If any opponent, and its efforts against them, symbolized the status of the Skaneateles boys lacrosse team with the Section III Class C playoffs looming, it was Westhill.
Twice in a 16-day span, the state Class C no. 20-ranked Lakers took the measure of the no. 12-ranked Warriors, and got close to a conquest – but could not win, including last Tuesday night’s 8-6 defeat at Hyatt Stadium.
Their first encounter, on April 20 at Westhill, ended with the Warriors hanging on to claim a 10-9 decision. In the two weeks since, though, the Warriors had gone through, among other things, painful back-to-back overtime losses to CBA and Skaneateles, and no one knew how it would affect them.
But Westhill didn’t flinch during a low-scoring first half, even after a pretty goal from Cullen McGlynn gave the Lakers a 2-1 lead that it took into the break.
Instead, Ryan Zimmerman, who recorded Westhill’s lone first-half tally, scored twice more in the third period, and that, plus another goal, gave the Warriors a 4-2 lead, protected by a defense that, all game long, never let Skaneateles get comfortable.
All told, Westhill made a 6-0 run before Owen Kuhns finally broke the Lakers’ drought early in the fourth quarter, and from there the rally began, Skaneateles getting goals from McGlynn, Kuhns and Sam Duggan to close the gap.
But the Warirors held on, despire the superb work in goal by Skaneateles netminder Kyle Oschner, who finished with 15 saves. Zimmerman had a part in all but one of the scoring plays, finishing with four goals and three assists. Casey Rogers helped with two goals and two assists.
The Lakers’ closing push of three games in five days began Saturday, at Watertown, where it rolled past the Cyclones 13-5. Then Skaneateles would visit CBA on Monday and return to Hyatt Stadium Wednesday to face Cortland.
