With its recent strong play, the Skaneateles boys lacrosse team inched up to no. 2 in last week’s state Class D rankings, passing General Brown at no. 3 and only trailing Bronxville.
Little that took place in the last full week of the regular season changed that trajectory, with the Lakers roaring through last Tuesday’s game with Jordan-Elbridge, putting together a 20-4 win over the Eagles.
Already up 4-1, Skaneateles put J-E away with a 7-1 push through the second quarter, the Lakers shutting everyone out except Wade Brunelle, who had all four of the Eagles’ goals, Luke Pinckney adding two assists.
Overcoming 18 saves by Steve Tripp, Skaneateles had Evan Brunelle net six goals, with Grayson Brunelle, John Danforth and Nick Wamp each scoring three times.
Brendan Powers netted two goals and two assists, while Colin Weeks, Massimo Capozza and Ryan Willard had single goals. Pat Hackler got three assists and Ben Spinelli had two assists.
A Friday-night visit to Tully had the Lakers nervous for quite a while, the game close all the way to the end and Skaneateles needing some defense to hold off the Black Knights 10-8.
After taking an early 5-2 lead, the Lakers saw the margin cut to one, 7-6, by halftime, but for the rest of the game Tully found it difficult to get past an airtight Lakers back line as Nate Squires, returning in goal, stopped 14 of 22 shots he faced.
Before going quiet late, Skaneateles had Hackler score twice and get three assists, with Wamp earning three goals. Grayson Brunelle also had two goals, with Powers adding a goal and two assists. Danforth and Evan Brunelle had the other goals.
Marcellus was no. 5 in those same state Class D rankings, and proceeded to score 10 goals in the first quarter of last Tuesday’s game against Chittenango on the way to defeating the Bears 21-7.
Even with all this production, it got spread around quite well, no one netting more than the four goals from Emmett Barry and three goals from Liam Tierney. Luke Ingianni and Zac Vanorder each had four assists, adding single goals.
Mike Quick and Matt Connell both scored twice, with Mason Barney and Ryan Moses each netting one goal and one assist. A.J. Belvito had two assists as Dylan Lanning and Tighe Powell also had goals.
On Friday, Marcellus visited Homer, and just like in the Skaneateles game at Tully, it proved close and tense before the road team pulled it out, the Mustangs edging the Trojans 7-6 in overtime.
Down 3-2 at the half, Marcellus blanked Homer in the third quarter and built a 5-3 lead, only to have the Trojans make its own late comeback to push it beyond regulation, goalie Colin Perks making 11 saves.
But the Mustangs got the OT game-winner past Perks as Tierney, with three goals and one assist, led the way. Barry got two goals and one assist, with Ingianni and Powell adding goals and Quick getting an assist.
In a possible Class C playoff preview, state no. 8-ranked Westhill visited Alibrandi Stadium last Tuesday, where state no. 3-ranked Christian Brothers Academy jumped out in front and never got caught, beating the Warriors 12-7.
Right from the start, Westhill attempted to play at a slower tempo, but that backfired when CBA struck three different times with two goals less than 30 seconds apart, building a 7-1 advantage by the third quarter.
The Warriors did cut the margin to 7-4 late in that period, but after an exchange of goals the Brothers pulled away for good in the final minutes, led by Wyatt Auyer (three goals) and Preston Taylor (one goal, four assists).
Only Will Delano and Charlie Bolesh scored twice for Westhill, with single goals going to Reilly Sizing, Jack Grooms and Mack Etoll. Aiden Felter finished with seven saves.
Against J-E on Friday, Westhill won big, 15-3, gaining a 10-1 advantage by halftime as Delano had five assists to go with his lone goal and Sizing got three goals and two assists.
Bolesh, Grooms, Ryan Gilmartin and Charlie McNitt each scored twice, with Ryan Durand and Liam Robb adding single goals. Wade Brunelle netted all three of J-E’s goals as Luke Pinckney got two assists.
J-E played a day earlier and beat Watertown IHC 14-5, overcoming an early 2-0 deficit as it outscored the Cavaliers 11-2 over the course of the next two quarters.
Brunelle led that charge, earning three goals and four assists. Griffin LaFleur scored four times, with Riordan Parker and Jeremiah Sparks getting two goals apiece. Deacon Hill, Cole Mullen and Joel Blasko had single goals.
