Perhaps, in the absence of Kyla Sears, the Skaneateles girls lacrosse team lacks a superstar presence – but it still knows how to contain other team’s best players.
That was the lesson gleamed from last Friday night’s trip to the Sean Googin Sports Complex, where Skaneateles won its latest Laker duel with Cazenovia by a 13-8 margin in large part because it found a way to shut down Chloe Willard.
Having played four times in six days from April 26 to 30 (losing to Garden City and Marcellus, but beating LaFayette and Queensbury), Skaneateles got some much-needed rest and were fresh for the fight at Cazenovia.
Immediately, the task was clear – contain Willard, who had scored five of her team’s six goals in Cazenovia’s loss to Jamesville-DeWitt two nights earlier. From start to finish, the Skaneateles defense succeeded in that task, holding Willard to a single assist, something that Keara Dwyer (three goals), Lucy Connor and Paige Nardella (two goals each) could not make up for.
Meanwhile, a deep, well-balanced Skaneateles attack steadily built a 6-3 halftime lead and answered all of Cazenovia’s charges the rest of the way as Hannah Logan led with three goals an two assists and Mae McGlynn added a three-goal hat trick of her own.
Emma Goodell scored twice, while Riley Brogan had a goal and two assists. Bailey Herr had one goal and one assist as Abby Kuhns, Molly Newton and Christiana Ciaccio also found the net. Catie Woodruff and Olivia Navaroli had one assist apiece.
A day later, Skaneateles hosted Tully. It was Senior Day festivities for 10 players that had meant so much to the program. That class includes Woodruff, Herr, Newton and Logan, but also defensive stars Lauren Goodchild, Tate Green, Aubreah Lynn and Bella Falcone, plus Hanna Diamond and Allie Baldwin.
but the Lakers didn’t forget about the on-field task, jumping all over the Black Knights on the way to a 15-6 victory.
It was 4-0 before the game was five minutes old, Herr notching two of those goals. And it kept going from there, Tully not getting on the board until it was 5-0, and then shut out for the rest of the half as the Lakers, peaking with a stretch of three goals in 42 seconds, saw the margin get to 10-1.
This allowed Skaneateles to relax during the second half. Once again, the production was spread out. Woodruff scored twice, as did Kush and Newton, with McGlynn, Logan, Navaroli, Green and Jessica Patalino also taking turns finding the net.
Now the Lakers were 8-5 going into another massive test on Tuesday against undefeated, state Class A no. 1-ranked Christian Brothers Academy. Following that, just two more regular-season games remain, against Bishop Ludden-Bishop Grimes on Thursday and Penfield on May 18.
