Usually in the second week of November, top area boys soccer teams are either done with their seasons or celebrating championships at various levels.
In 2020, all that was replaced by being grateful just to have a season amid a pandemic, and that season concluded following a flurry of activity helped by warm weather.
Skaneateles again found success on Nov. 7 against West Genesee at Hyatt Stadium, the Lakers doing all of its damage in the early going as it blanked the Wildcats 3-0.
During a decisive first half, Andrew Moss twice found the net and Nick Cerimeli also earned a goal. Aidan Chabot, Landon Hellwig and Ethan Pickup got one assist apiece.
Blessed with that early margin, Skaneateles clamped down on defense, limiting WG to a single shot on target.
The Lakers’ finale took place last Tuesday against reigning sectional Class A champion Jamesville-DeWitt, and it proved an exciting match that ended in a 1-1 draw.
Chabot’s first-half goal did not hold up as J-D tied it when Max MacCaull took a pass from Johnny Keib and converted. Neither side was able to break the tie for the rest of regulation or through a pair of OT periods
A day earlier, WG was overwhelmed on Nov. 6 by Fayetteville-Manlius in a 12-2 defeat that still featured a pair of goals from Tyler Wavercak, with assists to Antonio Procopio and Tom Vertucci.
Then Marcellus got its turn against West Genesee last Tuesday night. Having already handed Westhill its lone defeat of the season 2-0 on Oct. 19, the Mustangs then blasted the Wildcats 5-0 to finish its season at 8-3 overall.
Ryan Lundrigan and Matt Stasyuk each scored twice to pace Marcellus, Stasyuk adding an assist as Brett Beal picked up two assists. Cory Cangemi stopped all 10 of WG’s shots for the shutout.
This followed the Mustangs’ 4-2 win over Bishop Ludden the day before, with Matt Kershaw’s goal and two assists leading a well-balanced attack. Beal had one goal and one assist, with Ryan Moses and Landon Kelly also converting.
So completed a local sweep that had started Oct. 19 when Marcellus did what no else had done all season – namely, contain Westhill and its top scoring threat, Bo BenYehuda.
The Warriors had just six shots, all stopped by Cangemi. And the Mustangs broke through against Westhill’s normally stout defenses as Ryan Worden assisted on goals by Lundrigan and Beal.
Before this, Ludden reclaimed trophy and bragging rights from rival Bishop Grimes on Nov. 7, and for that the Gaelic Knights could mostly thank Michael Gaughan.
During the Gaelic Knights’ 4-0 shutout of the Cobras, Gaughan managed to net all four of his team’s goals, two of them unassisted, two of them assisted by Sam Colella. Michael Losi stopped all four Grimes shots he faced.
Jordan-Elbridge didn’t hit the field on a consistent basis until late October, but showed promise during those sretches as the Eagles won 2-1 over Phoenix on Nov. 6.
Owen Barrigar and Kevin Chiaramonte both earned goals, with Brayam Gonzalez getting an assist. J-E goalie Keegan Ferris made 12 saves as Firebirds netminder Zach Green kept his side close with 20 saves.
J-E met Ludden head-to-head last Tuesday and the Eagles got the best of it, prevailing 1-0 despite playing defense most of the way.
But Ferris turned back all 17 of the Gaelic Knights’ shots, and Barrigar converted the game-winner to help J-E conclude with a 4-3 record as Ludden finished at 5-7.
