Having already avenged a defeat to Jordan-Elbridge from the week before, the Westhill girls lacrosse team looked to do the exact same thing in Wednesday night’s Section III Class C-2 semifinal at Marcellus High School.
This time, for the no. 6 seed Warriors, the opponent was no. 2 seed Skaneateles, who had beat the Warriors twice in the regular season, both times by a single goal — 11-10 on April 16, then 16-15 on May 18.
Despite a furious effort, though, this game ended exactly like the other two — with Westhill on the wrong end of a one-goal decision, this one 8-7.
By winning most of the draws in the first half, Skaneateles could dictate the tempo, so it settled on long possessions designed to keep the trio of Caroline Buonocore, Brenna Rainone and Emily Haggerty from finding their rhythm.
That nearly backfired as, down 2-1, Westhill stormed in front late in the first half when Buonocore and Molly Kiggins hit on back-to-back goals. But Diane Vitkus converted just before the break, tying it 3-3, and Westhill would never lead again.
Once the Lakers established a 6-4 lead midway through the second half, it continued to be patient, and answered twice when Buonocore and Meg Dwyer hit on goals that, twice, cut the margin down to one.
Just the same, when Buonocore’s fourth goal cut the Warriors’ 8-6 deficit in half with 3:22 left, Skaneateles won the ensuing draw, then used its possession game to run out the rest of the clock. Westhill never got a chance to tie it.
Rainone only had one goal on this night, with Haggerty limited to three assists. Vitkus and Carly Davis led Skaneateles with three goals apiece, negating the work of the Wagner College-bound Morgan Roach, who finished with eight saves.
Westhill finished at 7-10 this season, and while Buonocore, Roach and Haggerty depart, Rainone, Dwyer and Kiggins come back next year, as does the entire back line of Allie Bush, Hannah O’Connor, Paige Rogers and Nicole Veit.