Back-to-back victories over Mexico and LaFayette had the Cazenovia girls lacrosse team in its most confident form heading into the final full week of the regular season.
But in last Monday’s rematch with LaFayette, the Lakers could not complete a sweep of the Lancers, who prevailed this time by a score of 13-8.
This was the same five-goal margin by which Cazenovia had won the first meeting, only that one on May 2 went 16-11. A mere four days later, the Lakers only got half that total.
LaFayette worked its way in front 8-6 by halftime, and contained the Lakers during the second half to prevent any comeback, with the Lancers’ Charlotte Ryan and Gabby Oswald each netting five goals.
No one on Cazenovia’s roster could match that production, thwarted by Lancers goalie Tala Rudd, who stopped 15 of the 23 shots she faced.
Grace Rajkowski did earn three goals and Molly Brown scored twice, while Charley Harris had one goal and one assist. Laura Connor and Hope King added goals and Kaitlyn Puffer got an assist.
On Thursday afternoon, Cazenovia faced state Class B no. 18-ranked Rome Free Academy, a program brought to life by former Baldwinsville coaching great Doug Rowe.
And the Lakers were quite competitive in this game, fighting back from an 8-4 halftime deficit, only to see its comeback fall just short in an 10-8 defeat to the Black Knights.
Ella Brown led Cazenovia with four goals, with Puffer earning a goal and two assists. Rajkowski, Connor and Molly Schwartz also earned goals and Megan Hughes had an assist. Kaitlyn Salce (four goals) and Jamie Fleck (two goals) led RFA.
A day later, the Lakers lost 13-6 to Homer, unable to top Mattie Riter, who led the Trojans with six goals and one assist. Rajkowski and Brown both got two goals and one assist for Cazenovia as Puffer earned two assists. Harris and Schwartz had the other goals.
Chittenango had found victories elusive for most of the spring, but last Monday the Bears put together a big second-half performance against Jordan-Elbridge and defeated the Eagles 13-5.
It was only 5-3 at halftime, but Chittenango wore J-E down, and Rhonee Shea Pal and Julia Graham had much to do with it, Shea Pal finishing with five goals and two assists as Graham added four goals and one assist.
Helping them out, Ally Shoemaker scored twice, tacking on a pair of assists. Ashley Thompson had one goal and one assist as Julia Pynn got two assists and Alyssa Frantz netted a goal.
It turned around on Thursday night, Chittenango falling 16-9 to Mexico as Shea Pal had three goals, with Thompson and Shoemaker both scoring twice. Graham and Pynn had one goal apiece as the Tigers’ Bri Emery led her side with six goals and two assists.
With little time to rest, the Bears on Friday rebounded with a 15-0 shutout of Central Valley Academy, Chittenango netting 12 unanswered goals in the first half and seeing Lizzy Goss stop all five shots she faced.
Shea Pal, with three goals and three assists, led the way as Graham got four goals and one assist. Shoemaker scored twice, adding three assists, with Pynn getting a goal and three assists. Single goals also went to Thompson, Ellie Knox, Ashley Megnin, Shelby Maring and Olivia Cianfrocco.
Now at 4-10 on the season, Chittenango would face Homer on Tuesday to close its regular season, just as Cazenovia (4-11) visited Tully.
