If there was one immediate benefit to the state-wide four-class system for girls lacrosse adopted for 2017, it was that Marcellus was able to achieve nothing it has never done before.
When the first state Class D rankings of May were released, the Mustangs, coming off impressive wins over Jamesville-DeWitt and Westhill the week before, were no. 1. Now the test was to live up to that lofty billing as it was sure to get every opponent’s best effort.
In that first game as a no. 1-ranked team, Marcellus hosted a solid Cazenovia squad and dominated them from start to finish, blasting the Lakers 19-2.
Similar to the Westhill game, Marcellus built its big win on owning the draw circle. More possessions led to more goals, surgically delivered throughout the first half.
When it got to 7-0, Cazenovia took a time-out, but the Mustangs kept adding to the margin, ultimately making it 11-0 at halftime. Even with a running clock in the second half, the Mustangs kept adding to the margin.
Abby Vetsch, with five goals and one assist, and Maddie Conklin, with four goals and three assists, led the way as Grace Coon also scored four times. Katherine Locastro and Colette Rigas had two goals apiece, with Locastro adding three assists as Anna Vetsch got one goal and two assists. Taylor Reich had one goal and one assist.
It was much the same on Thursday, Marcellus going to Tully and romping in the rain over the Black Knights 17-4. The difference here was that the Mustangs waited until a 10-1 second-half blitz to seize control.
Conklin reached double digits in points thanks to her five goals and six assists, often passing it to Coon, who scored seven times. Abby Vetsch had three goals and one assist as Locastro contributed two goals and three assists. Anna Vetsch had the other goal as Rigas and Sarah Hutchings joined Coon with single assists.
Bishop Ludden-Bishop Grimes lost last Monday to Tully 17-10, a game that was close for a long stretch before the Black Knights scored 10 times in the second half, wearing down Ludden-Grimes’ defenses as Mackenzie Bolt got seven goals and two assists, with Alison Carr scoring four times.
Molly McInerney, with three goals, and Emma Driscoll, with a goal and four assists, led the Ludden-Grimes push. Emily Monroe earned a pair of goals as Grace Lambrych, Rhonee Shea Pal, Mary Fallon and Taj Huddleston got one goal apiece. Katie Costello joined Lambyrch in the assist column as goalie Peyton Hall made nine saves.
A day later, Ludden-Grimes beat Chittenango 15-8, and this reversed the Tully pattern in that things were close early, but Ludden-Grimes, only up 4-3 at halftime, pulled away from the Bears with an overwhelming attack.
Doubling her total from the Tully game, McInerney had six goals and one assist. Shea Pal scored three times as Driscoll got two goals. Lambrych, Fallon, Costello and Monroe each got one goal as Huddleston joined Shea Pal and Fallon with single assists.
Jordan-Elbridge got tripped up last Tuesday in a 16-13 defeat to the same Tully side that beat Ludden-Grimes, but lost to Marcellus. When they first met April 22, the Eagles won, 17-14, and the rematch had a similar high-scoring theme, but a different result..
Marissa Malvaso had four goals and one assist, while Katie Goodrich got two goals and three assists. Alexis Braun also scored twice as Antonia Malvaso had one goal and two assists.
Miranda Malvaso, Allison Jennings, Alexis Fietta and Alexandria Smart had the other goals as Tully’s Gemma Guy broke out with seven goals and one assist, with Carr adding four goals and Bolt three goals.
Weather caused havoc with the schedules, postponing J-E’s game with LaFayette. Westhill, who lost a game at Jamesville-DeWitt earlier in the week, did play on Friday and routed General Brown 20-4.
Up 15-1 on the Lions by halftime, the Warriors saw Haileigh Farrell earn four goals and four assists, with Abby Stack adding three goals and one assist.
Rebecca Gilhooley scored twice, adding two assists as Sam VanBuren, Maura McAnaney and Erin McMullen also had two-goal outings. Sophia Sgroi and Kendra MacCaull each got one goal and one assist. Ryan Murphy, Caroline Miller and Reilly Geer also netted goals.
Ludden-Grimes had its Friday game with Skaneateles pushed back to Saturday, but the delay did little to deter the Lakers, who prevailed 19-1 as Shea Pal had Ludden-Grimes’ lone goal in the first half. Kyla Sears and Riley Brogan led Skaneateles with four goals apiece as Mae McGlynn added three goals and Grace Dower got four assists.
