For the only time this decade, the Cazenovia boys lacrosse team would not find itself taking part in the Section III playoffs, quite a change after a run that included five sectional and two state championships.
Yet it still was a happy ending to 2019 for the Lakers as, with a stirring fourth-quarter effort in Tuesday night’s game at Chittenango, it rallied and earned a 9-8 victory over the Bears.
Like Cazenovia, Chittenango was not headed for the post-season and was determined to win this neighborhood clash. During the first half, the Bears were steady in its attack and worked its way to a 7-4 lead.
Shane Kolb led Chittenango, scoring four times, while Billy Demand earned three goals. Brad Tily added a goal as Caleb Barnard and Hayden Bruno earned one assist apiece.
Despite all this, Cazenovia kept applying its own pressure, making up most of the ground in the third quarter and then, still trailing 8-7, blanking the Bears in the final period.
Overcoming 23 saves by Chittenango goalie Corey Jackowski, the Lakers got four assists from Brody Coleman, who passed it to, among others, Brian Pezzi, who got three goals and one assist.
Cole Basic, Cody Dickinson and Trey Schug each found the net twice, with Ryan Romagnoli adding an assist. Each of the seven saves put up by Ian Fostveit proved important.
Cazenovia won its last two games of the season to finish at 4-12 overall and would several distinguished alumni play in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division I lacrosse tournament, from T.J. Connellan and Cole Willard ( Penn State) to P.J. Brown (Loyola) to Thomas Bragg (Yale).
