Both of the Fayetteville-Manlius lacrosse teams would welcome West Genesee last week, those games each carrying their own meaning beyond the long rivalry between the two schools.
This was especially the case on the boys side, for last Tuesday night’s clash was the last time that Wildcats head coach Mike Messere and his long-time assistant, Bob Deegan, would visit F-M, as both are retiring at season’s end.
For more than four decades, Messere has led the WG program, earning 15 state championships and dozens of Section III titles, often accomplished at the Hornets’ expense.
Yet the respect between the sides never dissipated – in fact, it only grew. So it surprised no one that, prior to the game, F-M presented Messere and Deegan with a special gift.
It was a framed portrait of a lacrosse stick, and below it read a caption: “Best Wishes From the Fayetteville-Manlius Boys Lacrosse Community”.
Then the game got underway, yet another trademark battle between the Wildcats and Hornets – but one that went in favor of WG, who prevailed by a score of 10-6.
Much of the contest was in close quarters, but timely scoring spurts would make the difference. Tommy Farry’s goal was the only one for F-M in the first quarter as the Wildcats used back-to-back tallies late in the period to go in front 3-1.
Staying in touch, the Hornets closed the gap to 5-4 by halftime and even tied it, 6-6, late in the third quarter. But WG netted three consecutive goals late in the third quarter to take the lead for good, and its defense was sensational, containing F-M the rest of the way as goalie Luke Staudt stopped 16 of the 22 shots he faced overall.
Before getting shut out late, F-M saw Farry add a second tally as Jack Shanley also scored twice. Chris Lubrino and Nick Papa had the other goals as Kyle Gilroy joined Papa in the assist column. Kevin Sheehan led WG with four goals and one assist.
Two days later, it was the unbeaten F-M girls lacrosse team hosting West Genesee. Stakes were different, but the intensity was just as great, and it came down to the wire before the Hornets edged the Wildcats 10-9.
With goals from Kiera Shanley, Ava Angello and Kiera Steigerwald, F-M raced out to a 3-0 advantage, WG not scoring until Matisyn Schaut converted at the 14:01 mark of the first half.
The Wildcats pulled within one at 4-3 before Amanda Cramer’s goal pushed the Hornets’ edge to 5-3 at halftime. F-M still led, 7-4, when WG charged midway through the second half.
Adrianna Nojaim and Halen Saroney scored before Phoebe Nelson, with 13:17 left, tied it at 7-7 – a tie that lasted all of 30 seconds before Steigerwald put F-M back in front for good.
But it stayed tight as, down 9-7, WG again pulled within one on Schaut’s goal with 2:23 left. The Hornets won the ensuing draw, though, and got a goal from Maddie Noel with 35.1 seconds to play that provided enough of a cushion as Schaut’s goal in the waning seconds proved a bit too late.
Just before that, the F-M boys tried to avenge its narrow April 10 defeat to Baldwinsville, where it surrendered a fourth-quarter lead and dropped an 8-7 decision. This one was close, too, but again B’ville pulled it out, this tone by a 10-8 margin.
Neither side gained any sort of margin during a hard-fought first half. F-M, behind most of the way, rallied to tie it, 5-5, going into the break, and it stayed that way through most of the third quarter, too, the Hornets getting more shots, but often stymied by B’ville goalie J.J. Johnson, who finished with 16 saves.
Even when it looked like B’ville was taking control, building a 10-7 lead midway through the final period, F-M rallied again, using goals by Farry and Chris Lubrino to pull within one with more than five minutes to play.
A long Hornets possession followed as it patiently looked for a tying goal. But a big strip by defender David Steria forced a turnover, and the Bees were able to work down the clock until Spencer Wirtheim hit the clinching goal with 49.3 seconds left.
Papa led F-M with three goals. Mikey Porter joined Lubrino in scoring twice, with Zach Van Valkenburgh back in the lineup and notching a goal of his own. Jack Shanley had two assists and Gilroy a single assist.
