Over the years, the West Genesee and Skaneateles girls lacrosse programs have combined to win 11 state championships and dominate their respective classes in Section III, and when they met head-to-head, it was always a fierce battle.
These two traditional powers met again last Saturday at Mike Messere Field, with the Lakers having spent its second week atop the state Class D rankings, but it was the Wildcats who emerged with a dramatic 14-13 victory.
Despite the closeness of the outcome, WG never trailed, constantly absorbing all of the Skaneateles comebacks right up to the end of regulation before a late turnover led to the game-winner.
Skaneateles had just tied it, 13-13, with two goals despite operating one player down. WG pressured in the final minute, and after seeing a shot go wide, Matisyn Schaut forced a turnover and fed it to Tara Osterdale, who put in the game-winner with just 3.3 seconds left.
Controlling most of the first half, the Wildcats built a 6-2 advantage, only to have Skaneateles charge with four unanswered goals to force a 6-6 tie going into the break.
They traded runs again early in the second half, making it 9-9, but again the Wildcats went out in front before the Lakers’ third different comeback set up the last-second excitement.
It helped WG to have some depth in its attack. Osterdale and Halen Saroney both had three goals and one assist, with Gabby Meager, Sam Detor and Mackenzie Winn adding two goals apiece. Schaut had a goal and two assists.
Skaneateles’ Riley Brogan led both sides by piling up six goals. Maggie Newton had three goals and one assist, with Olivia Navaroli and Grace Dower each earning two goals and two assists. Gabby Welch added an assist.
This followed a week where WG would try, for a second time this season, to knock off state Class B no. 2-ranked Fayetteville-Manlius last Tuesday, only to fall short again as the Hornets pulled away late to prevail 14-7.
In their first encounter April 11, the Wildcats pulled within one early in the second half before F-M got away and claimed a 13-9 decision.
For the second meeting, the close encounters took place in the first half, as Schaut and Courtney Reynolds scored to put WG within one after trailing 4-3 early.
F-M kept answering, though, and was up 8-5 at halftime. Then the Hornets’ defense took over, limiting the Wildcats to just two goals in the second half, one each by Emily Stratton and Eva Kloepfer.
Schaut ended up with four goals, while Abby Bednarski was busy in the net, recording 11 saves. No one on WG’s defense could stop Annie Steigerwald, who led F-M with five goals and four assists as Kiera Shanley added four goals.
Recovering from this, WG defeated Cicero-North Syracuse 19-13 Thursday night at Bragman Stadium, building up an 11-5 margin by halftime and protecting it against a formidable Northstars attack.
Schaut had four assists to go with her three goals as Gabby Meager scored four times, with Stratton, Sophia Scialdone and Cara Landry getting two goals apiece.
Winn had a goal and two assists. Osterdale and Sam each had one goal and one assist as Kloepfer, Saroney and Elise Mancobelli also found the net.
A week before facing WG, Skaneateles had given up seven goals in the first half of its April 27 game against Horseheads (Section IV), but doubled that amount on the other end and went on to defeat the Blue Raiders 22-10.
Dower and Brogan each scored five times, Dower adding four assists and Brogan two assists. Navaroli had six goals and one assist, with Newton converting three times. Ava Logan had one goal and one assist as Campbell Torrey also converted.
Then the Lakers bashed Chittenango 20-3 last Tuesday night at Hyatt Stadium, eventually seeing 10 different players pick up goals before the game was done.
Navaroli (five goals, two assists) and Brogan (two goals, five assists) led an attack where Newton also earned four goals. Logan had three goal and one assist, with Kristen Henry getting two goals and one assist. Dower notched four assists, joining Anna McGlynn, Hope Allyn, Emma Keady and Elizabeth Wamp with single tallies.
An 18-2 win over Mexico followed on Thursday afternoon, with Navaroli and Brogan both getting four goals and four assists. Newton had four goals and two assists as Dower got three goals and four assists. Welch scored twice and Wamp had a single goal.
