In their own manners, the Cazenovia and Chittenango girls soccer teams had obstacles to overcome heading into the decisive month of October and their head-to-head meeting on Monday night on the Bears’ home turf.
Chittenango had started 8-0 before taking three defeats to Westhill (4-1), Marcellus (3-2 in overtime) and Cicero-North Syracuse (again 3-2) in a five-day span from Sept. 24 to 28.
Given all that, the Bears were glad to see Altmar-Parish-Williamstown last Monday in its last match before it faced Cazenovia a week later, Chittenango roaring back to the win column by a 7-0 margin over the Rebels.
Sarah Martin put together a three-goal hat trick, helped by Emily Moon and Ally Shoemaker, who had two goals apiece. Madison Wagner, Carolyn Myka and Kelsey Page each earned assists as Chittenango took 23 shots to APW’s four.
Favored in both of its games last week, Cazenovia would play them both within a 24-hour span after rain and lightning postponed last Tuesday’s trip to Mexico for a few days.
Back home at the Sean Googin Sports Complex to face Phoenix last Thursday night, the Lakers endured wet, cold conditions and an early deficit to rally and beat the Firebirds 3-1 in overtime.
Phoenix struck first on a goal by Brooke Demo, and that 1-0 lead held up until Lili Gavitt’s unassisted tally on a corner kick in the second half made it 1-1, where it stayed for the rest of regulation
Only in the 20 mandatory minutes of overtime did Cazenovia move out in front. Ava Gavitt took a pass from Juila Reff to nab the go-ahead goal, and Reff assisted on the clincher, too, which was Lili Gavitt’s second goal.
They would make up the Mexico match on Friday afternoon, and the Lakers edged the Tigers 2-1, emerging from a scoreless first half as Ava Gavitt and Molly Dolan both scored to make up for a tally by Mexico’s Alecsis Buda.
That improved Cazenovia’s record to 9-3-1 as it heads to Solvay Wednesday before its last regular-season home game Friday against Oneida.
Chittenango was supposed to face Mexico last Thursday, but the rain and poor field conditions there forced a postponement to Oct. 16, after the Bears’ match with Cazenovia and Wednesday’s visit from Phoenix.
