For the only time this fall, the Cazenovia and Chittenango boys soccer team would face off, battling to see who could own neighborhood bragging rights for another year.
And it proved a tense, low-scoring affair, with a single scoring play the difference for the Lakers as it prevailed 1-0 over the Bears to improve to 3-1 on the season.
Having not played since an Oct. 15 loss to Faith Heritage, the Lakers were eager to get back in action, especially after a scheduled game with Fabius-Pompey last Tuesday got moved to Nov. 2.
Sporting its own 5-1 mark, Chittenango would find itself defending its own end most of the game, but did an effective job of it, Jack Simmons recording eight saves.
Yet the Bears were held to just three shots of its own, and when Cazenovia’s Max Michael scored off a feed from Jack Aronson, it gave the Lakers an edge it would not relinquish.
Chittenango had started its week with a visit to Manlius-Pebble Hill last Tuesday where it gradually pulled away to earn a 3-1 victory over the Trojans.
Scoring the lone goal of the first half, the Bears doubled the margin and saw Andrew Albach, Arthur Paul and Jacob Scheidelman each find the net, with Nate Dziedzic adding an assist. Simmons stopped six of seven shots he faced.
Then, against Onondaga Thursday night, Chittenango pulled out a 1-0 decision, the game a deadlock until the second half, when Scheidelman put the Bears in front, Alex Reymond getting the assist.
The loss to Cazenovia slowed the Bears’ momentum, which it hoped to regain in a Monday rematch with Onondaga and a Tuesday visit to Christian Brothers Academy before Thursday’s game with Fabius-Pompey.
Meanwhile, Cazenovia hosts Manlius-Pebble Hill Tuesday and then travels to Onondaga and LaFayette later in the week.
