Fairly or not, everything the Cazenovia girls soccer team did until next Saturday’s regular-season finale, a rematch with the Westhill side that beat the Lakers 2-1 in overtime on Sept. 23, would serve as an extended prelude.
If so, the state Class B no. 8-ranked Lakers wanted to make it count, especially in light of its first two October appearances, which ranged from an impressive 3-1 win over Skaneateles to a flat effort in a 3-0 loss to Marcellus just two days later.
It was that defeat to the Mustangs that served as motivation for the Lakers as it ventured to Hannibal last Monday afternoon, a game where Cazenovia found its top form again on both sides of the ball and blanked the Warriors 5-0.
With minimal fuss and plenty of drive, the Lakers roared to a 3-0 halftime lead, and as it pulled further away, Cazenovia revealed that it could produce beyond the well-known duo of Audrey Burbidge and Casey Crawford.
Burbidge still led the way, scoring twice and adding an assist. But Kelsi Fredericks, Lizzy Bigsby and Kate Sullivan would all score, too, with Crawford, Saige Ackermann and Grace Milmoe earning assists.
Two days later, Cazenovia, on Senior Night, roared past Jordan-Elbridge 10-2, most of it through a first half that saw the Lakers amass nine unanswered goals on the shell-shocked Eagles.
Ackermann had three of them for a natural hat trick, while Burbidge and Clare Costello chimed in with two goals apiece. Crawford and Bigsby each had one goal and one assist, with Colby Lucas, Samantha Gates and Jamie Joseph also earning assists.
Then Cazenovia returned to the Sean Googin Sports Complex on Friday to finish the Sept. 30 game with Altmar-Parish-Williamstown that was halted that night due to lightning in the area. It proved precarious for a while, but the Lakers, with a late surge, got a 3-1 victory over the Rebels.
Midway through the second half, it was still a 1-1 game, with APW’s Kylie Bartlett having scored for her side to answer Fredericks’ goal.
But with 16:14 to play, Burbidge got loose again and, taking a pass from Crawford, put home her goal of the season to give Cazenovia a 2-1 lead. Less than three minutes later, Burbidge found the net again, this time off a well-timed pass from Joseph, and the Lakers cruised from there.
Chittenango hosted Mexico last Monday night, and by defeating the Tigers 5-2, the Bears clinched a Section III Class A playoff berth with its seventh regular-season win.
A big first half settled matters early. With Mexico (like other opponents) focusing its defense on containing Lauren Billington, it was Kayla Bain and Kaiden Williams using early goals to help Chittenango grab a 2-0 edge.
Billington finally broke free for a goal late in the half, and Bain scored again, doubling the Bears’ margin to 4-0. Though Chittenango surrendered second-half goals to Mexico teammates Victoria Towndrow and Amylyn Holland, Billington tacked on another goal in the second half, her 17th of the season, to maintain the cushion.
Now the Bears visited Homer on Thursday night, trying to cool down a red-hot Trojans squad, but falling just short in a 3-2 defeat.
Homer had beaten Marcellus and East Syracuse-Minoa in the previous two weeks, but Chittenango (7-6) didn’t flinch in front of them, getting goals from Billington and Alli Cerio as Katy Myka recorded 10 saves.
The Trojans prevailed, though, with Lucy Connery making 12 saves and three players – Kim Dieroff, Mollie Ferrito and Madison Dimorier – getting Homer’s three goals.
