ranked Christian Brothers Academy.
