The Jordan-Elbridge boys lacrosse team was undefeated going into last Monday’s home opener against Oswego, but could not maintain that perfect mark, unable to overcome an uneven first half in a 14-10 defeat to the Buccaneers.
Defense was the culprit, especially in the first half, when the Eagles fell behind 10-6. Though J-E cut the margin to 13-10 by the start of the fourth quarter, it could not keep Oswego from controlling the ball in the homestretch.
Dylan Dunham still had five goals, while Hunter Brunelle and Evan Brunelle each scored twice. Dale Wagner got the other goal as Jacob Schwarting, Chris Ryan and Colby Falcone earned single assists. Combined, Sam Everett and Steve Tripp made nine saves. Oswego got three-goal hat tricks from Nick Chalifoux, Jack Rice and Trey Clark.
At Corcoran High School Wednesday night, J-E met the combined Syracuse City team and lost, 15-5, not getting on the board until the second quarter, by which point the Cougars already owned a 4-0 advantage that would continue to grow as the game went on.
Hunter Brunelle still had two goals and one assist, with Wagner, Falcone and Dunham earning the other goals. Ryan and Evan Brunelle added assists as Everett gained six saves. Syracuse had Matt Eccles earn six assists, often feeding it to Jack Kane (four goals), Ryan Eccles and Connor Leonard (three goals apiece).
Then, on Friday night, J-E had its own game against the same ESM side Marcellus had just beat, and the Eagles nearly pulled it out, making a late comeback, only to get thwarted in a 13-11 defeat to the Spartans.
Trailing 8-3 at halftime, J-E made it all the way back behind three-goal hat tricks from Wagner and Dunham, with Hunter Brunelle getting two goals and two assists and Schwarting also scoring twice. Falcone had the other goal.
Despite the rally, J-E saw an 11-11 tie broken when ESM’s Lance Madonna netted the go-ahead goal late in the fourth quarter and, minutes later, assisted on David Neff’s insurance tally. The Eagles were also frustrated by the work of Spartans goalie Andrew Steigerwald, who made 19 saves.
Bishop Ludden was back in action Friday night and handled Manlius-Pebble Hill 21-3 at Onondaga Community College’s turf field. The Trojans, under the direction of coach Roy Simmons IV, won its first varsity game earlier in the week, but the Gaelic Knights overwhelmed them during a 17-1 first-half spurt.
Dom Delvecchio amassed four goals and six assists, with Matt Delaney getting five goals and four assists. Bailey Martin, Kyle McLaughlin, Carter Gentile and Jacob Carter each scored twice, with Ethan Gentile and Mac Mulhern both getting a goal and two assists. Mack McCurn and John Saleski matched each other with one goal and one assist as Paul Ellis contributed an assist, too.
