Without question, the Cazenovia field hockey team had a tough trek through the opening portion of its schedule.
But the Lakers managed to survive that gauntlet with a 3-1-1 record, its only loss coming to Vestal in the Sept. 15 first round of the Camden Tournament, and were quite glad to see things ease up a bit in the week that followed.
Cazenovia, in fact, got to double digits on the board in last Monday’s 10-0 rout of Cato-Meridian, managing the rare feat of two players with hat tricks as Margaret Kmetz broke through with three goals to match Zoe Shephard’s total. Mikaylee Whalen scored twice, with single goals going to Molly Brown and Cavy Monahan.
On Wednesday, the Lakers visited Moravia, who had just knocked off the same Port Byron team Cazenovia had tied earlier this month. But the Lakers were a much better team now and proved it during a 4-0 shutout of that other group of Blue Devils.
Though at times thwarted by Moravia goalie Brittany Klaus, who had 14 saves, Cazenovia still spread its attack around, getting four goals from four different players – Shephard, Brown, Katie Ammann and Samantha Morgan. Shephard assisted on two of the goals as Whalen also picked up an assist.
This busy week concluded at Burton Street Friday with a visit from Liverpool, and again the Lakers trailed in the early going, only to turn that around in a span of less than three minutes and hang on for a 2-1 victory over the Warriors.
It was still scoreless when, before the 10-minute mark of the first half, Olivia Hayden’s goal put Liverpool in front. That lead only lasted until Shephard fed Betsy Chanatry for her first goal of the season with 4:25 left in the half.
Energized by that play, the Lakers attacked hard and, two minutes later, Brown took a pass from Whalen and pushed it past Warriors goalie Abbie Bragan. That was all Bragan would allow in an 11-save effort, so it was up to the Lakers’ defense, who managed to nurse that slim lead throughout the second half, Shea Flannery recording six saves.
Now at the midway point of its regular season, the Lakers play three more times this week, including a rematch with Cato-Meridian Friday (its eighth game in a 15-day span) after taking on Homer Monday and visiting Port Byron on Wednesday afternoon.
