Given its crowded schedule and the tough opponents it faced during a 5-3 run through the first half of the regular season, it was quite understandable that the West Genesee girls lacrosse team would go back to the basic tenets that help build a winner.
When the Wildcats hosted Baldwinsville last Tuesday night at Mike Messere Field, it proved a game-long showcase for WG’s defense, who stifled the Bees and that, combined with another star turn from Mackenzie Baker, helped produce a 9-2 victory.
This was the Wildcats’ fourth game in seven days, and it had lost two of the previous three (to Garden City and Cicero-North Syracuse), pushing it down to no. 17 in the latest state Class A rankings, well back of B’ville.
Under first-year coach Megan Collins, who replaced Doug Rowe, the Bees were no. 7 in the state Class A rankings, having won five in a row since a 1-2 start. Yet that didn’t matter much against a Wildcats defense bent on proving it could dominate a game.
WG’s back line, consisting of Grace Walker, Emma Parry, Erin Mills and Meredith Barrett, held B’ville to two goals in the first half, and nothing after intermission. Whenever the defense buckled a bit, goalie Claudia Mocciaro was ready for it, earning seven saves.
Meanwhile, the Wildcats expanded upon its 5-2 halftime lead largely because of Baker. Despite all the defenses geared to stop her, Baker still managed seven goals, with Eliza MacCaull getting the other two goals. Cecilia Procopio and Julia Williams had one assist apiece.
Still at home on Thursday night, WG met Liverpool, and after an early exchange, the Wildcats scored 11 consecutive goals to close out the half, erasing all possible suspense as it defeated the Warriors 17-4.
This time around, WG didn’t lean so much on Baker, though she still had four goals and three assists. Adrianna Nojaim scored three times, with Procopio and Williams both getting two goals and one assist. Ally Trice also had two goals as Catherine Farrell got a goal and two assists. Lauren Ferris, Phoebe Nelson and Elise Mancabelli found the net and Kyra Kick earned an assist.
Another big week lay ahead for WG, who would try to get even with Fayetteville-Manlius for its mid-April defeat on Tuesday and then, on Saturday, hosts defending state Class A champion Christian Brothers Academy.
