A pair of unusual developments surrounded the West Genesee girls lacrosse team in the opening days of May.
First, there was a defeat, albeit to a great opponent in Skaneateles, who blanked the Wildcats over the game’s last 14-plus minutes and rallied to prevail 11-9 on May 2 in Camillus.
Then, a couple of days later, WG found out that the loss didn’t cost them anything. Not only did the Wildcats stay atop the state Class A rankings, but Christian Brothers Academy moved up to the no. 2 spot, with Cicero-North Syracuse at no. 4.
All of this didn’t give WG too much comfort, though, since the loss to Skaneateles proved how a disciplined, physical and skilled opponent could crash the Wildcats’ championship ambitions.
To a small degree, what happened in that game carried over into last Tuesday’s visit from Fayetteville-Manlius, but this that trademark Wildcat surge late in the first half proved decisive and WG beat the Hornets 18-7.
Having topped that same F-M squad 15-5 on April 9, the Wildcats found things a bit interesting for a large portion of the first half. Only with a 5-3 lead, WG responded with a 6-1 run to close the half, three of the goals from Madisyn Kittell.
All told, Kittell had five goals, leading her side as Grace Osterdale scored four times. Nicky Delaney and Lexie Meager picked up two goals apiece as Mackenzie Baker notched a goal and three assists. Kyra Bednarski, Abby Collins, Lauren Ferris and Julia Williams also found the net as Cassidy Bartlett got two assists and Madison Pritchard a single assist.
Two nights later, WG smothered Syracuse 16-0, not forgetting about its opponent during Senior Night festivities as it breezed out to a 10-0 halftime lead and maintained the shutout even when the starters left the game early.
Eleven different players scored at least once, with Kittell and Bartlett both notching three-goal hat tricks. Ferris had two goals and two assists as Emily Salanger earned three assists. Bednarski, Collins, Delaney, Pritchard, Williams, Mackenzie Negus, Jessica Dussing and Rachel Hillery also had goals, with Osterdale and Regin joining Negus, Bednarski, Dussing and Hillery in the assist column.
In a non-league test on Saturday, WG met Section V power Honeoye-Falls Lima, who is no. 9 in the state Class C rankings, but beat C-NS in overtime early this season.
Fully aware of that result, the Wildcats crushed the Cougars 15-4, scoring the game’s first two goals and then, after HF-L got on the board, running off seven consecutive goals on the way to an 11-2 halftime advantage.
Bednarski and Kittell would both match the Cougars with four goals apiece, Bednarski tacking on a pair of assists. Delaney and Meager had two goals apiece as Osterdale got a goal and three assists. Baker had one goal and two assists as Dussing contributed a goal and Pritchard added an assist.
Right before the Section III Class A playoff pairings were made, WG would visit Baldwinsville Tuesday, a team it beat 12-7 back in the April 1 season opener on the F-M turf.
