While other top programs in other high school sports rise and fade, the Cazenovia field hockey team remains a constant wonder.
Starting more than a decade ago, the Lakers have won 11 consecutive Section III championships. During that run, a pair of state titles was claimed in 2010 and 2011, and three other times Cazenovia has reached the state finals, only to get stopped one win short of the summit.
That includes 2015 and 2016, when Cazenovia advanced to the state finals, only to fall to Section IV powerhouse Whitney Point. In fact, the Eagles have knocked the Lakers out of the state playoffs three straight years, counting a regional game in 2014.
Determined to go all the way this time, head coach Lorraine Scheftic put together another tough schedule that included most of the area’s Class A teams, and assembled a young roster with just three seniors but including two returning All-State performers in midfielder Zoe Shephard and defender Mikaylee Whalen, plus a strong goalie in Shea Flannery, who recorded 10 shutouts a season ago.
Cazenovia opened its season against one of those Class A sides, Fayetteville-Manlius, last Wednesday night, and it turned into a thriller, the Lakers squandering a two-goal lead in the second half, but recovering in overtime to beat the Hornets 3-2.
F-M had already played three times, going 2-1 (losing only to Whitney Point), yet that advantage in game action did little to help the Hornets in the first half. Cazenovia roared to a 2-0 lead on goals by Katie Ammann and Molly Brown.
But the Hornets had an answer in the second half. Lindsey Kilpatrick sparked the comeback, assisting on Susan Bansbach’s goal and then converting one herself on a backhand, tying it 2-2 by the end of regulation.
The seven-on-seven extra period gave the Lakers a chance to regroup and put the ball on the stick of Shephard, who already had an assist but now flung one past Catherine Barr for the game-winner. Prior to that, Barr had made 10 saves, with Flannery recording six saves.
On Friday, the Lakers had its home opener at Burton Street Elementary against Port Byron, and more thrills were in store, though here it came in the form of a back-and-forth second half that didn’t solve anything as it went to overtime and ended in a 2-2 draw.
Neither side could score in the first half, Shephard got the Lakers’ attack going in the second half, twice putting it past Port Byron goalie Amanda Chuttey, only to see the Panthers respond with goals by Allison Ryan and Jenna Weston.
In it second OT game in as many matches, Cazenovia was unable to prevail, but did prevent Port Byron from doing the same, Flannery picking up nine saves to counter the 12 saves from Chuttey.
In a big test Monday night, Cazenovia would go to Bragman Stadium to face Cicero-North Syracuse, followed by a Wednesday trip to Weedsport and a weekend appearance in the Camden Tournament, where it will face Vestal in Friday’s opening round as the host Blue Devils face Burnt Hills/Ballston Lake.
