All the steps that the West Genesee girls lacrosse team had to take prior to Tuesday night’s long-awaited reunion with Cicero-North Syracuse – better known as the team that ended the Wildcats’ six-year championship run in last year’s Section III Class A semifinal – were made with little incident.
In short, the Wildcats did not look ahead one bit to the Northstars. Just two nights after a tough 8-6 road win at Pittsford on March 29, WG was back home, putting away Liverpool 14-3 and improving its record to 4-0.
Given the no. 16 spot in the FAB 50 national rankings assembled by Student Sports (which covers high school sports across the country), the Wildcats played another superb first half, keeping the ball away from the Warriors and steadily building an 8-1 margin.
As WG pulled further away, Grace Osterdale set the pace, finding the net five times and adding an assist, with the rest of the attack well spread out.
Hannah Elmer and Taylor Collins each scored twice, while Cailyn Negus managed a goal and three assists. Riley Donahue had a goal and two assists as Mackenzie Baker, Gianna Branca and Madisyn Kittell had one goal apiece. Marissa Hudgins and Brigid Regan managed assists.
It was much the same result on Thursday, at Central Square, as the Wildcats moved to 5-0 by toying with the Red Hawks in a 23-3 romp.
WG built up a 14-0 lead in the first half, and kept adding to that total as 15 different players put in at least one goal by the time it was done.
Only Osterdale, with three goals and two assists, and Donahue, who also had three goals, found the net more than twice. Baker, Kittell and Sinead Guy got two goals apiece as Collins and Elmer both had a goal and two assists and Regin also managed two assists.
Branca and Jessica Dussing both finished with one goal and one assist. Jackie Pardee, Angela Ponto, Maria Delany, Nicky Delany and Rachel Delany took turns with goals of their own.
Now everyone is looking forward to this big week of games – first the showdown with C-NS, and then, on Saturday, a battle with defending Class C champion Skaneateles, who has nearly everyone back from a team that reached the state finals a season ago.
