If the Westhill girls lacrosse team ever wanted to absorb a loss, it was better that it happened in the week before the Section III Class C playoffs started.
Still, the Warriors’ 13-11 defeat to Cazenovia last Tuesday at the Fenner Street complex halted what had become a 14-game win streak, dating back to a loss to Carthage on April 4.
It provided quite a contrast to the first Westhill-Cazenovia meeting on April 17, where the Warriors won 18-11 against a depleted Laker lineup with several players missing.
Everyone was at Fenner on Tuesday, though, and Cazenovia was primed from the start. The Lakers won a majority of the face-offs and ground balls, constantly attacking Westhill’s defense and finding success.
By halftime, the Warriors trailed by a score of 8-5. Sensing the danger, Westhill got more aggressive in the second half, using every kind of attack to try and penetrate through Cazenovia’s back line.
The only problem was that no single player could establish herself. Sam Marshall, Annie O’Connor, Emily Haggarty, Brennna Rainone and Erika Eipp each had two goals, but no one got three, and Mackenzie Rainone got just one goal and two assists, well below her season average.
Meanwhile, Cazenovia didn’t have to lean on Kara Cannizzaro, the North Carolina-bound senior. Cannizzaro had four goals and three assists, but Gabby Jaquith and Kendra Volz offered three-goal hat tricks in support, while Julie Gregg had a goal and three assists. Combined, they helped the Lakers hold on.
Westhill (15-2) will be heavily favored at Homer on Thursday in its last regular-season outing.
