Early post-season exit is not something either of the West Genesee lacrosse teams is used to – and they have no intention of making that a habit, either.
In the case of the boys Wildcats, a narrow defeat to eventual champion Fayetteville-Manlius in the Section III Class A semifinals offered all of the incentive possible during an off-season full of work and training for 2017.
One game, and one result, was not going to determine whether that work paid off, but WG had to feel pleased in the wake of last Saturday afternoon’s season-opening 16-9 victory over Penfield.
Hailing from the Section V ranks, Penfield would pay dearly for a slow start. The Wildcats, sharp and quick on the attack, roared to a 5-1 lead by the end of the first quarter and answered every Patriots charge to stretch out that margin to 8-3 by halftime.
Any doubts for Wildcats fans got erased when it outscored Penfield 5-2 in the third quarter, with WG finding out that it may have a potent first line of attack. Jack Howes scored five times, adding two assists, while Jay Considine and Kevin Sheehan each had three goals and three assists.
Ryan Sheehan, with a goal and two assists, helped out, while Noah Sabatino had one goal and one assist. Manny Castro, Max Bosa and Marcus Hudgins each notched single goals as Ryan Smith contributed an assist.
Stopped in last year’s Section III Class A semifinals by Cicero-North Syracuse, the West Genesee girls are bent on climbing back to the top in 2017 as Kevin Hennigan begins his second season as head coach.
The target is reigning state champion Christian Brothers Academy, whom WG never got a chance to face a season ago in the sectional tournament. They’ll have a head-to-head meeting May 6 at Mike Messere Field.
For its opening assignment last Tuesday night, WG hosted Rush-Henrietta, from the Section V ranks. In a solid all-around effort, the Wildcats built most of its margin in the early stages and went on to beat the Royal Comets 11-6.
When it was needed, WG’s defense, a mix of veterans and younger players, pushed back rush-Henrietta, with goalie Claudia Mocciaro doing quite well in her first varsity start, recording nine saves.
The Wildcats worked its way to a 7-3 lead by halftime. It helped to have returning attacker Mackenzie Baker on hand as she poured in six goals, more than half her team’s output.
To help out, Lauren Ferris and Adrianna Nojaim each scored twice, with Ferris adding an assist. Mackenzie Meager got the other goal as single assists were credited to Ally Trice and Catherine Farrell.
Still at home, WG meets South Jefferson Tuesday night to start a busy week of home games that includes visits from two more Section V opponents – Victor on Thursday night, Honeoye Falls-Lima on Saturday afternoon.
Meanwhile, on the boys side, the Wildcats play Cazenovia Tuesday night and then face a big one on Saturday against Jamesville-DeWitt, who won the state Class B title a year ago.
