Another Section III Class B title, plus a trip to the state final four, made the 2015 season for the Skaneateles boys soccer team quite special.
The Lakers want nothing more than to get back to Middletown in mid-November while pulling off a sectional three-peat, and took a major step in that process during last Wednesday night’s season-opening 2-1 victory over Fowler.
From last fall’s squad, Skaneateles saw more than 10 seniors graduate, including key contributors like Sam Duggan, Shawn Palmer, Sam Clymer, Jack Bailey, Reece Eddy and goalie Smith.
So the battle with Fowler would have lots of new faces in the Lakers’ starting lineup. And t his was a match-up of two reigning sectional champions. While Skaneateles prevailed in Class B, Fowler had taken the Class A sectional crown last fall.
And it was the Falcons who netted the only goal of the first half, seeing Musa Irakiza fling a shot past Evan Goldmann. That was the only goal Goldmann would allow, the senior recording seven saves overall.
That effort by the Lakers’ defense paid off with the attacks and runs Skaneateles kept making. Eventually, they produced two scoring plays, one each by returning players Matt Neumann and Tristan Custer, with Dylan Viscomi and Matt Benson picking up assists.
This led to a key early-season clash with Westhill on Friday night. The holders of the last four sectional titles between them (with the Warriors winning it all in 2012 and 2013), this game was set to determine which side was the early-season sectional and OHSL Liberty division favorite in 2016.
But when 80 minutes of regulation and 20 minutes of overtime were done, nothing was settled, Skaneateles and Westhill settling for a 1-1 draw.
Again, the Lakers fell behind, due to a first-half goal from Westhill’s Braeden Elmer. Once more, the hosts were able to catch up in the second half, getting the equalizer from Gabe Konieczny on an unassisted goal.
Unlike the Fowler game, though, it would stay tied. All through the rest of regulation and two extra periods, the Lakers put on all kinds of pressure, but could not get anything further past Warriors goalie Antonio Scrimale, who got 10 saves. Luke Peterson, the Lakers’ goalie, managed five saves.
Skaneateles got two more chances to play at home early this week, against Solvay and New Hartford, before battling archrival Marcellus Saturday night at 7:30.
