Only one program has kept the Skaneateles girls lacrosse team from complete dominion over all other programs in Class C in New York State.
Mount Sinai, from Long Island, now owns three victories over the Lakers in the last four years at the state final four. The only time it didn’t happen, in 2014, Skaneateles won it all.
This pattern continued Saturday afternoon in the state Class C final at SUNY-Cortland, where the Mustangs burned Skaneateles with its offensive depth and defensive intensity, prevailing by a 12-3 margin.
It didn’t help the Lakers that it had played such a draining state semifinal the day before, requiring three different comebacks to get past Bronxville 11-10 in overtime.
“Yesterday took a lot out of us,” said Skaneateles head coach Bridget Marquardt.
Mount Sinai, by contrast, had eased past Honeoye Falls-Lima 10-3 in the other semifinal, expending far less energy, and it was more than ready for what Skaneateles had to offer.
To start with, the Mustangs controlled most of the draws, forcing defenders Tate Green, Bella Falcone and Lauren Goodchild to play for long stretches in front of its net.
Making things more complicated, the Lakers had to deal with a deep pool of Mount Sinai attackers, each of whom seemed to get involved. In racing to a 6-1 halftime lead, the Mustangs got six goals from six different players.
Caroline Hoeg converted 55 seconds into the game on Mount Sinai’s first possession, and though Abby Kuhns answered less than four minutes later, the Lakers didn’t score for the rest of the half.
“They beat us to the draws, and we just couldn’t get the ball,” said Marquardt.
Patiently, Mount Sinai worked the ball around, making the Skaneateles defenders chase them. Then, when Erica Shea scored with 13:22 left in the half, it began a decisive Mustangs surge.
Cameron Harloff made it 3-1, and then Meaghan Tyrrell’s great pass found Meghan Walker for another goal, forcing the Lakers to use a time-out. That didn’t help, though, as in a 25-second span Tyrrell and Leah Nonnemann added goals of their own.
Emily Baldwin had got the start in goal, but at this point Allison Weiss replaced her, allowing the Lakers’ defense to settle down and keep the margin at 6-1 going into halftime.
Mount Sinai knew, all too well, how Skaneateles had come from four goals down to beat Bronxville, and wasn’t about to let that happen to them.
Harloff and Sabella both scored early in the second half, making it 8-1, with the Lakers thwarted by an equally good Mustangs defense any time it tried to respond. In one 30-second sequence, Mount Sinai goalie Hannah Van Middelem made three point-blank stops.
All told, the Lakers went 32-plus minutes between goals. And even when Catie Woodruff broke that drought midway through the second half, Tyrrell answered 55 seconds later, just as she would after Emma Goodell’s late goal, again making clear that, at least for now, Mount Sinai would remain elusive to Skaneateles.
Still, the Lakers’ run to the state final was an inspired one, overcoming a brutal schedule where it faced each of the three eventual state champions – Mount Sinai, CBA (Class A) and Garden City (Class B), and had to do so without junior star Kyla Sears, injured before the season began.
“We had an awesome year,” said Marquardt. “From where we were, to where we became, it’s unbelievable. I’m proud of them.
Having gone to nine state final fours, Marquardt said the work to get to a 10th is already underway.
“Tomorrow starts our 2017 season,” she said. “We’ll definitely be back.”
