Every time the Fayetteville-Manlius boys lacrosse team has taken the field in recent weeks, it’s made the fans reach for whatever they take when things get nervous.
Following a wild 17-14 win over Baldwinsville on April 22, the Hornets’ next three games were all decided by a single goal – a 10-9 escape at Oswego on April 24, followed by a surprising 7-6 defeat to LaFayette two days later amid lots of wind and rain.
Somehow, the conditions were even worse for last Tuesday night’s visit from Auburn. Again, it proved close, but in this instance F-M did just enough to get past the Maroons 10-9.
This game threatened to have major ramifications for future Section III Class A playoff seeding, since both teams entered the game with equal 7-3 records.
Add to it the rain and high winds, and it was little surprise that the defenses struggled in the first quarter, F-M battling its way to a 5-3 lead. Auburn settled down, though, and by keeping the Hornets in check, it moved within one, 6-5, by halftime.
The second half nearly mirrored the first, F-M doubling up the Maroons and extending its lead back to three, 10-7, only to get shut out in the fourth quarter. Auburn pulled within one for a second time, but could not quite force overtime.
Jack Wilson had three goals and three assists, with Casey Green and John Cote also having three-goal outings. Colton Oliver earned the other goal as Luke Krizman got two assists. Alex Leuze and Erik Badger earned single assists. Each of Brian Charlamb’s eight saves proved important. Sean Lattimore led Auburn with a three-goal hat trick.
At last, F-M got a break from the stress of the previous two weeks when it went to Syracuse East on Thursday and rolled to a 19-7 victory, using an 8-2 second-quarter spurt to establish a 12-4 halftime lead.
Wilson notched a career-best six assists, plus two goals. Often, Wilson’s passes went to Green, who had four goals and two assists, or to Dylan Taylor-Wolford, who had his first three-goal varsity hat trick. Oliver added two goals as Krizman, Badger, Andy Cummings, Kevin Chase and Pat Quinlan got one goal apiece.
F-M would put its 9-3 record on the line Tuesday and look to avenge an April 8 loss to Cicero-North Syracuse before Marcellus visits on Saturday, the prelude to big match-ups next week with West Genesee and Corcoran that close out the regular season.
