Though young in so many spots, the Christian Brothers Academy girls lacrosse team already has shown that, when pushed, it can respond in a positive and emphatic manner.
Going up against a potential post-season opponent last Tuesday when it visited Jamesville-DeWitt, the Brothers were in a tight spot late in the first half, but got out of it and went on to roll past the Red Rams 17-6.
These teams had met April 8 at Alibrandi Stadium, and CBA had prevailed by a similar 17-6 margin. J-D, with just two seniors (Carly Neugebauer and Cameron Buck),had improved a lot since then, but so had the Brothers, hardened by a tough schedule and losses to powerhouses like West Genesee, Skaneateles and Mount Sinai.
Less than a minute into the rematch, Caroline Kopp scored, giving J-D its lone lead. An exchange followed before Maddie Cook, Sam McKenna and Rachel Ziemba hit on consecutive goals to put CBA in front 5-2.
Hulslander and Carly Stone answered and, as the first half wound down, the Rams only trailed 5-4. But sensing trouble, CBA started to dominate in the draw circle, leading to extra possessions and a decisive 4-0 spurt at the end of the half.
And the Brothers pulled further away in the second half, anchored by Emily Ehle, who poured in five goals, and McKenna, who added three goals and one assist. Cook had two goals and one assist as Ziemba and Lilly Hunt both had a goal and two assists. Rachel Vercillo, Tessa Queri, Hannah Werner and Evie Lopoo also found the net.
J-D could not keep up, despite Buck’s 10 saves. Stone found the net twice, with Carly Neugebauer getting a goal and two assists. Jessica Wipper joined Hulslander and Kopp with single goals.
CBA went from there to rolling past Fulton 16-3 on Wednesday night, Vercillo leading the way with four goals and one assist as Olivia Penoyer added three goals and one assist. Ehle, Cook and Amanda Fess had two goals apiece, with Ehle and Ziemba each getting two assists. Lopoo and Meredith Strott got single goals.
Fayetteville-Manlius displayed the growth it had shown all season in last Monday’s game against Cicero-North Syracuse, even if the Hornets lost, 14-9, to the state Class A no. 7-ranked Northstars.
C-NS came into the game with a 13-1 record, its lone blemish a defeat to West Genesee in mid-April, but F-M, off its May 10 win over Baldwinsville, got the start it wanted, seizing a 3-1 lead as Mary Trop, Olivia Tejan and Carly Primo earned the Hornets’ goals.
But the Northstars soon settled down and blanked F-M for 13-plus minutes, going on a 4-0 run to move in front before Jamison Seabury’s goal made it 5-4.
C-NS then used three goals in a 53-second span to establish an 8-4 margin late in the half, Samantha Tortora scoring twice and assisting on Bryar Cummings’ tally, before Jane Cote’s goal cut the Hornets’ deficit to 8-5 at the break.
The entire second half amounted to a chase. Twice, C-NS established six-goal margins, of 11-5 and 12-6, but a tenacious F-M defense made sure it didn’t turn into a runaway, and the Hornets battled to the end as Trop, Allison Macrae and Meg Kincaid added late goals. Aubrey Deveau, in defeat, made nine saves, one less than Northstars counterpart Bri Stahr.
Two days later, F-M rolled past Auburn 18-3, racing out to a 12-1 halftime lead as Trop led the way, pouring in six goals. Primo scored four times and Tejan added three goals and two assists, with Kincaid scoring twice. Julie Neuberger and Allison Macrae each had two assists as single goals went to Grace Bang, Sara Falso and Megan Josephson.
East Syracuse-Minoa returned to action on Tuesday and smashed Whitesboro 15-2, blanking the Warriors in a 7-0 first half and pulling further away behind a big effort from Haley DeVona, who scored five times.
Kate McGarrity managed a three-goal hat trick, with Olivia McEachron and Katy Steigerwald each getting a pair of goals. Jenna Kenney, Morgan Young and Cindy Brownson had single goals, with Kenney contributing an assist.
ESM, as it turned out, would get the no. 4 seed in the sectional Class B tournament and will host J-D, the no. 5 seed, in next Tuesday’s opening round, with the winner to get top seed CBA in the semifinals.
As for F-M, it is the no. 3 seed in Class A, hosting no. 6 seed Liverpool next Tuesday for the right to, perhaps, get another shot at C-NS, the no. 2 seed, in that sectional semifinal. All of the title games take place May 27 at the Carrier Dome.
