All season long, the Skaneateles boys lacrosse team has swerved in different directions – one moment brilliant and inspired, the next moment perplexed and frustrated.
It was into that latter category that Skaneateles fell late in last Wednesday night’s game against state Class A no. 4-ranked Cazenovia at the Sean Googin Sports Complex, where it was close until a key surge at the end of the first half turned the gme in favor of Cazenovia, who prevailed 14-5.
This was the same Skaneateles team Cazenovia had needed a pair of last-second goals to get past 8-6 back in the April 2 season opener at Hyatt Stadium. And for much of the first two periods, Skaneateles kept the hosts in check, fighting its way to a 4-3 lead.
But then Cazenovia’s duo of Cole Willard and P.J. Brown scored late in the first half, Brown’s goal coming 14.8 seconds before halftime, and all of the hard work of Skaneateles was undone.
Instead of a deficit, Cazenovia led, 5-4, and with all of the momentum, it proceeded to belt the visitors in a 4-0 third quarter, and Skaneateles never recovered.
Willard, all by himself, outscored Skaneateles and finished with a season-best seven goals. Brown scored four times, adding an assist, and Cazenovia goalie Brenden Whalen turned back 12 of the 17 shots he faced.
No one on the Skaneateles side had more than Alex Dunn’s pair of goals. Sam Duggan, Cullen McGlynn and Patrick Major had one goal apiece, with Owen Kuhns and Jack VanSlyke adding assists.
Back home at Hyatt Stadium Friday night, Skaneateles met Jordan-Elbridge, whom it beat 14-7 two weeks earlier, on April 15. This game proved closer, but the Lakers, with the same total of goals, won again, fighting off the Eagles 14-9.
A key to it all was the way the first quarter unfolded. Skaneateles played air-tight defense, never letting J-E get any kind of flow, and raced out to a 4-0 lead. That momentum was maintained for the rest of the half, and at the break, the Lakers enjoyed a 9-2 cushion.
That cushion was needed, for when Skaneateles went cold in the second half, J-E pounced, outscoring the Lakers 4-1 in the third quarter and getting as close as three, 10-7, before the Lakers regained its footing with two goals 23 seconds apart that created a cushion for the rest of the way.
Dunn, with four goals, and Kuhns, with three goals and three assists, paced the attack. VanSlyke had two goals and three assists, while McGlynn also found the net twice. Duggan had one goal and one assist as Major and Reece Eddy contributed single tallies.
On Tuesday night, Skaneateles (8-4) hosts a Westhill team that, despite its no. 4 state Class C ranking last week, lost back-to-back 10-9 overtime games to CBA and Cazenovia. The Lakers have a non-league game Saturday at Watertown.
