East Syracuse-Minoa’s boys lacrosse team kept getting into close encounters, winning some of them.
The Spartans stumbled at Whitesboro on May 7, falling to the Warriors 6-5.
The Spartans paid for getting shut out in the first half, even though Whitesboro could only manage a 2-0 halftime edge.
Mike Cummings, with three goals and one assist, led ESM’s comeback, while James Chayka got a goal and two assists and Garrett Smith also scored. A.J. DeSimone (two goals) and Kevin Flanagan (one goal, three assists) led Whitesboro along as its goalie, Dave Olney, had 13 saves, one more than Spartan goalie Matt Letcher.
Going through another close game at home two days later, ESM at least came out on top here, beating Cazenovia 9-8.
Playing well on both sides of the ball in the first half, the Spartans shut the Lakers down for long stretches and built a 6-2 advantage. Cazenovia charged in the third quarter and shut out ESM in the final period, but the hosts held on.
Chayka, with three goals, and Smith, with two goals and two assists, led the way as Cummings added two goals and one assist. Quadear Mike earned one goal and one assist and Tom Petterelli also scored. Each of Letcher’s 12 saves proved to be important.
Stuck at the .500 mark, ESM broke out of those doldrums in a big way Tuesday night when, in a battle of Spartan teams, ESM beat New Hartford by a score of 9-6.
New Hartford came in with a 10-3 record, but ESM broke through their defenses several times in the first half, issuing the most damage while racing out to a 7-3 lead.
The margin grew to 9-4 by the fourth quarter, giving ESM enough space to struggle down the stretch without seeing that lead get away.
Chayka led the charge, with four goals and one assist. Raymond and Cummings each scored twice, with Smith adding a goal and Mike earning three assists. Letcher settled into the net and recorded 10 saves.
Now came some road tests, beginning on Thursday when the Spartans went to Cortland and needed a strong fourth-quarter comeback to beat the Purple Tigers 10-8.
Despite its 4-10 mark, Cortland proved to be pesky, overcoming ESM’s 6-3 halftime lead by blanking the Spartans in the third quarter. Brandon Planck (three goals) and Allen Kryger (two goals) led that rally.
Now trailing 7-6, the Spartans regrouped and took over in the final period, scoring four times and tightening up on defense, like it had done in the first half.
Smith, with four goals and two assists, and Cummings, with three goals and one assist, accounted for much of ESM’s offense on this night. Mike, Chayka and Marc Sacco also scored. Letcher had 11 saves.
