When the Cazenovia field hockey team returned to Camden to participate in the Blue Devils’ annual tournament last weekend, it did so after a first half of the regular season that turned out quite successful, given the early obstacles.

The Lakers were 3-2-1 going into last Monday’s game against  Homer, but proceeded to score three times in the first half and go on to blank the Trojans 5-0.

Not showing any rust in a six-day layoff following a 1-1 tie with Weedsport on Sept. 17, Carey Lounsbury and Peyton Basic led Cazenovia’s attack, each scoring twice. Elora Wilmot earned the other goal as Molly Brown picked up a pair of assists and Emmy Knapp also had an assist.

The Lakers then met Cato-Meridian on Wednesday, ending a four-game homestand at Burton Street Elementary by again controlling matters on both sides of the ball and earning a second consecutive 5-0 shutout.

Not only did Cazenovia convert a lot, it spread things around. Five different players had the five goals as Lounsbury, Basic, Brown, Lily Sorbello and Ava Hartley all scored, with Sorbello joining Wilmot and Sammy Sparks in the assist column. \

Moving on to Camden, the Lakers faced Afton/Harpursville in the first round as the host Blue Devils faced Vestal. Both local teams would have major struggles.

Cazenovia took a 5-0 defeat to Afton, while Camden got overwhelmed, too, in a 6-1 defeat to Vestal, meaning that the Lakers and Blue Devils would face each other in Saturday’s consolation game.

This one was much closer, but the Lakers still lost, 1-0, to the Blue Devils, who got on the board in the first half with Erin Walker’s goal, assisted by P Halbritter, and made that margin stick the rest of the way, holding Cazenovia to just two shots.

Now at 5-4-1 on the season, the Lakers would travel to Port Byron/Union Springs Tuesday and Weesdport on Thursday before Friday’s Senior Day game against Homer at Burton Street.