Patience is something not often associated with teenagers, even high school athletes. Yet the West Genesee girls lacrosse team had to employ a lot of patience in order to return to the Carrier Dome for yet another shot at the Section III Class A championship.
Up against no. 4 seed Baldwinsville in last Thursday night’s sectional semifinal at Chittenango High School, the top-seeded Wildcats endured a rare first-half shutout, but somehow regrouped to fight past the Bees by a 4-2 margin.
WG, still perched atop the state Class A rankings, had not played since its May 12 regular-season finale at B’ville, where it lost, 6-5, its first defeat to the state no. 12-ranked Bees since 2009.
That game featured everything B’ville wanted to do to subdue the Wildcats – pressure hard on defense, and possess the ball for long stretches on the attack, waiting for good shots rather than take quick ones.
So when the two sides got together again after B’ville survived an upset bid from Fayetteville-Manlius with a late rally to win 15-12 in last Tuesday’s opening round, the sides readied for a stalemate, but had no idea just how complete it would get.
WG did not score a goal in the first half – something that never happened before in head coach Bob Elmer’s 16-year tenure. Whenever it had the ball, the Wildcats tried to force the action, but the Bees’ defense, utilizing double and triple teams, forced turnovers, and sophomore goalie Julia George made five saves, with another shot ringing off the post.
“Their defense was exceptional,” said Elmer.
But the Wildcats only trailed 2-0 at the break, surrendering goals by Andrea Walker early in the half and Glory Johnson late in the half.
Lost in the buzz surrounding WG’s drought was the way its defense was keeping things close. Madison Pritchard, Jessica Dussing, Mackenzie Negus, Courtney Shoults and the rest of the back line took turns forcing B’ville into mistakes, and Allyson Trice, drawing the most difficult assignment, flourished, holding the Bees’ leading scorer, Taylor Gebhardt, without a point all night.
None of this would matter, though, if WG didn’t adjust its offensive approach. Elmer said that, at halftime, the emphasis was on taking a bit longer to get better shots – in other words, copying the Bees’ plans and throwing it right back at them.
Just 1:36 into the second half, the drought ended with Lexie Meager’s goal. Six minutes later, WG forced a turnover that Kyra Bednarski turned into a fast-break goal.
Now with energy and momentum, WG kept pushing, and goals by Grace Osterdale and Mackenzie Baker 31 seconds apart pushed the Wildcats in front.
More than 15 minutes remained, but the Wildcats had all the offense it needed. With the back line making more big stops, WG decided, in the homestretch, to hold the ball, and it managed to do so until the final minute, bleeding the clock in a manner the Bees had to find familiar.
It’s doubtful that Tuesday’s Class A final at the Dome will be a similar game. WG faces no. 3 seed Christian Brothers Academy, who ousted no. 2 seed Cicero-North Syracuse 12-8 in the other semifinal and remembers how the Wildcats beat them in overtime at Alibrandi Stadium on April 18.
