From a mid-season coaching change to a tough part of its schedule, the Cazenovia girls soccer team had plenty on its mind going through the last full week of September.
Kara Falso and Patrick Kelleher were coaching the Lakers as Kaleen Sessler tended to her new baby boy, born on Sept. 17 right before the team’s 6-1 loss to Clinton. By the time the next week rolled around, things had settled down, at least off the field.
With the focus back on the games, Cazenovia made the short trip to Chittenango last Tuesday night, and would prevail in this Madison County clash by executing a big turnaround late in the first half from which the Bears could not recover, leading to a 4-1 victory.
All through the early portion of the game, both teams probed, but could not convert. Then, in the 29th minute, Chittenango was awarded a free kick, and Megan Pierce took it, passing it to Sarah Martin, who slipped it past Hannah Matteson.
Down 1-0 to the Bears, the Lakers’ deficit lasted less than one minute, as a quick attack led to Kirsten Underwood putting home the tying goal. Stunned by that equalizer, Chittenango found itself on the defensive for the rest of the half , and when Saige Ackermann’s high shot fit under the crossbar less than three minutes before the break, Cazenovia was ahead to stay.
Still, the Lakers weren’t content with a 2-1 edge. It continued to attack and, less than seven minutes into the second half, made it 3-1 when Ackermann assisted on Brenna Hughes’ tally. Then, with 10 minutes left, Chloe Boergesson emerged to earn her first goal of the season.
Ackermann finished the night with two assists and Underwood got an assist, too. Cazenovia’s defense protected Matteson so well that she only had to make four saves, while Bears goalie Ava Dardaris had seven saves.
This led Cazenovia back home to the Sean Googin Sports Complex for a key match Thursday night against Skaneateles. Despite a tremendous effort in the net from Cazenovia’s defense, it still took a 2-1 defeat in this latest Laker duel.
Matteson found herself constantly pressured by the fast group of Skaneateles attackers. Somehow, she managed to record 14 saves, which kept the game within reach.
All that Cazenovia could manage, though, was an unassisted goal by Ackermann. Skaneateles won it by having Raenah Campbell and Maddie Peterson earn goals as Grace Kush and Mae McGlynn picked up assists.
Two days later, Cazenovia hosted Camden, and Ackermann again proved unstoppable in the Lakers’ 5-1 victory over the Blue Devils.
Before halftime, Ackermann already had a natural hat trick, two of them unassisted goals and the other assisted by Megan Henderson. Then Cazenovia, up 3-1 at halftime, doubled that margin when Ackermann converted twice more, with Brenna Hughes assisting on one of the tallies.
Overall, the Lakers took three times as many shots (21) as the Blue Devils (seven), whose lone goal came from Allison Koch in the first half. Matteson finished with six saves.
Meanwhile, Chittenango, pushed back to the .500 mark (4-4) after losing to Cazenovia, began its second half of the regular season at Jordan-Elbridge on Thursday afternoon as it looked to break a two-game skid – which it did with relative ease, routing the Eagles 7-1.
Bolting out to a 4-0 halftime lead, the Bears took 21 shots to J-E’s four, and spread around its production. Martin and Jessica Shepard each scored twice, with Shepard adding an assist. Nicole Myers and McKenzie Dahlin each got one goal and one assist as Morgan Shoemaker added the other goal. Pierce, Ally Shoemaker and Kendra Fraser earned one assist apiece.
Chittenango has its own game against Skaneateles Thursday after meeting the combined Syracuse City team on Tuesday. After playing Camden last Saturday, Cazenovia would test state Class B no. 2-ranked Westhill Tuesday before Syracuse City visited on Thursday night.
