Heading into the start of the state Class C playoffs, the Skaneateles boys lacrosse team was unbeaten. So was the Lakers’ opponent in Saturday’s regional opener, Salmon River.
And that’s where the similarities ended – as quickly became apparent as the Lakers, having faced a far tougher slate of opponents on its way to the Section III Class C title, ripped the Shamrocks 18-4 at Cicero-North Syracuse’s Bragman Stadium.
To earn its 20th win in a row, Skaneateles merely needed to assert its will against Salmon River – which it did, quickly.
In what’s become a common occurrence, the Lakers blitzed the Shamrocks in the first quarter, not letting up until it had established a 6-1 lead.
The Shamrocks played a bit better in the second period, yet still saw the Skaneateles margin grow to 10-3 by halftime. Then, repeating the start, the Lakers outscored Salmon River 6-1 in the third quarter to wrap things up.
Kelly Donigan led the attack, backing up his three-goal hat trick with five assists, while Kevin Rice produced four goals and two assists.
Paul O’Donnell and Tom Schoener each had three goals and one assist, with Kyle Baier picking up two goals and two assists. Mike Richards, Zach Brownlee and Ryan Farrell came up with single goals.
The only sour notes came when Salmon River, frustrated by its struggles, used physical play to send both Schoener and Dylan Ross to the sidelines with injuries, though neither appeared to be serious.
This win sends Skaneateles south, to Union-Endicott High School, for Tuesday’s Class C regional final against Corning East at 3 p.m. Corning East, a long-time power, is in the midst of its final season before merging with Corning West (who will play Jamesville-DeWitt in the Class B regional final) next year.
