The last full week of October offered the Cazenovia girls soccer team two opportunities to display its vast skill and chemistry – which it did.
It started last Tuesday at Manlius-Pebble Hill, where the Lakers, with Lili Gavitt and Katie Rajkowski at the forefront, blazed to a 6-0 victory over the Trojans.
Gavitt and Rajkowski both scored twice to help Cazenovia build a 4-0 advantage. Then, after Julia Hathaway converted, Gavitt, who assisted on that fifth goal, returned late in the game to complete a hat trick.
Ava Gavitt notched assists on both of Rajkowski’s tallies, with Juila Reff also earning an assist. Cazenovia held MPH to just three shots, all stopped by Hannah Ruddy.
Onondaga was supposed to be next on Thursday night, the first of three consecutive home games, but heavy rains forced a postponement.
Then, against LaFayette on a dry, cold Saturday afternoon, the Lakers remained in attack mode, producing more than enough to handle the Lancers 5-0.
LaFayette goalie Kensington Keene was sensational, recording 26 saves, but five different Cazenovia players – Rajkowski, Leigha Fostviet, Torrie Morris, Ava Gavitt and Anna Edwards – earned goals, with Lili Gavitt notching a pair of assists and Morris a single assist.
Up until last week, the lone blemish for Chittenango had come at Cazenovia’s expense, a 5-1 defeat on Oct. 17 where the Bears scored first, only to have the Lakers take over from there.
A second defeat took place last Monday, Chittenango this time upended 4-2 by Tully, who spread around its attack and constantly found success against the Bears’ defense.
Emily Moon and Maryanna Garcia both scored, and Alyana McDowell finished with seven saves, but the Black Knights got two goals from Alexa Shay and two assists from Maddy Erno as Mary Babbage and Erin O’Mara also scored.
So began a stretch of three games in five days, the Bears meeting Christian Brothers Academy 24 hours later and again struggling on defense during a 5-2 loss to the Brothers.
Though Garcia twice found the net, CBA put five shots past McDowell, with Kennedy Paciaga and Bella Roberson each netting a pair of goals for the Brothers.
And on Saturday, facing Homer, Chittenango lost a 1-0 decision to the Trojans, the entire game an exercise in frustration.
Each of the Bears’ 22 shots was stopped by Homer goalkeeper Catherine Apker. And her work was rewarded when Katie Britt netted the game’s only goal, overcoming Alyanna McDowell’s 10 saves.
