Throughout the Cazenovia field hockey’s decade-long run of championships, one enduring feature was its ability to beat opponents regardless of field condition and regardless of school size.
No high school in Section III has a larger enrollment than Cicero-North Syracuse, and its field hockey program is relatively successful, with Section III titles won as recently as 2014.
But when it paid a visit to Burton Street last Monday afternoon, the Northstars, like so many others in the past, got upended, though it mostly depended on the Lakers’ defense to pull out a 1-0 victory.
Cazenovia carried a four-game win streak into the match, and moved out in front in the first half when Janie Kempf, taking a pass from Caeli Carroll, slipped a shot past C-NS goalie Nina Trenca.
To her credit, Trenca would keep the Lakers out the rest of the afternoon, recording eight saves, while her fellow Northstars defenders kept the likes of Zoe Shephard and Mikaylee Whalen from finding much free space.
None of that mattered, though, because Cazenovia’s defense was stingier. Delaney Yates, Liz Shephard and the rest of the Lakers’ back line was solid throughout the afternoon, and goalie Shea Flannery only had to make four saves.
Still at Burton Street on Wednesday afternoon, Cazenovia faced Homer, but this one didn’t require as much stress, the Lakers prevailing 7-0 as it wiped out the Trojans with six first-half goals before easing up in the game’s latter stages.
Whalen returned to form with a three-goal hat trick, and Kempf scored twice as Zoe Shephard earned a goal and two assists. Carroll picked up the other goal and Cazenovia, as a whole, produced 20 shots, holding Homer to three shots.
Then it was on to the O’Connor Classic, where in a clash of defending section III champions Cazenovia met host Camden in Friday’s opening round.
The Blue Devils were winners of the last two sectional Class B titles, but none of his affected Cazenovia as it led from start to finish and prevailed by a 3-1 margin.
The margin was built when the Lakers seized a 2-0 advantage in the first half. Whalen and Zoe Shephard earned goals, with Kempf and Morgan Giordano each contributing an assist.
Meanwhile, Cazenovia’s defense continued to show its improvement, keeping Camden off the board until Delaney Alberico’s second-half goal. In contrast to the Lakers’ 15 shots, it only allowed six, Flannery finishing with five saves.
Vestal, from Section IV, had defeated Section II power Burnt Hills/Ballston Lake in the other part of the opening round, so Cazenovia met the Golden Bears in the championship game, and got blitzed in the first half, yet nearly made it all the way back before taking a 3-2 defeat.
Three times in the first half, Vestal put shots past Flannery, but she settled down and ultimately recorded 13 saves, keeping the Golden Bears off the board as the Lakers, trailing 3-0 at the break, tried to rally, only to fall just short despite goals from Shephard and Delaney Yates.
