No one could accuse either of the Cazenovia boys lacrosse team of taking the safe, easy route.
By opening against both of last year’s Section III Class A finalists, the Lakers learned plenty about itself, and then provided a successful application of those lessons against a perennial rival.
Cazenovia already lost to defending sectional Class A champion Baldwinsville when it took on West Genesee last Tuesday in a game originally set to be played at the Sean Googin Sports Complex.
But with those fields still not ready and a cold, wet forecast, the game got moved to WG’s Mike Messere Field, named after the coaching legend in his final season with the Wildcats before retiring.
WG defeated Cazenovia 11-6, as right from the outset the Lakers intended, every time it had the ball, to draw out possessions and keep a potent Wildcats attack from gaining too much momentum.
It worked for a long while, Cazenovia only trailing 3-2 after one period and giving itself a chance to catch up, only to get shut out the rest of the half.
Thus, a 5-2 deficit seemed larger, and WG continued to keep Cazenovia quiet, holding them to one goal in the third quarter as it doubled its margin to 7-3.
Even with a late surge, the Lakers would not catch up. Thomas Bragg and Alex Nowak both scored twice, with Ryan Romagnoli and Trey Schug adding single goals.
Brian Pezzi joined Bragg and Romagnoli in the assist column as R.J. Smith recorded seven saves. Ryan Sheehan paced the Wildcats with three goals as Kevin Sheehan, Jack Howes and Noah Sabatino had two goals apiece.
Now Cazenovia would venture to Skaneateles Friday night, and on the surface it seemed another daunting test. But the battle-tested visitors were superb from the outset in all phases of the game and would easily claim this Laker duel 15-7.
It took less than 2 ½ minutes for Cazenovia to bolt out to a 3-0 lead, and eventually it got to 6-0 before Skaneateles finally got on the board late in the first quarter, but it was already too late.
Ahead 8-2 by halftime, Cazenovia never let the margin get closer than five after that, spreading around its production beyond that of Bragg, who still had four goals and one assist.
Pezzi and Nowak both found the net three times as Pezzi got two assists. Brady Coleman jumped in, too, with two goals and two assists as Romagnoli also had two goals. Schug added a goal and assist, with Smith stopping 10 of the 16 shots he faced.
Chittenango’s boys lacrosse team had opened its season with a 9-3 loss to Whitesboro March 29, as Billy Demand scored twice and assisted on the Bears’ other goal, by Francis Cerio. Ryan Waters paced Whitesboro with four goals.
From there, the Bears would stay idle until Tuesday’s game with Bishop Ludden/Onondaga, part of a week that also includes a visit from Manlius-Pebble Hill Thursday and a Saturday trip to LaFayette.
Meanwhile, Cazenovia would try to build upon its win over Skaneateles in games at Jordan-Elbridge Tuesday and Chenango Forks on Saturday afternoon.
