When is a draw as good as a win? Perhaps when it involves making a big-time comeback, as the Cazenovia boys soccer team pulled off on Sept. 15 when it used two goals late in regulation to pull out a 3-3 draw with Christian Brothers Academy.
Full of momentum following that effort, the Lakers, at 5-1-1 yet still not in the state Class B rankings, ventured to Phoenix and made a case for that ranking during a first-half scoring blitz that led to an 8-0 shutout of the Firebirds.
Six times in the fist half, Cazenovia found the net, and spread the production around. By game’s end, five different Lakers had recorded a goal, led by Ryan Modzeleski and Alex Nowak, who each scored twice and contributed an assist.
Zach Simms also had two goals, with Will Harrington picking up one goal and one assist. Joe Spires, Alex Pezzi, Brian Pezzi and Mack Nashaud each had one assist.
To open the second half of its regular-season slate, Cazenovia hosted Blessed Virgin Mary on Saturday afternoon and won easily, 6-0, getting a goal from Pezzi just16 seconds into the game to set the tone.
Spires hit at the nine-minute mark, with Pezzi returning to add a second goal and Nowak also converting to make it 4-0 by halftime, while in the second half Simms and Sean McNerney made it six different goal-scorers for the Lakers. Modzeleski had two assists as Steve LaFever added an assist.
This leads to an interesting week where, on Tuesday night, Cazenovia would visit Skaneateles, who has eight shutouts in its last nine games the lone exception a 1-0 defeat last Tuesday to reigning sectional Class B champion Westhill. The Lakers visit Solvay on Saturday afternoon.
Chittenango, like Cazenovia, would prevail in a one-sided rout last Tuesday, pummeling Jordan-Elbridge 9-1 in a game that was actually close for a half before the Bears poured in eight goals in the last 40 minutes.
Seth Spurgeon was the only Chittenango player to find the net twice. Artie Paul and Caleb Prenoveau each had one goal and one assist, while Sean Larsson had two assists. Tim Ryder, Kyle Tessier and Wesley Stanton also had goals, with assists credited to Brian Schermerhorn, Bill Demand and Vince Cameron.
This put the Bears at 6-2 at its midway point of the regular season, knowing it had its own chance to tackle Phoenix on Tuesday after a week of rest before a Thursday-night visit to Alibrandi Stadium to face CBA.
