As it zoomed the halfway point of the regular season, the Fayetteville-Manlius boys lacrosse team’s early-April struggles resurfaced as it survived two difficult tests, but then stumbled at week’s end.
The Hornets won its fifth game in a row last Tuesday afternoon and – and prevented some history from taking place on its home turf as it held off Baldwinsville in a 17-14 thriller.
Not only were the Bees highly motivated to cool F-M down with a signature win, it was also trying to get its long-time head coach, Peter Fiorini (who is retiring at season’s end), his 400th career win, this following a come-from-behind, 11-10 overtime victory over Corcoran on April 19.
F-M was in no mood to provide that celebration, though, attacking at will against the Bees’ defense and bolting to a 6-3 lead by the end of the first quarter. It preserved that margin the rest of the half and went to the break in front, 9-6.
Again strong in the third period, the Hornets’ lead grew to 13-8, but it wasn’t over. Through a wild fourth quarter, B’ville did everything possible to catch up, but again saw its defense give up too much in order to make up all the ground.
John Cote poured in five goals, adding two assists as part of a three-pronged attack where Jack Wilson and Casey Green each got four goals and two assists.
To help out, Luke Krizman and Alex Leuze each gained a goal and two assists, while Colton Oliver and Andy Cummings had matching totals of one goal and one assist.
B’ville’s Mitch Rein led both sides with a career-best six goals, plus an assist. But only one other Bees player, Steve Petrelli, scored three times as Cody Luke got two goals.
Two days later (when Fiorini did get that 400th win as B’ville handled Cicero-North Syracuse 14-7), the Hornets went to Oswego, facing a Buccaneers team that, on Tuesday, had put a scare into West Genesee before taking a 6-3 defeat.
As it turned out, that effort was far from a fluke, because Oswego got even closer to F-M, nearly catching up at the end of regulation before the Hornets held on to prevail by a 10-9 margin.
They were tied, 2-2, through one quarter, but F-M appeared to grab control by gaining a 7-4 lead by halftime. The Bucs slowed the game down, though, and ate into that Hornets lead throughout a tense second half, getting within one but not quite forcing overtime.
Wilson, with two goals and four assists, anchored F-M’s attack. Oliver scored three times, with Cote and Green each getting two goals. Leuze gained three assists as Krizman added one goal and one assist. Each of Brian Charlamb’s nine saves proved important as Brandon Tracz (three goals) and Mitch Schrader (two goals, two assists) led the Bucs’ efforts.
Perhaps those games took a cumulative toll, for when the Hornets met LaFayette in a non-league showdown on Saturday afternoon, it stumbled and took a 7-6 defeat to the Lancers, ending its win streak at six games.
Long a traditional lacrosse power, LaFayette only carried a 5-5 record into the game, yet slowed the game’s tempo throughout the first half and kept it tied, 2-2, giving itself a belief that it could win. Then the Lancers inched in front, 4-3, by the end of the third quarter and answered every time F-M wanted to go in front in the latter stages.
Other than Wilson, who had three goals and two assists, the Hornets’ attack was quiet. Cote, Green and Leuze managed single goals, with Krizman and Oliver held to one assist apiece. Six different LaFayette players scored goals, with only David Turner finding the net twice.
Now with a 7-3 overall record, F-M faced another big test Tuesday night when it hosted 7-3 Auburn, two nights before a visit to Syracuse East.
