The Cazenovia boys lacrosse team chose last Thursday night’s home date against Madison County rival Chittenango as the opportunity to honor all of its seniors for the role they played in preserving the Lakers’ championship legacy.
And while this Cazenovia group might not reach those lofty levels again, it is playing its best lacrosse of the season, as it demonstrated to the Bears in the second half on the way to a 16-6 victory.
To its credit, Chittenango did keep it close throughout the first half. A combination of timely goals and steady defense left the Lakers clinging to a 5-4 edge at halftime, but it wouldn’t stay that tight.
Alex Nowak and Tim Burr both scored in the first 90 seconds of the third quarter. Then Thomas Bragg converted twice, and he would add a third goal in the period in between tallies by Will Shepard and Will Kahlil.
That 7-0 run put the game out of reach, as Bragg eventually earned five goals and four assists, with Nowak adding four goals and one assist. Shepard matched Bragg’s four-assist total while scoring twice as Kahlil, Will Huftalen, Cole Basic and Steve Lafever also scored. Chris Becker contributed an assist.
On Chittenango’s side, Bill Demand and Carter Laramee each got two goals, with Laramee tacking on an assist. Grant Czarnecki had one goal and one assist and Cooper Young also scored, with Ryan Pitt and Eddie Houle also earning assists. Combined, goalies Carson Maciag and Corey Fredericks had 12 saves.
The Lakers kept its post-season hopes alive last Tuesday night with a 5-4 victory over Marcellus, a game where its defense was the main story, Cazenovia shutting out the Mustangs during the first half while building a 4-0 lead.
Still with that 5-1 margin going into the fourth quarter, the Lakers had to hang on as Marcellus converted three times. Once again, though, Cazenovia’s back line made the stops it needed late, and R.J. Smith worked his total to six saves.
Basic, with two goals and one assist, and Shepard, with a goal and two assists, led the modest Lakers attack. Nowak and Burr had the other goals, the other shots turned away by Marcellus goalie Dan Cusick, who made 12 saves.
Cazenovia’s two remaining regular-season games this week includes a Tuesday trip to Westhill, who fell from its top state ranking following an April 27 loss to CBA, but then rebounded by pounding Chittenango last Tuesday in 19-3 decision.
The Bears had the misfortune of dealing with a Warriors squad mad about the CBA loss, and paid for it, trailing 11-1 by the end of the first quarter and 17-1 by halftime.
Demand did score twice for Chittenango, with Karl Farber assisting on those goals, but Westhill proved too much as Casey Rogers, Jack Miller and Luke McAnaney each netted four goals, Rogers adding two assists as Charlie Bolesh got two goals and five assists.
