Ted Glesener found the key to solving a zone defense – take accurate shots, frequently.
Because Glesener did so, the West Genesee boys lacrosse team once again asserted itself as the Section III Class A team to beat, dominating from start to finish in a 14-4 victory over Liverpool Thursday night at Wildcat Stadium.
Though it was Senior Night for the Wildcats, it was Glesener, a junior, asserting his will on the previously undefeated Warriors in the first encounter between the two sides since last year’s Class A final, won by WG 7-6 in overtime.
Now, as then, Liverpool brought out its zone defense, designed to prevent an opposing team from getting close-up shots and forcing them outside, a contrast to the one-on-one, man-to-man approach the Wildcats have traditionally used.
That was fine for Glesener, who needed just 1:40 of game time to put his team in front. Taking a pass from Matt Schattner, Glesener sent a low, boring shot past Liverpool goalie Dominick Madonna, and the rout had started.
Patiently, the Wildcats worked it around until Glesener struck again, this time off a feed from Jake Darrow. Then, at the 8:18 mark, R.J. Tinklepaugh found Glesener at the point, and the midfielder screamed another hard shot into the net.
Though nearly 40 minutes of game time remained, Liverpool never recovered from this trio of blows. Just as importantly, Glesener’s breakthroughs against the zone ignited the rest of WG’s attack, which despite a 13-1 record had gone quiet many different times this spring.
From Ryan St. Croix connecting in the waning seconds of the first quarter to defender Jake Sutherland hitting a short-handed goal early in the second period, the Wildcats kept adding to the margin, Dan Ginestro and Tim Barber contributing goals late in the half.
And Glesener wasn’t done, either, pouring in two more goals to give him five for the half as the Wildcats’ lead expanded to 10-2 by halftime.
Glesener’s contributions went beyond the goals and two assists. From the middle of the first quarter onward, Glesener, along with Schattner, dominated in the face-off circle, allowing WG to control the ball for long portions of the clock.
Barber would finish with his own three-goal hat trick, while Darrow, Schattner and Andrew Brown each got two assists. St. Croix finished with a pair of goals.
On the defensive end, Sutherland, along with defensive mates Garrett Waldron, Andrew Dietz and Jim Cunningham, forced Liverpool into turnovers and mostly protected goalie Scott Sidnam, who still stopped 11 of 15 shots he faced.
This win likely makes the Wildcats the top seed for the Section III Class A playoffs, with Liverpool heading toward the no. 2 seed since it beat Fayetteville-Manlius 13-8 two nights before its rough trip to Camillus.
Two nights earlier, the Wildcats tuned up with one of its best all-around efforts of the season against Rome Free Academy, flattening the Black Knights 16-3.
RFA entered the game with a 9-3 record and had given Liverpool a significant scare on May 4, only losing to the Warriors 11-8.
Sensing that, and not looking ahead in any way to its own Liverpool clash, the Wildcats steadily pounded the Black Knights into the turf, gaining a 9-1 lead by halftime. After a brief slow-up, WG closed with a 6-1 fourth-quarter push.
Barber, in particular, was unstoppable, notching a season-best six goals to go with three assists. Schattner and Ginestro each added three-goal hat tricks, while Andrew Brown had two goals and one assist. Glesener and Sutherland scored, too, with Ryan St. Croix adding an assist.
WG finishes the regular season Tuesday, at Corcoran, and could wait a week and a half to start post-season play, depending on how many teams qualify for the sectional Class A tournament.
