Nearly 10 months have passed, and the bitter memory of Cazenovia snatching the Section III Class C title from them with a late-game comeback and overtime goal still rankles everyone associated with the Westhill boys lacrosse team.
As if any further evidence of this anger was required, it came during last Tuesday night’s season opener, when the Warriors took on LaFayette and methodically cut apart the Lancers, eventually prevailing by a 16-5 margin.
Twelve seniors were gone from that 2015 squad, but the returning players include front-line stars Casey Rogers, Ryan Zimmerman and Matt McAnaney, and that trio would take apart LaFayette’s defense, especially in a second-quarter surge where it put up five unanswered goals to build an 8-1 advantage.
By himself, Rogers outscored the Lancers, earning six goals to go with a pair of assists. Zimmerman and Matt McAnaney each scored three times, with Zimmerman adding two assists as Luke McAnaney got a goal and two assists. Jack Miller had the other goal as Westhill’s defense was strong all night, limiting Tim O’Connor and Ben Amsterdam’s work as the goalies combined to make six saves.
In Friday’s game against New Hartford, the Warriors were challenged, but controlled the game’s middle stages and, led by Rogers and Zimmerman, beat the Spartans 16-11.
Only up 5-4 after one period, Westhill proceeded to outscore New Hartford 7-2 over the course of the next two periods. Rogers didn’t let up until he had scored six times, with Zimmerman also potent as he got four goals and one assist.
Matt McAnaney had a goal and two assists, while Miller, Luke McAnaney, Hunter Waddington, Braeden Elmer and Kyle Rey notched single goals. Owen Matukas and Nick French contributed two assists apiece.
Marcellus, quite unhappy with dropping its March 23 season opener to Tully in overtime, rebounded last week with two wins, none bigger than Saturday’s 12-11 thriller over Fayetteville-Manlius, the first by the Mustangs over the Hornets in the program’s history.
True, the Hornets were 0-1 and had lost to Syracuse in overtime earlier in the week, it still had a big name, and the Mustangs were fired up to play them, roaring out to a 5-0 first-quarter lead.
F-M recovered from there, gradually making up the ground behind Donovan Welsh’s six goals and two assists. The Hornets even led in the third quarter before Marcellus regrouped and, with the score 10-10, got back in front for keeps late in the final period.
Ultimately, Donovan’s goal with 40 seconds left that made it 12-10 proved the game-winner, since F-M pulled back within one and nearly forced overtime, only to see Cusick make two big stops in the waning seconds (his 19th and 20th saves of the game) to preserve the slim margin.
Filtch and Hutchings led Marcellus most of the way, each scoring four times as Filtch added a pair of assists. Donovan finished with two goals as Rohe earned a goal and two assists and Keegan also found the net.
Five days earlier, Marcellus toyed with Onondaga, especially in the first half of a 20-3 rout of the Tigers. The Mustangs gained a 9-1 advantage on OCS by the end of the first quarter and stretched it out to 19-1 over the course of the next two periods, giving everyone on the roster a chance to see some action.
Tim O’Sullivan, with four goals and two assists, and Shane Rohe, with three goals and three assists, led the attack. Riley Donovan, Matt Hutchings, Maverick Keegan and Gabe Van Order each scored twice as Ross Filtch got a goal and two assists. Kern Linder, Matt Kaczor, Sam Rice and Kieran Tierney notched single goals.
Then it would get tougher, with the Mustangs taking on two Class A teams back-to-back. It began Thursday, against Baldwinsville, where the Mustangs produced a lot, but gave up more in a 17-13 defeat to the Bees.
Though Marcellus had played twice and it was B’ville’s season opener, it was the Mustangs starting slowly, and paying for it. By the end of the first quarter, Marcellus trailed, 4-1, and it would spend the rest of the night in catch-up mode, constantly going through the Bees’ defenses, but also surrendering goals, too.
Filtch still scored five times, with Rohe gaining four assists. Hutchings notched three goals and Van Order found the net twice, with Donovan, Keegan and Rice earning one goal apiece. Cusick made 22 saves, but the Bees still saw Connor Smith notch five goals and Ryan Gebhardt four goals, with Pete Fiorini III adding two goals and three assists.
Against F-M two days later, the Mustangs would have a more pleasant result.
Jordan-Elbridge would test itself at Skaneateles last Wednesday night, but find itself shut down for most of the evening as the Lakers smothered the Eagles in a 15-5 defeat.
Not until the fourth quarter did J-E even get on the board – and by that point, Skaneateles enjoyed a 14-0 lead, having done most of its damage during a six-goal second period where it kept winning face-offs, controlled possession and wore down the Eagles’ defenses.
Sam Robles and Hunter Brunelle did net two goals apiece in that last quarter, with Logan Schwarting adding an assist. Taylor Rivenburgh finished with 10 saves as, for Skaneateles, Sam Duggan (four goals, two assists) and Jack VanSlyke (two goals, three assists) led the charge.