Two championship programs, located just down the road from each other, would find time to battle Saturday afternoon in what looked like one of the season’s most anticipated games.
Fayetteville-Manlius was on one side, challenged by Jamesville-DeWitt, and in some years such a match-up would bristle with anticipation and excitement.
Here, though, all the fun was on one side as the Hornets dealt the Red Rams one of its most lopsided defeats in recent memory, a 6-0 decision powered by an attack rounding into form.
Just as she had done throughout the early part of the season, F-M forward Lauren Clark created match-up problems, and she flew past J-D’s defenders to notch three goals for a hat trick, plus an assist.
Morgan Goodman starred, too, as the freshman scored twice, while Sophia TenEyck broke through with a goal and assist and Kat Amico earned an assist.
J-D would get some opportunities throughout the game, but all six of the Rams’ shots were scooped up by Sydney Mahr as Lauren Parker and Amelia Zumbuhl made 19 saves on the other end.
Both were coming off busy weeks of action, with J-D leaning on Megan Baker to win a tense season opener 3-2 over Auburn last Tuesday, just as F-M had its own close call, but beat Cicero-North Syracuse 2-1.
Auburn gave J-D’s defense plenty to worry about throughout the game and broke through twice, requiring the Rams to answer them – which it did.
It came in the form of Baker netting all three of J-D’s goals, her hat trick helped by assists from Lindsey Hilidreth and Rori Leach, while the Rams needed all of Parker’s 11 saves.
As that went on, F-M found itself trailing C-NS 1-0 early in the second half, but it did not panic.
Instead, Clark again broke free and, in the 47th minute, struck for the tying goal. Then, with the defense collapsing on Clark with 10 minutes left in regulation, she passed to Goodman, who netted the game-winner.
Two nights later, F-M reunited with West Genesee, whom it beat in the 2019 sectional Class AA final, and got off to a far better start than in its previous two games on the way to a 4-1 win over the Wildcats.
Just as important was the fact that the Hornets’ first two goals came from Amico and Chloe Hodge, diversifying an attack that was getting too dependent on Clark and Goodman.
However, Clark’s passing ability was highlighted on a perfect feed to Goodman on a breakaway goal late in the first half and, in the second half, Goodman returned to deliver a strong left-footed shot into the top corner of the net.
Right before it faced F-M, J-D would get challenged by Baldwinsville, and like previous opponents who faced the Bees, it could not contain Hannah Mimas in a 2-0 defeat.
Given space to run, Mimas flew past Rams defenders for a breakaway goal in the opening minute. Then things settled down for the rest of the first half, though J-D rarely threatened against the B’ville defense.
Early in the second half, the deficit doubled, again with Mimas putting the ball in the net. That it didn’t turn to more was a tribute to Parker stopping 16 of the 18 shots she faced.
Of course, East Syracuse Minoa was eager to take its own shots at a J-D side that has dominated the league rivalry in recent years.
For its season opener at Cortland, the Spartans dispatched the Purple Tigers 6-0, getting out in front in the first half on goals by Leah Rehm and Abby Hudgins.
Much more would follow, Rehm tacking on two more goals in the second half to earn the hat trick as Lina Polcaro and Natalie Peterson both scored, too, and joined Hudgins in gaining two assists apiece.
A 3-0 shutout of Auburn followed on Thursday night as Polcaro took over, scoring once in the first half and twice more in the second half for the hat trick. Rehm twice assisted, with Katie Cox also getting an assist.
