Put to a major test twice on the road against a pair of defending Section III champions in the first full week of April, the West Genesee girls lacrosse team claimed victories both times and gained major momentum going into Salt City Athletic Conference play.
The Wildcats first faced Christian Brothers Academy Wednesday night at Alibrandi Stadium, the first time these two sides were together since the sectional Class A final of a season ago.
Here, though, it was the Wildcats prevailing 9-7, giving new head coach Drew White his first win at the helm with a display of resolve and toughness down the stretch.
Just like in its Westhill opener, WG struggled early on offense, not scoring until the 13:40 mark when Gabby Meager converted a free position to tie it, 1-1. Then CBA notched three straight goals and appeared to take charge.
But Tara Osterdale cut the Wildcats’ deficit to 4-2 just before halftime, and WG caught up early in the second half when Matisyn Schaut and Emily Stratton converted.
With under 10 minutes left and the game 6-6, Halen Saroney found the net and put the Wildcats ahead for good. Stratton and Mackenzie Winn followed with goals that proved to be the difference in the final outcome.
Stratton and Schaut were the only WG players to score twice as Grace Detor and Courtney Reynolds earned assists, while Abby Bednarski and Lily Goodsell combined for six saves.
Big as this was, what WG accomplished on Saturday at Jamesville-DeWitt was just as impressive as it weathered a massive comeback by the Red Rams to pull it out 11-10 in overtime.
WG built a 3-0 advantage before the Rams got on the board, and when it pulled back within one, 4-3, Winn’s fourth goal allowed the Wildcats to take a 5-3 edge to the break.
It got worse early in the second half, the Rams’ deficit growing to 9-4, but J-D preserved and, led by Lindsay MacLachlan and Ana Dieroff, it made its way back.
The Rams stunned WG with six unanswered goals to grab a 10-9 lead with little more than three minutes to play, but the comeback took a toll and, fighting back, the Wildcats pulled back even as Emily Stratton converted with 1:25 left.
Regulation ended 10-10, but in the overtime period J-D could not get to the ball, and the Wildcats got it back to Stratton who, off a feed from Sam Detor, put it past Skyler Constantino for the game-winner.
Stratton’s game-winner matched her with Winn for four goals apiece and helped to overcome Constantino’s 13 saves, plus four goals from MacLachlan and three goals from Dieroff. Detor had three assists as Osterdale, Saroney and Elise Mancabelli had the other goals, Lilly Goodsell and Abby Bednarski combining for 12 saves.
So WG would take a 2-1 record into Thursday’s game at Fayetteville-Manlius, after which it finally has its home opener on Saturday against Victor at Mike Messere Field.
