Given the no. 7 seed for the Section III Class D playoffs, the Cazenovia girls lacrosse team would require defeating Clinton in Friday’s opening-round game at the Sean Googin Sports Copmlex in order to get a shot at no. 2 seed Skaneateles in Tuesday’s quarterfinals.
That was accomplished, with the Lakers defeating the Warriors 19-10 in a game decided before halftime. Playing at a pace Clinton wasn’t used to, Cazenovia put up the most goals in the first half (13) it had recorded all season and built a double-digit edge.
Though the defense struggled a bit in the second half, the Lakers still cruised as Keara Dwyer piled up five goals and four assists, leading an attack where Lucy Connor scored four times, adding an assist.
Chloe Willard and Megan Henderson both picked up three goals and one assist, while Mikaylee Whalen had one goal and one assist. Olivia Catanaia, Grace Rajkowski and Meg Milmoe added goals as assists went to Zoe Shephard and Molly Brown.
And this sets up the trip to Skaneateles, who was no. 4 in last week’s state Class D rankings and handled Cazenovia 18-8 early in April. The winner of the rematch gets Westhill or LaFayette in Thursday’s semifinal at Christian Brothers Academy’s Alibrandi Stadium, with the final May 30 at SUNY-Cortland.
Before this, Cazenovia met Fayetteville-Manlius, the state’s no. 5-ranked Class B side, who beat the Lakers 22-5 in last Tuesday night’s regular-season finale.
The torrid pace that F-M set negated any modest production Cazenovia could provide. Dwyer, with a goal and three assists, had a part in all but one of the Lakers’ scoring plays as Willard scored twice, with Connor and Brown earning the other goals.
Defensively, Lakers goalie Laura Lorraine earned 10 saves. But five different Hornets players earned hat tricks as Kiera Shanley got four goals and one assist, with Katie Shanley getting three goals and three assists. Gemma Adonizio, Amanda Cramer and Sydney DeGirolamo also had three goals.
