Long-time Route 20 rivals Skaneateles and Auburn gathered in girls soccer last Wednesday night at Hyatt Stadium for the true definition of friendly competition among neighbors.
The scoreboard would read that the Lakers defeated the Maroons 7-3, but the real winner was the cause of breast cancer awareness. Honoring that fight, Auburn donned pink uniforms and Skaneateles countered with gray jerseys that had pink letters.
It took barely two minutes for Skaneateles to get on the board with Raenah Campbell’s goal, and less than two minutes for Campbell to strike again. In just 4:11 of game time, Campbell had given the Lakers a 2-0 edge.
Yet Auburn responded less than 90 seconds after Campbell’s second tally as Karleigh Harris took the rebound of a shot and put it past Grace Kush. Things settled down after that flurry and, for the rest of the half, neither side would convert.
The second half began just like the first, with just one minute, 49 seconds elapsing before Campbell delivered her third goal of the night and, 35 seconds later, Lexi Mitchell offering an answer, cutting the Lakers’ lead back to 3-2.
Once more, Campbell dazzled with a run to the net and a touch shot to restore the earlier Skaneateles margin, and at the midway point of the half another exchange saw Marguerite Cuddy, who assisted on her team’s first two goals, score for Auburn and Grace Buchholz answer.
Not feeling safe with a 5-3 advantage, Skaneateles continued to attack, and Maddie Peterson’s goal with 12:14 left proved to be a clincher, though Isabella Reese would add another goal in the last minute of regulation. Peterson and Olivia Dobrovosky each was credited with two assists, while Buchholz and Shay McCarthy had single assists.
Now the Lakers took a 7-3-1 record into its game with Solvay 24 hours later, and made it 8-3-1 by steadily producing goals throughout the game against a porous Bearcats defense on the way to a 6-2 victory.
Each half went 3-1 in Skaneateles’ favor, with Sierra Sander and Mikaela Terhune anchoring the attack, each of them netting a goal and two assists. Campbell found the net twice, with Mae McGlynn and Olivia Dobrovosky adding goals. Dobrovosky and Grace Dower earned one assist apiece.
Skaneateles is back on the field Tuesday, at Hannibal, preceding trips to Altmar-Parish-Williamstown and Central Square that close out the regular season and serve as a bridge to the Section III Class B playoffs that start next week.
