It surprised no one that the Christian Brothers Academy girls lacrosse team claimed the top spot in the first state Class A rankings of the season. The surprise would come if someone knocked them off that perch.
Testing itself to the full extent, the Brothers went to Long Island last Saturday to face reigning state Class C champion Mount Sinai at the tail end of a two-game downstate swing that also included a game Thursday against Wantagh.
Mount Sinai would topple CBA 9-4, and what made the result so stunning was the way the second half unfolded. As expected, the Mustangs slowed things down in the first half, even as the Brothers were building a 3-2 lead.
In the second half, though, Mount Sinai started to win the draws on a regular basis and punished CBA’s defense. All the Brothers could manage was a single goal as Grace Hulslander finished the day with two tallies, with Tessa Queri and Jillian Henson getting the other goals. Sloane Nicoletti-Watson recorded nine saves.
This followed the game against Wantagh, who sat at no. 5 in the state Class C rankings, one spot behind Mount Sinai. Proving that was legitimate, the Warriors played the game at the pace it wanted, but CBA still beat them 11-6.
It was only 5-3 at halftime, by far the closest call the Brothers had faced so far. Gradually, though, CBA pulled clear, led by Hulslander, who scored four times, and Rachel Ziemba, who had three goals and one assist. Queri had two goals and one assist as Olivia Penoyer earned three assists, joining Claire Jeschke in the single-goal column.
Prior to that, CBA had a local test against state Class B no. 14-ranked Fulton last Tuesday afternoon – or at least it seemed a test. The Red Raiders, like most of the Brothers’ previous opponents, got overwhelmed in a 20-6 decision.
Before Fulton could settle down, CBA roared to a 13-2 halftime lead, with Penoyer the focal point of the attack as she piled up five assists to go with her three-goal hat trick.
Hulslander, as she would against Wantagh, put in four goals, with Queri and Meredith Strott matching Penoyer’s three-goal efforts. Ziemba had two goals and two assists as Erika Mayette also scored twice. Anna Jeschke and Gia Anthony each had one goal and one assist as Henson got the other goal.
Undefeated and no. 3 in the state Class C rankings going into the week, Jamesville-DeWitt made it five wins in a row on Thursday by pounding Homer 17-3. in their lone game last week.
Just like it has all season, the Red Rams started quickly, roaring to an 11-2 halftime lead and not letting up despite a running clock for most of the second half.
Lizzie O’Brien scored five times, adding an assist, while Ana Dieroff and Lindsay MacLachlan each got three-goal hat tricks. Jill Ravasi had two goals and one assist as Bess Murad earned a goal and three assists. Riley Burns picked up an assist as she joined Emily Bobrek and Gabby Modesti in the one-goal column.
The struggles of East Syracuse Minoa continued last Tuesday with an 8-7 overtime defeat to Mexico, one where the Spartans were unable to hold on to a 5-3 halftime lead because its attack went quiet against the Tigers’ defense for most of the second half and OT.
Before that, Brigid McGinley had scored four times, with Bella Talarico adding two goals. Olivia McEachron had the other goal as Kelly Thomas, Rileigh White and Taylor Filmer earned one assist apiece. Between them, goalies Cara Miller and Emily Petrowski made 13 saves. Bri Emery led Mexico with three goals.
But ESM broke out of that skid on Thursday with an 11-4 victory over Syracuse, pitching a first-half shutout as it built a 6-0 lead as McEachron, by herself, outscored Syracuse thanks to five goals and one assist.
Kelly Thomas, kept quiet in the Mexico game, rebounded by scoring three times for a hat trick. Filmer, Bella Talarico and Sydney Caramanna earned single goals as Miller finished the day with six saves.
Bishop Ludden-Bishop Grimes returned to action Saturday and beat Syracuse, 13-7, breaking out of a 5-5 halftime tie as Molly McInerney, with five goals and three assists, led the late charge.
Rhonee Shea Pal notched three goals, with Emma Driscoll and Emily Monroe each scoring twice and getting an assist. Katie Costello earned the other goal as Grace Lambrych gained a pair of assists.
