When the Skaneateles boys soccer team left the field Sept. 15 in the wake of a 4-0 shutout over Jordan-Elbridge, it was satisfied – but tired.
In racing to a 5-2 start, the Lakers, who stood at no. 10 in last week’s state Class B rankings, had played seven times in 14 days, a gauntlet that included a perfect OHSL Liberty division mark and strong wins over Westhill and Cazenovia, but also two losses in its own Finger Lakes Cup.
So Skaneateles was quite glad to take a 10-day break, where it had plenty of practice, but also enough rest and recuperation to prepare for the second half of the regular season.
And that kicked off last Thursday night, when the Lakers, back on the field, jumped out quickly in a game at Phoenix,and that made the difference in a 4-2 victory over the Firebirds.
An aggressive attack helped produce a 3-1 lead by halftime, and even though Phoenix managed goals from Zach Schlachter and John Garofalo, it could not catch up.
Max Messie found the net twice on the Lakers’ behalf, with Eli Goodell earning a pair of assists. Sam Duggan and Dylan Viscomi each had one goal, while Andrew Weiss added an assist.
A big showdown looms next Tuesday night, when Skaneateles hosted Cazenovia, a rematch of their Sept. 5 encounter that Skaneateles claimed by a 2-0 margin. Games against Cortland and Homer follow later in the week.
