Just a season ago, the very notion of the Cazenovia boys soccer team keeping close to Skaneateles, much less beating them, was fanciful.
Yet in 2011 that is sweet reality as, on Thursday night, Cazenovia went west and beat that other band of Lakers in a 2-0 shutout.
Skaneateles is the reigning state Class C champions. But it saw 13 seniors graduate from that team and also saw two other key players, A.J. Richichi and Trevor Diamond, not return, either.
None of this mattered to Cazenovia, who played on fairly even terms with Skaneateles in this game. The only difference was that, once in each half, the visitors would convert those chances into decisive goals.
Luke Dorsey and James Duffy found the net, while Conor Race grabbed an assist. Cazenovia’s effective defense held Sknaeateles to five shots, all of which Chris Matteson would scoop up.
Off to its own 0-2 start, the Cazenovia girls soccer team was bent on finding the win column. Needless to day, it succeeded.
The Lakers absolutely tore into Hannibal last Tuesday at the Sean Goggin Sports Complex in the first half and didn’t let up until it had reached double digits on the board in a 10-0 romp of the Warriors.
All through the first half, Cazenovia attacked – and more importantly, it converted. The eight-goal outburst in those 40 minutes made the rest of the contest a formality, though the Lakers tacked on two more.
It was spread around, too. Kristie Kleine and Colleen Dougherty each had two goals and one assist, while Abbie McEntee also found the net twice. Audrey Burbidge earned a goal and two assists, while Kelsey Henderson and Kelsi Fredericks both picked up one goal and one assist. Kayla Dorrance got two assists and Kiley Connellan earned the other goal.
Cazenovia went for back-to-back home wins Friday, against Skaneateles, and registered its own Laker triumph, taking control in the late stages of a 3-1 victory.
They were even, 1-1, at the break, but in the second half Cazenovia’s pressure (it took 13 shots, more than twice the total of Skaneateles) paid off. Kleine scored twice, with McEntee getting the other goal. Burbidge, Fredericks and Kathryn Costello earned one assist apiece.
Now comes a week where Cazenovia’s girls play three road games – against Solvay, Homer and Jordan-Elbridge – in five days. But the boys Lakers get to host the Bearcats, Trojans and Eagles at the Goggin complex.
