In a topsy-turvy boys soccer season where Westhill and Marcellus were both once ranked in the state Class B top five, it was Skaneateles finding itself at no. 13 in last week’s state poll, with the Warriors and Mustangs both unranked.
For the Lakers, the first test as a ranked team in 2019 was on Senior Night against visiting Chittenango, and it was quite nervous at times, but Skaneateles did enough to defeat the Bears 2-0.
As so many other times this season, it was Tylar Moss, getting the Lakers in front. Off a feed from Brendan Powers, Moss dribbled around a Chittenango defender and putting a low shot past Will Simmons in the 15th minute.
The Lakers nearly built on that margin, only to have owers twice denied by great stops from Simmons. Then the Bears’ Sean Larsson nearly tied it twice, slightly off target on a free kick and having another shot bang off the crossbar.
So it was still 1-0 when, less than five minutes into the second half, Owen Chaney was left alone near the net and, taking a pass from Moss, doubled the Lakers’ margin.
In Thursday’s battle with Cazenovia, Skaneateles again scored twice, but the visiting Lakers, led by forward Joe Spires, constantly burned the defense and ended up prevailing by a 4-2 margin.
Westhill went to Homer last Thursday and thrashed the Firebirds 9-0, with Jackson Powers getting three goals for the hat trick. Andrew Centore scored twice, with Henry Centore, Dan Carkner, Patrick Mahoney and Dominic Demperio earning one goal apiece.
Marcellus was victorious 5-0 at Homer last Tuesday, led by Ryan Moses’ pair of goals and two assists from Ryan Lundrigan. Tristan Jarvi had one goal and one assist as Dakota Baker and Ben Carranti also found the net. Quinten Weaver and Tighe Powell also got assists.
Then the Mustangs faced Jordan-Elbridge on Thursday night and claimed another 5-0 victory, most of it due to Lundrigan, who set a career mark with four goals. Andrew Fragnito had two assists as Jarvi got the other goal and Matt Kershaw added an assist.
Far from all this, West Genesee offered another challenge to undefeated, state Class AA no. 7-ranked Baldwinsville last Monday night, and again was fairly close, but again got shut out, this time by a 2-0 margin.
It took a goal late in regulation for the Bees to prevail 1-0 when the two sides met in Camillus Sept. 16. The rematch on B’ville’s Field Turf at Pelcher-Arcaro Stadium had the Wildcats twice surrendering goals in the first half, to Steve Foertch and Evan Smith.
Though WG kept it quiet from there and recorded a second-half shutout, it could not generate a consistent attack against a swarming Bees defense.
The Wildcats rebounded on Wednesday night to defeat Henninger 4-2, a well-balanced able to convert twice in each half and overcome 16 saves by Black Knights goalie Oliver Bienvenu.
Four different WG players had those four goals – David Puma, Sam Kruth, Josh Rimualdo and Justin Klaczko. Puma and Klaczko also got assists as Jesper Behr and Tom Shields also earned assists.
In Saturday’s makeup of a postponed Oct. 1 game against Liverpool, WG struggled in a 3-0 defeat to the Warriors.
Rebounding from a 4-0 defeat to Bishop Grimes on Oct. 5, Bishop Ludden got a shutout of its own last Tuesday night, the Gaelic Knights converting twice in the second half to defeat Faith Heritage 2-0.
Michael Gaughan and Charlie Colella had those second-half tallies, with Liam Mahar adding an assist. None of the Saints’ six shots got past Ludden goalkeeper Jim McGarvey.
Up against Onondaga on Thursday, Ludden kept the Tigers winless with a 4-0 shutout, Liam Casey earning two of the Gaelic Knights’ goals as Noah Kerwin got two assists. Mahar added a goal and Gaughan got an assist.
Solvay took a 1-0 defeat to Mexico last Tuesday, with Jonathan Gonzalez Perez making nine saves for the Bearcats, but not able to keep the Tigers’ Noah Hiller from putting in the game’s only goal.
