With chaos all around them in last Thursday night’s Section III girls lacrosse semifinals, Jamesville-DeWitt, Fayetteville-Manlius and Christian Brothers Academy did not get caught up in it – or get pushed out.
Instead, in their own unique ways, this trio of local teams all earned trips to SUNY-Cortland to play for three separate sectional titles, with J-D, the top seed in Class C, needing overtime to fight past no. 4 seed Whitesboro 10-9 in a game played on the turf at F-M.
At the outset, it looked like a runaway as J-D sprinted out to a 5-0 lead. But Whitesboro, who beat New Hartford 14-8 to get this far, struck back, using a series of goals to make up most of the ground and only trail 6-4 going into halftime.
Much of the second half was played on even terms, so J-D was still up 9-7 with less than four minutes to lay. Again, the Warriors charged, as Stephanie Husnay and Sam DeCondo put in goals that quickly tied it, 9-9.
When regulation ended with that score, it went to OT, where the first goal would win it. And it took all of 14 seconds for the Rams to claim the draw, charge down the field and net the game-winner.
As usual, the Rams’ attack was deep and well-balanced. Only Katie Lutz scored three times, adding an assist as Lizzie O’Brien and Riley Burns had two goals apiece. Bess Murad got a goal and two assists as Ana Dieroff and Lindsay MacLachlan also scored. Goalie Emma Silverstein made seven saves. Husnay led Whitesboro with three goals and one assist.
Now J-D could prepare for a sectional final against no. 2 seed Carthage, who put away no. 3 seed Cortland 17-10 in the other semifinal, led by Claire Odett’s five goals and three assists.
On the other end of the spectrum, F-M, the top seed in the Class B sectional tournament, made sure nothing got too exciting in its sectional semifinal as it ran away from no. 4 seed Auburn and prevailed 21-6.
Here was an instance where a week’s rest produced an energetic and purposeful squad, for F-M went out and played at a breakneck pace throughout the first half, constantly breaking through the Maroons’ defense and not letting up until it had produced a 12-3 lead by intermission.
Three quick goals early in the second half produced a running clock, and the Hornets breezed from there, with Amanda Cramer leading the way as her seven goals topped Auburn’s entire output. Annie Steigerwald and Gemma Adonizio each scored four times, with Steigerwald adding an assist.
Kiera Shanley notched her own three-goal hat trick as Kaylee Steigerwald had a goal and two assists. Maddie Noel and Sydney DeGirolamo added goals as Allison Macrae also had two assists and Jane Cote notched a single assist.
With Auburn put away, the Hornets would face Watertown in Tuesday’s sectional final, knowing it had to contain Cyclones star Jill Girardi, who amassed eight goals and three assists in her team’s 21-13 semifinal win over Fulton.
In between J-D’s tension and F-M’s rout, there was CBA’s tough 13-10 win over Cicero-North Syracuse in the sectional Class A semifinal on the turf at J-D, but it had already proved an eventful night as, right before the Brothers and Northstars took the field, top seed West Genesee was ousted in the semifinals for the second year in a row, stunned by Baldwinsville 6-5.
Determined to avoid that fate, CBA, in a rematch of the 2016 sectional final at the Carrier Dome, played a solid all-around first half, converting on its opportunities while also keeping C-NS relatively quiet.
That produced an 8-4 lead at the break, and as it turned out, the Brothers were glad to have that cushion. Led by Jessica Meneilly, who scored six goals, the Northstars made it interesting in the second half, only to see its numerous comeback attempts thwarted.
CBA, as it turned out, had a far more balanced attack. Olivia Penoyer amassed three goals and four assists as Grace Hulslander also scored three times, with Tessa Queri, Meredith Strott and Claire Jeschke getting two goals apiece. Tate Kholbrenner added a goal as Hulslander, Queri and Jeschke earned single assists.
Tempo could prove a big part of the sectional final. Baldwinsville was able to slow things down in order to rally from a 5-1 halftime deficit and shock West Genesee, and the Bees likely want to do the same thing against the Brothers with a sectional title on the line.
