One of the ways in which order in the West Genesee boys lacrosse team’s relative universe is restored is when it’s playing important games against Fayetteville-Manlius, and winning them more often than not.
Eliminated by the Hornets a year ago in the Section III Class A semifinals, the Wildcats could not get full payback last Thursday night at Mike Messere Field, but did, at least for the moment, regain the upper hand by leading most of the way and prevailing by an 11-8 margin.
Some of the success in this game had to do with timing. WG was playing its third game in seven days. By contrast, F-M had not taken the field for nearly two weeks since beating Marcellus on April 1.
Thus, it took a while for the Hornets to find its top form, and the Wildcats intended to make them pay for the absence, holding them to one goal in the first quarter and then taking charge in the second period thanks to a 6-2 outburst.
Leading 8-3 at the break, WG could withstand it when F-M’s attack came to life in the third quarter. Despite seeing most of the lead disappear, the Wildcats absorbed it and, still up 9-7 going to the final period, it played strong defense to make sure it stayed on top.
Jay Considine scored three times to lead a nicely-balanced WG attack that saw Kevin Sheehan get two goals and two assists and Max Rosa earn two goals and one assist. Ryan Smith contributed a goal and assist as Jack Howes, Marcus Hudgins and Noah Sabatino also found the net.
F-M only had two players score more than once as Donovan Welsh finished with three goals and one assist and Nick Papa get two goals. WG’s young goalie, Nick Staudt, continued to get comfortable in his high-pressure role, recording 10 saves.
In between this game and WG’s April 8 loss to Jamesville-DeWitt, Marcellus had the misfortune of drawing the Wildcats last Monday night and got overwhelmed in a 19-4 decision.
Though it was close early, WG took command by outscoring the Mustangs 5-1 in the second quarter. More would follow in the last two periods as the Wildcats’ offense, inconsistent through its first three games, finally broke out.
Jack Howes (four goals, four assists) and Jay Considine (four goals, three assists) led the way, with Kevin Sheehan adding three goals and two assists.
Max Rosa and David McCarthy each scored twice, with Ryan Smith, Tyler Palmer, Jack Delaney and Pat Stanistreet getting one goal apiece. John Bergan managed two assists. For Marcellus, the four goals came from four different players – Nate Garlow, Sam Rice, Gabe VanOrder and Matt Chrysler – as Dan Cusick and Rob Seeley combined for 19 saves.
WG didn’t stop with the win over F-M, either. On Saturday, when state Class D no. 5-ranked Christian Brothers Academy showed up sporting a five-game win streak, the Wildcats promptly halted it as Considine led his side past the Brothers 12-8.
Things broke open in the second quarter, Already up 2-1, WG proceeded to score seven times in that frame, gaining a 9-3 halftime margin, and most of that was Considine, who would finish the afternoon with seven goals, plus an assist.
No other Wildcats player scored more than once as Castro got a goal and two assists, with Rosa, Sheehan, Hudgins and Pat McDonald also getting goals. Howes had two assists as Sheehan, Sabatino and Tom Baker each got one assist.
Having improved to 5-1, WG sets its sights on a key game Tuesday against unbeaten Syracuse before going to Bragman Stadium Thursday to face Cicero-North Syracuse and then taking on Loyola (Chicago) on Saturday afternoon.
