Exactly one year after the Skaneateles girls lacrosse team had its Section III Class D crown taken by South Jefferson, the Lakers are primed to take it back at the Spartans’ expense on that exact same SUNY-Cortland turf.
The title-game rematch was set up by Thursday’s sectional semifinals at East Syracuse Minoa Stadium, where top-seeded Skaneateles blew out no. 4 seed Marcellus 17-4 and South Jefferson, the no. 2 seed, pulled away to top no. 3 seed Westhill 13-6.
Going first, Skaneateles was taking on Marcellus just 13 days removed from the 17-6 victory it had over the Mustangs at Hyatt Stadium.
The venue may have changed, and the stakes were much higher – but the results were exactly the same.
In fact, Skaneateles scored the game’s first 11 goals and nearly shut out Marcellus in the first half before Natalie Clere scored in the final minute.
Once again, Olivia Navaroli owned the draw circle, constantly winning her team possessions. Then the attack went to work, patienly working the ball around until open teammate got well-timed passes and converted.
More often than not, it was junior Grace Dower providing those passes, Dower picking up a season-best total of seven assists to go with her four goals for 11 points overall.
Maggie Newton scored all five of her goals in the first half, with Navaroli also getting four goals. Riley Brogan scored twice as Anna McGlynn and Elizabeth Wamp each had one goal and one assist.
Aside from Clere, Anna Vetsch, Katy Wangsness and Laura Canny earned goals for Marcellus, who finished its season with a 10-5 record and is still looking for its first-ever sectional title.
Westhill also has not claimed a sectional championship, but with its 14-2 record, it arrived in the sectional semifinal with plenty of confidence, but South Jefferson quickly humbled them.
Following an opening goal by Gianna Zerrillo at the 3:50 mark, the Spartans took control when Mackenzie Alexander scored twice and then assisted on a goal by Megan Whitley, all in a span of 29 seconds.
South Jefferson protected that margin the rest of the first half, and then made another crucial spurt in the two minutes before halftime, with goals from Savannah Fish and Cassidy Burnash and then, most of all, another Alexander tally just 0.3 seconds before the horn.
Westhill had a long time to think about its 8-3 deficit because, just as the second half was about to start, lightning in the area caused a 50-minute delay.
Once the game resumed, the Warriors had all kinds of chances to get on the board, only to get turned back by South Jefferson goalie Paige Crandall, who finished with nine saves.
The Spartans then reeled off four more goals before Rebecca Gilhooley ended the Warriors’ drought of more than 20 minutes when she found the net with 8:43 left.
Zerrillo would add some late goals, giving her three for the night, as Grace Winkler and Caroline Miller also earned goals. But South Jefferson, led by Alexander (five goals, two assists) and Fish (four goals), moved on, with a chance at a second straight sectional title and Skaneateles in the way.
