Cicero — One way or another, the Cazenovia field hockey team’s steamrolling ways will end at Maine-Endwell High School next weekend in the state Class C final four. Whether it’s just as a participant, or as a state champion for the third time in program history, remains an open question.
So far, though, the Lakers have emphatically responded to all the challenges thrown at them, including undefeated Section II champion Schuylerville, whom the Lakers dropped 4-0 in Sunday’s Class C regional final at Cicero-North Syracuse’s Bragman Stadium.
Two quick goals by Cazenovia immediately put the Black Horses in Trouble, and then the Lakers converted twice more before halftime, ending the suspense long before the final whistle blew.
“I didn’t think it would be that easy,” said head coach Lorraine Scheftic. “It was a lot closer than the score showed.”
Schuylerville arrived at this game sporting a perfect 19-0 record, but had not quite faced the same kind of intense competition that Cazenovia had consistently dealt with outside of its league, something that was apparent the moment the game’s first attack was initiated.
Cazenovia’s Maria Stalder, working from the right side, sped past the Black Horses’ defenders and, when goalie Hunter Van Arnum ran out to meet her, Stalder passed it to Janie Kempf, standing next to the net, and Kempf scored with just 62 seconds elapsed.
From nearly that same spot at the 7:38 mark of the first half, Kempf converted again, this time unassisted. Trailing 2-0, Schuylerville called a time-out and, for a while, settled things down, even earning a handful of penalty corners.
But they didn’t pan out as Maddy Langey, Caroline Hudson, Delaney Yates and Mikaylee Whalen led a Lakers defense that, when called on, protected the net for goalies Maria Groetz and Lizzy Shephard, who also made some big stops.
continued — “Our defense played awesome,” said Scheftic.
Whalen even joined in the scoring fun when she deflected in Bella Wheeler’s shot with 9:58 left in the first half. Less than five minutes later, Kempf was again on the doorstep and again converted after Wheeler ran through the entire Black Horses back line from midfield and delivered a pass that Kempf turned into a hat trick.
“Janie plays that position so well,” said Scheftic. “She just waits at the point and puts it home.”
Already with a four-goal lead at halftime, Cazenovia didn’t add to that total in the second half, but did not need to, with that state final four trip locked up.
On Saturday at 11:30 a.m., the Lakers will face the Long Island champion, Pierson-Bridgehampton in the state semifinals. The winner goes to Sunday’s 10 a.m. title game against East Rochester (Section V) or Whitney Point (Section IV), the team that beat Cazenovia a year ago en route to the top prize.
Scheftic said that Cazenovia’s current squad mirrors those state championship teams from 2010 and 2011 in their work ethic, and love of practice. Come next week, there won’t be any more practices, but another state title might be coming home.
