With a chance to gain a lot of confidence and momentum before the start of the Section III Class B playoffs, the Cazenovia girls soccer team took full advantage.
First, the Lakers ventured to Jordan-Elbridge last Tuesday afternoon, where Audrey Burbidge’s hat trick helped lead to a 7-2 victory over the Eagles.
Cazenovia did not waste the vast amount of scoring opportunities it earned, roaring out to a 4-1 halftime lead and continuing to add to that margin despite Brienna Fabrize’s pair of goals for J-E, one in each half.
Burbidge, by herself, was responsible for three goals and tacked on an assist. Saige Ackerman, called up from the JV team, had her first two-goal outing of the season, while Lizzy Bigsby had one goal and one assist.
Abbie McEntee had the other goal as eighth-grader Casey Crawford gained a pair of assists. Micaela Venditti and Keeley Race picked up one assist apiece.
Friday meant Senior Night festivities at the Sean Googin Sports Complex, but Cazenovia did not let the ceremony distract from the task at hand, jumping all over Hannibal and finishing with a 7-0 shutout of the Warriors.
Six seniors – McEntee, Lauren Mapstone, Jocelyn Golden, Julie Aasgaard, Isabella Quattrone and Micaela Vanetti – got their accolades, and then the Lakers went after Hannibal, McEntee netting an early goal to set the tone.
Just as she did against J-E, Burbidge would produce a hat trick, this one of the natural variety as all of her goals came in that decisive first half before Crawford tacked on a goal late in the half.
Not content with that, the Lakers did more after the break, McEntee producing her second goal of the night and Ackerman also finding the net. Kelsi Fredericks got credit for a pair of assists, while Quattrone, Bigsby and Meg Romagnoli had one assist apiece.
Even with a 12-3 regular-season mark, Cazenovia only gained the no. 7 seed in the Class B bracket. So if the Lakers win Tuesday night’s first-round game against no. 10 seed Solvay, it would have to confront defending champion Marcellus (whom it lost to 4-0 on Oct. 12) in the quarterfinals on Thursday night.
