For a long time, the girls lacrosse rivalry between West Genesee and Fayetteville-Manlius really wasn’t much of a rivalry. Year after year, the two sides would match up, and every time the Wildcats would get the better of it.
All of that has changed now.
When WG fell to the Hornets 16-13 last Wednesday night, it marked the Wildcats’ first defeat against F-M since 2006, when the winning goal was scored by Kristen Taylor – who now shares coaching duties at her alma mater with her older sister, Kelly Tormey.
What made this result more remarkable was that WG lost despite leading three different times during the game and getting a breathtaking performance by Mackenzie Baker, who netted nine goals and contributed a pair of assists.
Midway through the first half, the Wildcats led 5-0. Three goals in the first 3:23 of the game, two of them by Baker, forced the Hornets to use a quick time-out, but Baker returned to assist on a goal by Lauren Ferris and convert for the third time to extend the margin.
This happened despite the work of Sydney DeGiralomo in the draw circle, as her work was giving F-M multiple possessions. The Hornets just didn’t convert any of them until Katie Shanley converted at the 12:40 mark.
Once it got on the board, though, F-M erupted, scoring six times in a span of less than eight minutes as Amanda Cramer’s goal put the Hornets in front. Baker countered with two more goals, giving her five for the half, but last-minute goals from Cramer and Kiera Shanley helped the Hornets take an 8-7 lead to the break.
Early in the second half, F-M pushed that margin to 10-7, but Baker’s remarkable effort continued as she scored three straight to tie it again, 10-10. Another exchanged followed, and with 10:11 to play, Ferris converted, putting the Wildcats back in front, 12-11.
That would be WG’s last lead. Kiera Shanley’s sixth goal tied it, and after a series of chances, Shanley returned to convert for the seventh time with 4:33 to play. Just 29 seconds later, Annie Steigerwald made it 14-12.
Instead of sitting on the lead, the Hornets made WG chase them, leaving the net open for Katie Shanley to score a pair of clinching goals to offset Baker’s ninth tally in the final minute.
There was little time for the Wildcats to regroup – but it did so anyway, turning around on Saturday afternoon at Mike Messere Field when it hosted Skaneateles and pushed its way to a 9-7 victory over the Lakers.
Early on, it was crucial for WG to prove it was more than a one-player attack. It did so by having three different players – Catherine Farrell, Adrianna Nojaim and Cecilia Procopio – score to give the Wildcats an early 3-1 lead. Baker wasn’t quiet, though, twice finding the net late in the half, including one right before the break that established a 5-3 lead.
That carried over into the second half, on both ends, as WG’s defense kept Skaneateles quiet for a long stretch while Nojaim, Farrell and Procopio all scored again to make it 8-3. Skaneateles would fight to the end, as Abby Logan and Mae McGlynn each scored twice, but Ally Trice clinched it by earning a goal with 4:38 to play.
Another big game looms for WG on Friday as it hosts Cicero-North Syracuse, the team that knocked out the Wildcats last year in the Section III Class A semifinals. That follows a Tuesday visit from long-time Long Island power Garden City.
