When the Christian Brothers Academy dropped back-to-back, one-goal defeats to Iona Prep and Homer during the school break, it fell to 5-4, its season heading for a potential crisis point if it wasn’t turned around in a hurry.
Needless to say, things did turn around.
Less than a week later, the Brothers were celebrating a landmark 9-6 victory over undefeated, state Class D no. 1-ranked Westhill, a result that was a combined product of the work done by CBA in a full week of practice leading up to the game and the particular timing of the game.
The Brothers had used the six days between the games with Homer and Westhill to regroup and work on what hadn’t gone well this spring. Refreshed and ready, it now took on a Westhill side less than 48 hours removed from a tense, dramatic 11-10 win at Skaneateles.
At first, the Warriors controlled matters and led 3-0 late in the first quarter, yet did not score the rest of the half, thwarted by a revived CBA defense that closed off most lanes and steered things toward goalie Matt Vavonese, who would finish with 12 saves.
That energy spread to the other side of the field in the third quarter, when the Brothers scored three times in a span of less than 90 seconds as part of a 4-0 spurt to take the lead for good.
Westhill closed back within one, 7-6, in the fourth quarter, but CBA used long offensive possessions in the closing minutes and then, after a time-out, struck twice for goals less than a minute apart that put the game away.
Alex Calkins (three goals) and Patrick O’Brien (two goals, three assists) led the attack as Mike Matheson also scored twice. Ben McCreary had a goal and two assists, while Mike Adornato had one goal and one assist. Augie Bonacci contributed an assist, too.
For the Warriors, only Casey Rogers, with three goals and one assist, scored more than once for the Warriors. Owen Matukas and Jack Grooms each had one goal and one assist, with Charlie Bolesh getting the other goal.
Now with tons of momentum, CBA returned home Saturday to face state Class C no. 14-ranked Carthage, and instead of a letdown, the Brothers improved in a 21-7 romp, blanking the Comets in the first and fourth quarters while constantly working its way past Carthage’s feeble defense.
McCreary and Calkins both scored five times, with McCreary adding four assists. Matheson had four goals and three assists as O’Brien also found the net four times. Bonacci had a goal and four assists as Adornato and Preston Taylor earned single goals. Ryan MacKenzie and Joey Matheson added assists.
