Though a bit removed from the spotlight other boys lacrosse teams shared this week, Christian Brothers Academy would get its chance to shine when it hosted Cazenovia last Thursday night at Alibrandi Stadium.
The timing for CBA seemed perfect. Cazenovia had just won a tough 9-6 showdown with Jamesville-DeWitt two nights earlier, and on Saturday it would face state Class A no. 1-ranked Victor in another highly-anticipated contest.
So the Brothers caught the Lakers in between those games – but sensing its possible fatigue, Cazenovia did most of its damage in the first half and then maintained its cushion in the late going to beat CBA by a 13-7 margin.
Already trailing 3-1 after one period, the Brothers got in worse trouble during the second quarter. Cole Willard paced the Lakers as it built the margin to 9-2, with Willard eventually earning four goals and four assists to continue his late-season tear as Derek White and Jake Lewis each got three goals.
Not letting things get out of hand, CBA played a solid second half, outscoring Cazenovia 5-4 as Alex Calkins scored three times, with Ben McCreary, Lincoln McGarrity, Patrick O’Brien and Lewis Kunda earning one goal apiece. Matt Vavonese finished with 11 saves, but Lakers counterpart Brenden Whalen had 15 stops.
CBA had, back on Tuesday night, pulled out one of its best wins of the season, edging Homer 15-13. This game had gone back and forth, neither side able to gain any kind of sustained advantage as the Brothers, up 6-5 at halftime, saw the Trojans tie it, 10-10, by the end of a wild third quarter.
When it counted, though, CBA had a bit more reserve, outscoring Homer 5-3 in that final period as Sam Martin ran his total to five goals and one assist, with Lincoln McGarrity adding a three-goal hat trick.
McCreary and Augie Bonacci each scored twice and added an assist, with Calkins gaining a goal and three assists. O’Brien and Jace Whelan added goals as CBA overcame four goals from Homer’s Lars Roos and three-goal outings by Dante Yacavone and Brody Urban, plus 12 saves by Trojans goalie Mark Suits.
East Syracuse Minoa went into May at the .500 mark (5-5), but climbed above it last Tuesday night with an impressive 17-7 victory over Oswego, a game that was 9-2 by halftime as the Spartans controlled matters against the Buccaneers from start to finish.
In particular, Nate Jacobs and Luke Rosaschi flourished as Jacobs earned a career-best seven goals and Rosaschi scored six times, adding a pair of assists. In support, Nate Sturick had three goals and two assists, while David Neff had two goals and two assists. Connor Smith added a goal and two assists as James Kenyon and Alex Regan scored, too. Derrek Madonna and Mark Willette picked up assists.
Now, if ESM, who meets CBA Monday night at Alibrandi, could beat Homer last Thursday, it would clinch a Section III playoff berth, but it did not quite happen as the Spartans fell to the Trojans 12-10.
In essence, the first quarter decided matters. Homer, led by Dante Yacavone and Vince Basile, had its way with ESM’s defense, leading to a 7-1 deficit that the Spartans would spend the rest of the game trying to erase.
Rosaschi, with a goal and five assists, and Neff, with three goals and one assist, led those efforts. Sturick scored twice as Regan, Madonna, Dan Boland and Nate Jacobs netted single goals. Andrew Steigerwald settled down in the net and finished with 11 saves, but Homer counterpart Mark Suits matched that number, and Yacavone finished with five goals and three assists as Basile added four goals and one assist.
