Late on a chilly Thursday evening on the turf at Onondaga Community College, Cole Willard had seen enough.
What had proven so simple for the Cazenovia boys lacrosse team to do — namely, beat LaFayette — five days earlier proved far more difficult the second time around, with the Lakers unable to hang on to a slim lead late in regulation against the Lancers.
So it was in overtime, and staring at its first defeat of the season, the Lakers — especially Willard — resolved to end matters.
Winning the face-off, instead of waiting patiently for a good shot, Cole Willard charged in and, just 20 seconds into the extra period, fired home the game-winning goal, and Cazenovia had survived a 14-13 decision.
These were the same sides that, on April 2, had seemed far apart, since the Lakers had won 20-10 at Cazenovia College’s Christakos Field. Even in that lopsided defeat, though, LaFayette had found that it could attack, and convert, against Cazenovia’s normally stout defense.
Derek White scored the game’s first goal and Cazenovia led, 3-1, before the Lancers reeled off three straight goals late in the first quarter. That didn’t last as the Lakers shut out LaFayette in the second period and used a pair of scoring plays to take a slim 5-4 advantage to halftime.
Two Cazenovia penalties early in the third quarter allowed the Lancers to pull back even, 5-5, but again the Lakers reclaimed the lead thanks to goals by Willard, Jake Lewis and Tom Bragg. LaFayette kept answering, too, even when T.J. Connellan made a solo run to net a goal of his own and Derek White converted.
This wild period of action ended with Cazenovia clinging to a 10-9 advantage, and it appeared that the Lakers had weathered the worst of it when Willard hit on two more goals and White converted to make it 13-10 deep into the fourth quarter.
Again, LaFayette showed its fighting spirit, moving within one and then tying it, 13-13, with less than a minute left in regulation. All that did, though, was give Willard a chance to dazzle one more time.
The win moved Cazenovia to 3-0 as it goes to Morrisville State College Stadium on Tuesday at 5:30 for a showdown with defending Section III Class A champion West Genesee, who was off to its own 2-0 start. The Lakers visit Jordan-Elbridge on Friday night.
