Now things are completely even between the West Genesee and Baldwinsville girls lacrosse teams.
Two games played between these long-time rivals this season have resulted in a split, each side winning by a single goal on the road.
After the Bees prevailed 8-7 in overtime on April 18 at Mike Messere Field, the Wildcats got the best of Monday night’s rematch at Pelcher-Arcaro Stadium, never trailing and holding on late to prevail 7-6.
It was the second time in as many games that WG had defeated someone it lost to earlier this season, having done the same with Cicero-North Syracuse. It also put a halt to B’ville’s eight-game win streak and put the two sides level with each other in the Salt City Athletic Conference Metro division standings.
Early action was controlled by the Wildcats on both ends. Not only were defenders making key stops, but it was converting on free-position shots as Eliza MacCaull scored twice after Matisyn Schaut’s initial goal.
Not until the 11:22 mark of the first half did B’ville get on the board with Peyton Fleming’s goal. Trailing 4-1, the Bees got closer with goals by Katie Pascale and Maria Henwood 47 seconds apart, but MacCaull’s third tally in the last minute of the half pushed WG to a 5-3 edge at the break.
Accustomed to winning close games (it had just beat Fayetteville-Manlius and Ithaca by one-goal margins in back-to-back games), B’ville fought back, early in the second half, making defensive stops of its own and tying it, 5-5, as Sara Goodwin hit on consecutive goals.
But the Bees never went in front, and with 10:37 left Emily Stratton pushed the Wildcats back in front, striking again four minutes later to make it 7-5 and force B’ville to use a time-out.
Again, the Wildcats were put on the defensive, but after Pascale cut the lead to one with 2:05 left, Madison Fox, a strong force all night, made the biggest of her 11 saves on Fleming point-blank less than a minute later, WG able to run out the clock from there.
Back home on Thursday night, WG wanted far less drama, and got its wish against Liverpool thanks to a superb first half that led to a10-5 victory over the Warriors.
It was 3-0 before Liverpool got on the board as Schaut, Adrianna Nojaim and Sam Detor each netted goals. And all that the Warriors’ goal seemed to do was provoke a decisive Wildcats runs.
Mackenzie Meager’s tally was the first of five in a row, with Stratton, Pheobe Nelson and Julia Williams each finding the net before Schaut’s second goal made it 8-1 at the break.
Liverpool did make a late push, seeing Brittany Halpin net four of its five goals, the other going to Kate Salanger. But Stratton and Mackenzie Winn scored, too, to make sure things didn’t get too close.
So WG is 12-3 going into Tuesday’s regular-season finale, one more chance to avenge a loss as Fayetteville-Manlius (who claimed a thriller on April 26) would visit Mike Messere Field.
