Though there aren’t that many common bonds, aside from winning traditions, with the boys lacrosse teams at Fayetteville-Manlius and Christian Brothers Academy, they did share a common, quite noted opponent last week.
West Genesee would travel to face both the Hornets and the Brothers, with F-M able to complete a rare regular-season sweep of the archrival that kept them from the Section III Class A title a season ago.
This encounter between the Hornets and Wildcats mirrored their April 11 meeting at Mike Messere Field – close, low-scoring, but successful on F-M’s part as it prevailed 7-5 this time around.
Still at no. 4 in the state Class B rankings, the Hornets seized an early advantage against WG, only to get shut out in the second quarter as the Wildcats, with three unanswered goals, grabbed a 4-2 advantage.
But the changes following halftime completely turned the game around. F-M found gaps in the Wildcats’ defense and found the net four times in the third period while keeping WG from answering.
All the Hornets allowed in the second half was a single goal, a byproduct of the defense played by Zak Conley, Andrew Corbin and Luke Stratton, while goalies Ben Hammond and Jack Van Valkenburgh combined for 11 saves.
Jack Shanley’s two goals and two assists paced F-M’s modest attack. Mike Howe also scored twice, adding an assist, with Zach Nestor getting a goal and two assists. Vince Congliandro had one goal and one assist. Josh Michel added a goal and Max Cramer got an assist.
When it was CBA’s turn to face West Genesee Saturday night at Alibrandi Stadium, it was the Brothers showcasing its defense and containing the Wildcats on its way to a 9-4 victory.
A terrific first quarter on both ends by CBA produced a 5-0 advantage – all the goals the Brothers would need, as it turned out. WG cut the margin to 5-2 by halftime, but a third-quarter shutout stretched the margin to 8-2.
Z.J. Shanin stopped 17 of the 21 shots the Wildcats threw at him. That fired up everyone else, including Wyatt Auyer, who netted four goals as Ryan Mackenzie got a goal and three assists. Colin Kelly had a goal and two assists, with Preston Taylor adding one goal and one assist. Sam Bonacci and Joey Matheson also got goials.
This happened hours after Jamesville-DeWitt, no. 2 in the state Class C rankings, suffered its first defeat of the season, the Red Rams going to Fairport and falling 10-9 to the Red Raiders in overtime.
Twice, J-D had narrow leads and could not hold them, Fairport playing the game at its tempo and outscoring the Rams 3-2 in the fourth quarter to get it to OT.
Will Davis paced J-D’s attack with five assists, adding a goal as Connor Durkin and Matt Kemmis each scored three times. Tanner Burns had two goals and one assist, with assists also going to Johnny Keib and Pat Murad.
Meanwhile, F-M lost against a noted Section V foe, too, falling 13-4 to Victor, a state finalist each of the last four years. The Blue Devils blanked the Hornets in the second and third quarters as only Howe, Cramer, Jordan Leuze and Pratt Reynolds earned goals.
CBA already had an impressive road win on its ledger during the week, having gone to LaFayette last Tuesday and run all over the Lancers in an 18-10 win.
During the first half, CBA tripled LaFayette’s production, not letting up until it produced a 12-4 margin, and then the lead grew to 17-6 before the Brothers eased up late.
Taylor led with five goals and three assists. Auyer and Kelly both scored four times, Auyer adding two assists and Kelly getting one assist. Matheson recorded a three-goal hat trick and Mackenzie earned three assists. Bonacci scored twice, adding an assist, and Ian Henderson got two assists. Shanin also got credit for an assist to go with his 15 saves.
Before it lost to Victor, F-M bashed Syracuse 17-2 on Thursday night, led this time by Reynolds, who had a career-best four goals, and Caden Yancey, who got two goals and four assists.
Shanley scored three times, adding a pair of assists, while Congliandro and Mike Rettinger had two-goal outings. Howe and Michel both had one goal and one assist, with Joe Puccia and Luke Daino also earning goals. Cramer got two assists.
Keeping a lower profile, East Syracuse Minoa handled Cortland 15-4 last Tuesday, rebounding from a defeat to Watertown by roaring out to a 6-0 lead by the end of the first quarter and breezing from there.
Lance Madonna piled up four goals and five assists. Luke Rosaschi also scored four times as Jackson Palumb got two goals. Owen White, Dillon May and Eric Callahan had one goal apiece as Tim Crouse added an assist.
Then ESM defeated Auburn 13-6 on Thursday, a steady all-around effort that featured goalie Logan Lemelbaum stopping nine of the 15 shots the Maroons threw at him.
Madonna continued to pile up points with three goals and three assists. Rosaschi and Crouse each got two goals and one assist, with Callahan and Matt Kenney also finding the net twice. Palumb and May added goals as Mike Kavanagh and Nolan Palmer earned assists.
