Just because it was set to play a series of games on its home field at Burton Street Elementary didn’t mean that things would get easier for the Cazenovia field hockey team.
That was illustrated at the start of the Lakers’ homestand last Monday afternoon when Weedsport, maintaining an undefeated mark, pulled out a 1-0 decision.
Weedsport, the defending Section III Class D champion, had won its first six games of the season and the Warriors had, stored within, plenty of memories of Cazenovia beating them head-to-head in recent years.
For most of this game, the Lakers kept Weedsport quiet, even as its own attack struggled to generate anything against a stingy Warriors defense that had shut out four of its previous six opponents.
Held to two shots, Cazenovia tried to get it to overtime, but with five minutes left in the second half, Weedsport attacked again and, off a feed from Aubrey Ouderkirk, Libby Nemec put it past Shea Flannery, who had recorded five saves.
Now the Lakers had to deal with another reigning sectional champion as Class A power Baldwinsville visited on Friday afternoon. Despite a solid all-around performance, Cazenovia lost, 3-1, to the Bees.
Lily Sorbello broke through against the B’ville defense with a first-half goal assisted by Peyton Clarke, and yet Cazenovia still trailed 2-1 at intermission, unable to produce anything more the rest of the way.
Flannery managed seven saves, with the Bees relying on Emma Brushingham as she produced two of the visitors’ three goals. Mackenzie Wodka had the other goal and Madison Ascioti got an assist.
Cazenovia takes on Homer Monday and faces Liverpool Wednesday before heading to Camden on Friday and Saturday for the O’Connor Classic, eventually playing four games in a six-day span.
