Tough as the early-season schedule has proven for the West Genesee girls lacrosse team, one game, and one opponent, stuck out in terms of wanting to get even.
Every Wildcats player remembered how, in 2016, it was knocked out by Cicero-North Syracuse in the Section III Class A semifinals. Now they met again at Mike Messere Field on Friday afternoon, but the result was the same, the Northstars leaning on its defense to edge WG by an 8-6 margin.
In a contest expected to have little separation, what happened inside the draw circle was the first major factor. Handling most of them, C-NS junior Jessica Meneilly and her teammates claimed 11 of the first 14 draws, leading to longer possession time throughout the afternoon.
Over the game’s first 12-plus minutes, WG was kept off the board, and rarely had the ball. Meneilly and Makena Scarlata both put in early goals, and Julia Alberici followed with back-to-back tallies that made it 4-0 before Mackenzie Baker put the Wildcats on the board.
Late in the half, WG had more possession time, and caught a big break when Olivia Massena was sent to the bench with two yellow cards. Still, the Northstars answered every Wildcats surge and led, 7-3, at the break.
The lack of Massena meant that C-NS had to do far more work on the defensive end during the second half, yet it managed to adjust thanks to a solid back line and, especially, the work of goalie Lauren Gilbert.
Throughout the early part of the regular season, Gilbert had split net duties with Kaitlyn Lippert. This time, though, Gilbert stayed out for the second half, and C-NS was quite glad for it.
With constant possession, WG taxed the Northstars’ defense, and got plenty of open looks. Most times, though, Gilbert stuffed them, eventually making 10 saves in the second half and 16 saves overall.
Even when WG closed the gap to two on goals by Baker and Cecilia Procopio in a 26-second span late in the half, Gilbert remained poised, getting three more saves in the last three minutes and also intercepting a pass to the front by Baker to stymie the Wildcats’ hopes.
Prior to this, WG had taken a trip to Long Island last Tuesday to face Garden City, the owner of more NYSPHSAA championships than any other girls lacrosse program. Again, the Trojans proved its worth, outdueling the Wildcats in a 10-9 thriller.
Perhaps the long bus ride played a factor in WG’s early struggles, as it fell behind 3-0 before the Wildcats stormed back, tying it 3-3 as Eliza MacCaull netted two of those goals, with the other going to Adrianna Nojaim.
They traded blows again, Garden City scoring twice, WG answering as Mackenzie Baker put in one goal and assisted on Ally Trice’s tally, which made it 5-5 going into halftime.
Now it was the Wildcats’ turn to take the lead early in the second half as Baker netted her second and third goals, and it was the Trojans’ turn to come back with three in a row to go in front, 8-7, before Baker tied it again with 10 minutes left.
MacCaull converted and WG went back in front, 9-8, only to see Garden City shut them out the rest of the way, netting the tying and go-ahead goals and hanging on to hand the Wildcats its second road defeat in as many weeks.
A third loss followed against C-NS, and less than 24 hours later the Wildcats had to play again, but found its way back to the win column by handling Victor (Section V) 10-4.
Once it established a 7-3 halftime margin, WG slowed things down, having seen Baker accumulate four goals and three assists. Julia Williams scored twice as Procopio, Trice, Mackenzie Meager and Matisyn Schaut notched single goals. Lauren Ferris added an assist.
WG stays at home Tuesday night to take on Baldwinsville before Thursday night’s visit to Liverpool and a May 2 home date with Fayetteville-Manlius, a chance to get payback for that first loss to the Hornets in 11 years earlier this season.
