High ambition is on the mind of the Fayetteville-Manlius field hockey team as it ventures into the Section III Class A playoffs.
The Hornets went to 9-6 on the season last Thursday, going to Auburn and displaying all kinds of offense as it ripped past the Maroons 6-1.
Katelyn Gualtieri scored twice, leading a deep and well-balanced attack. Emma Hebert had one goal and one assist as Issy Moro, Kayla O’Connor and Kaitlyn Ogborn all scored, too. Lindsay Trachtenberg picked up a pair of assists, with Kerry O’Connor and Olivia Tejan also reaching the assist column.
East Syracuse-Minoa, preparing for its own post-season appearance, hosted Auburn last Monday night and earned a 2-0 shutout over the Maroons.
Amy Loder hit again for her 12th goal of the season, and Jill Alaimo joined her in the scoring column as Melissa Koch added an assist. What kept the match from getting more lopsided was the work of Auburn goalie Alexandra Mack, who had 12 saves.
Then the Spartans doubled that production in Wednesday’s game against Homer, rolling past the Trojans 4-0.
Loder, by scoring twice, ran her goal total to 14. Judi Neff and Melissa Koch both converted, with Mackenzie Gabriel earning a pair of assists and Danielle Ventrone added an assist.
ESM’s trip to Cato-Meridian on Thursday was a third contest in four days, but the Spartans had enough energy to outlast the Blue Devils 2-1 in overtime.
Alaimo scored in the first half, but so did Cato’s Julia Lippert. And it stayed 1-1 through a scoreless second half. In the seven-on-seven OT session, Alaimo struck again, beating Blue Devils goalie Cassandra Greene for the game-winner. Loder and Neff each had one assist.
The Spartans were one of four teams to reach the Class B playoffs. ESM (11-5) meets defending champion Camden (12-3-1) Saturday in the semifinal round, with the winner to get Vernon-Verona-Sherrill or Cortland in the title game.
Just the same, F-M goes straight into the semifinal round – played at ESM next Tuesday at 7 p.m. as the no. 3 seed Hornets face no. 2 seed Rome Free Academy. Liverpool and Cicero-North Syracuse meet in the other semifinal at 5 p.m., right before the Hornets face the Black Knights.
