In the span of less than half an hour last Tuesday night on the Wildcat Stadium turf in Camillus, the girls lacrosse season, especially in the Class A ranks, got a whole lot more interesting.
West Genesee, seemingly on its way to a tough victory over visiting Cicero-North Syracuse, ended up surrendering a four-goal lead in the game’s latter stages and saw the Northstars prevail, 12-11, when Hanna Haven put in a rebound goal with four seconds left in regulation.
The recent history between these two teams is not lopsided. C-NS, of course, beat West Genesee in the 2013 Section III Class A semifinals, though the Wildcats avenged that defeat by claiming last year’s sectional title and going on to claim a seventh state championship.
What’s more, despite the major graduation losses it took from that state title team, WG had roared out to a 5-0 start, never trailing in wins over Baldwinsville, Penfield, Victor, Fayetteville-Manlius and Pittsford.
Immediately, C-NS showed that it would give the Wildcats trouble, grabbing a 4-1 lead as Meghan Duffy scored 13 seconds into the game, Haven followed up with a pair of goals and Bryar Cummings also found the net.
After taking a time-out, WG erased that deficit in less than three minutes, eventually leading 6-4 before back-to-back goals from Duffy and Samantha Tortora tied it again, 6-6, late in the first half.
When Grace Osterdale and Madisyn Kittell scored in the last 34 seconds of the half, WG seized the momentum and carried it over into the second half, threatening to pull away.
But after Kyra Bednardki’s goal made it 11-7 with 13:56 to play, the Wildcats would not score again. Mary Kate Bonanni, Lexxi Knoblock, Jenna Lippert, Mallory Eymer and the rest of the C-NS defense took away WG’s passing lanes, and Bri Stahr worked her total to nine saves.
At the same time, C-NS put in three freshmen midfielders – Jessica Meneilly, Olivia Massena and Megan Tryniski – to give Haven, Cummings and Duffy a breather, and that move paid off.
Still trailing 11-8, the Northstars made up most of the ground when Meneilly and Stephanie Roberts scored 20 seconds apart, and with 3:46 left in regulation, Tortora waited for WG goalie Katherine Widrick to step out and challenge her before firing home the tying goal.
Stahr and Widrick both made great saves in the last minute of regulation. C-NS got the ball back and, with 14.3 seconds left, called a time-out. Hamilton said the plan was to isolate Tortora on a defender and see what happened.
Tortora lost the ball, a wild scramble followed and Cummings took a shot that Widrick managed to block. Seeing the loose ball, Haven picked it up and, in one motion, fired it into the top of the net, delivering the game-winner.
Great as this win was for C-NS, the Wildcats are hungry for revenge and could get it, since these same two sides meet again in exactly two weeks (April 28, to be exact) at Bragman Stadium.
Meanwhile, WG visited Alibrandi Stadium Saturday for another big test against CBA, while playing for a good cause – and managing to emerge victorious in an 11-10 overtime thriller.
Led by Evie Lopoo, whose brother attends the United States Military Academy at West Point, CBA had created a “Patriot Game”, with all proceeds benefiting a new group called Team RWB (Red White and Blue), founded by CBA graduates Mike and Mark Erwin, who aims to benefit U.S. military veterans through physical and social activity.
The worthy cause demanded a worthy game, and the two powers, who hold a combined eight state championships between them, delivered it.
For a while, the lingering effects of the C-NS loss were evident. WG trailed most of the first half, and after tying it, 4-4, early in the second half, appeared to fall behind again when CBA’s Emily Ehle found the net.
But then Ehle’s stick was found to be illegal, the goal was disallowed and the Wildcats grabbed the momentum, establishing a 7-4 lead with three straight goals, two of them by Kittell. Just as quickly, though, WG went cold, and the Brothers tied it again, 7-7, late in the second half.
Neither team scored again until the pair of mandatory three-minute OT periods. CBA found the net first, but Bednardski, Baker and Delaney all found the net and, through one OT, the Wildcats held a 10-8 lead.
During the second OT, Widrick made a key point-blank stop and Baker scored, assisted by Osterdale. That proved to be the game-winner, since the Brothers notched two goals in the final minute, which wasn’t quite enough.
Osterdale and Baker finished with three goals apiece, with Lexie Meager and Brigid Regan adding assists. Ehle (four goals) and Strott (three goals) led CBA’s attack.
