Over the course of an entire spring of competition, the Skaneateles boys lacrosse team had definitive answers for just about anyone else it faced on the field — except for one.
The final record will show that both of the Lakers’ blemishes in an 18-2 campaign came against LaFayette, who prevailed 14-10 in last Friday’s Section III Class C final at Cicero-North Syracuse’s Bragman Stadium.
With that win, the Lancers stayed unbeaten at 21-0 and earned its first title since 2005, when it earned its only state championship.
Skaneateles had knocked LaFayette out of the semifinal round a year ago. But that was before two brothers, Lyle and Miles Thompson, came back from a year at Salmon River. Together, they would tear up the Lakers’ defense in the title game.
Knowing it had to control tempo, Skaneateles won some early face-offs and controlled the ball for most of the first quarter.
Yet all it could manage were goals by Kevin Castle and Kyle Baier — and after Baier’s tally that put the Lakers ahead 2-1, Lyle Thompson tied it six seconds later by grabbing the ensuing face-off, running straight up the middle and firing it past Cal Winkleman. Head coach Ron Doctor said missing those early chances would prove to be important.
The real turning point came in the last minute of that opening period. Miles Thompson converted, giving LaFayette a 3-2 lead, and before it could regroup, the Lakers watched Jeremy Beresevoy and Lyle Thompson score within the next 38 seconds before the horn sounded.
Just like that, the Lakers were down 5-2, and in catch-up mode, unable to score in the second period as LaFayette built the margin to 7-2 behind a stout defense and several fine stops from goalie Chris Klaiber, who had 12 saves.
Not until the third quarter did Skaneateles break the drought — but even when it did, LaFayette always would answer it, keeping the margin between four and seven goals the rest of the afternoon.
Baier would add three assists, with Castle, Nathan Hunt, Kevin Rice and Tom Schoener each putting in two goals as the Lakers battled to the very end.
Still, it was too much of the Thompson brothers. Remembering how Lancer senior John Greeley had hurt them so much in their first meeting on May 2, Laker defenders honed in on Greeley and would do well, holding him to one goal and one assist.
However, that left for Miles Thompson, who finished with five goals and three assists, and Lyle Thompson, who contributed four goals and four assists.
