Audrey Burbidge had eight goals in the first week of the regular season, but the Cazenovia girls soccer team did not rely on her alone to roll to a pair of easy wins.
The Lakers fell to Marcellus in last year’s Section III Class B quarterfinals, but got a boost to both its league and sectional hopes when the Mustangs got moved up to Class A and the OHSL Freedom division. Cazenovia is still in the Liberty division, where the likes of Westhill and Skaneateles will offer the main challenges.
Starting out at Solvay last Wednesday night, Cazenovia unleashed a potent attack that proved difficult to contain, the Lakers smashing the Bearcats 10-3.
It was 6-0 by halftime, and Burbidge sparked it, eventually picking up four goals. Just as encouraging, though, was the way the rest of the attack mobilized.
For example, Cazenovia got plenty from Saige Ackerman, who had a three-goal hat trick, plus an assist. Casey Crawford matched that point total through two goals and two assists, while Kate Sullivan also had a goal. Lizzie Bigsby and Kelsi Fredericks earned assists.
Friday’s game at Altmar-Parish-Williamstown brought more fun for the Lakers, who romped past the Rebels 8-1 by scoring four times in each half and taking 28 shots overall.
Burbidge, topping her Solvay production, finished with four goals and two assists. When the Rebels tried to stop Burbidge, Fredericks struck, scoring twice and adding an assist, while Crawford and Ackerman had one goal apiece. Casey Crawford and Grace Milmoe picked up assists.
Before Cazenovia got underway, Chittenango played twice – and were quite impressive both times, first hitting the field on Aug. 30 at Mexico, where it smashed past the Tigers 7-1.
By halftime, it was already 4-0, and Lauren Billington was on her way to a performance that included four goals. Helping out, Kayla Bain had two goals and two assists, with Nicole Zimmer adding a goal and two assists. Morgan Shoemaker also had an assist.
And to prove it wasn’t a fluke, Chittenango played through the rain last Tuesday night and had a similar performance against Cortland, smashing the Purple Tigers 7-2.
With the rain falling hard in the early going, the Bears maintained its attack, Billington flashing open for several shots that missed the mark. All of that changed in the 26th minute, though, when Billington found the net to give her side a 1-0 lead.
Just as important was that took place right before halftime. Kate Boyer, playing defense on the goal line with headed away a possible Cortland tying goal, and the Bears countered off that play, getting the ball to Lauren Cerio, who scored a minute before the break.
Fueled by that play, the Bears, up 2-0, extended that lead with Bain’s goal in the 49th minute. After Shea Swartout got the Purple Tigers on the board with a penalty kick, Krissy Roberts countered in the 53rd minute, making it 4-1.
Again, Cortland tried to get close with Emily Edwards’ goal, but again Chittenango would pull away, this time for keeps, as Billington hit on back-to-back goals in rapid order to earn her second hat trick in as many outings. Nicole Meyers tacked on a late goal as Bain got two assists, with Zimmer and Erin Fitzgerald getting one assist apiece.
The Bears’ first big test would come Monday night, at CBA, just as Cazenovia would get challenged in a visit to Skaneateles. The Lakers also meet Hannibal and Homer this week as Chittenango hosts its own tournament on the weekend.
