Though it was the 2017 opener for both sides, Thursday afternoon’s girls lacrosse showdown between Cicero-North Syracuse and Skaneateles at Hyatt Stadium carried the quality and skill level normally seen at the end of the season, when championships are on the line.
And it was the Northstars emerging on top, prevailing 13-11 by overcoming a fast Lakers start and making the critical plays down the stretch on both ends of the field.
A year ago, C-NS reached the Section III Class A final, only to fall to eventual state champion CBA, while Skaneateles made it to the state Class C final – a remarkable feat given that it had lost its best player, Kyla Sears, to an ACL tear in her right knee before the season started.
Sears, now fully healed, was ready to go for the Lakers, and took less than eight minutes to notch her first goal of the season. That gave Skaneateles a 4-0 lead as Mae McGlynn had converted a pair of free-position shots and freshman Riley Brogan also scored.
C-NS had to use a time-out – and it worked, for it started to find gaps in the Lakers’ defense, with Julia Alberici leading the way as she assisted on each of the Northstars’ first three goals.
Alberici’s goal tied it, 5-5, late in the half. Sears put Skaneateles back in front in the final minute, but a fast-break goal by Jessica Meneilly with 9.9 seconds left pulled C-NS even again, 6-6, going into the break.
Skaneateles tried to regain control by winning draws early in the second half and controlling the ball for the first 6 1/2 minutes. Yet it only got two goals, one each by McGlynn and Brogan, and the Northstars used goals by Alberici and Meneilly 48 seconds apart to catch up at 8-8.
They were still tied, 9-9, when Sears charged in and scored with 9:52 to play. Though it put the Lakers back in front, Sears left the game with an injury and did not return.
Without Sears to worry about, C-NS needed less than three minutes to take its first lead at 11-10 thanks to back-to-back goals by Megan Tryniski. Never trailing again, the Northstars needed Alberici and Olivia Africa to add to the goal total plus get big last-minute saves from goalie Kaitlyn Lippert.
Lippert, combined with Lauren Gilbert, had 11 saves as, throughout the game, Brenna Duffy fed great passes to her teammates and finished with six assists. Tryniski had four goals, with Meneilly and Alberici each scoring three times and Olivia Massena picking up two goals.
Even with this great win, C-NS could not relax at all because, less than 48 hours later, it was making another road trip to face another top local small-school program, this time visiting Marcellus. And it proved close here, too, but again the Northstars prevailed, holding off the Mustangs 11-10.
Unlike the Skaneateles game, C-NS was productive from the outset, battling its way to a 7-5 halftime lead. Led by Grace Coon, whose five goals put her past the 100-point mark for her career, Marcellus remained close the rest of the way, but could not quite force overtime.
Meneilly scored five times to match Coon’s output, while Tryniski and Africa earned two goals apiece. Duffy notched her first goal of the season and added two assists as Massena had one goal and one assist. Alberici’s three assists gave her eight for the week.
Another tough game looms Monday night when Watertown, who won the sectional Class B title a year ago, visited Bragman Stadium for the Northstars’ home opener. C-NS hosts South Jefferson Wednesday and goes east to the Albany area to play Shaker on Saturday afternoon.
