ONONDAGA COUNTY – If, indeed, the battle for Class A girls lacrosse supremacy ends up again between West Genesee and Baldwinsville, they exited their initial series of games on exactly even terms.
Just as the Bees prevailed 14-8 at Pelcher-Arcaro Stadium on May 1, the Wildcats turned that around in last Tuesday’s rematch at Mike Messere Field, using a late surge and plenty of defense to subdue B’ville 10-4.
Again, the focus was on what WG’s defense accomplished – namely, a second-half shutout of a potent Bees attack which had averaged better than 13 goals a game while zooming to a 3-0 start.
In particular, back-line players Jasmine Murray, Eva Klopfer, Erin Quinn and Cece Sidorovski kept B’ville’s Olivia Muscolino without a goal after she had netted seven in their first meeting.
Also, the Wildcats didn’t get frustrated when three different first-half leads vanished, leaving the teams tied 4-4 going into the break.
Instead, the defense cranked up, WG claimed most of the draws and, once Gabby Meager scored in the second half to put her team in front, didn’t get caught.
Meager added a second goal in the homestretch, as did Grace Detor, Sophia Scialdone, Ally Major and Halen Saroney, with all except Saroney having netted first-half goals to go with Olivia Blanding’s pair. Reis Pagan added an assist and goalie Allie Hanlon earned six saves.
As this went on, West Genesee’s boys lacrosse team tried to recover from a 1-2 start, which had included a narrow 9-8 defeat to Penfield on the first night of May.
Up against reigning sectional Class A champion Baldwinsville last Tuesday night, the Wildcats never got close in an 11-4 defeat, held to a single goal in the first half as the Bees zoomed out to a big advantage.
Alex Rosa and Joe Delany both had one goal and one assist. The other goals went to Liam Burns and Nick Louise, with Sam Mancabelli getting an assist.
Bryce Landry was busy in the net, recording 13 saves. The Bees were deep and well-balanced, with eight different goal-scorers as Luke Hoskin, Mike Marsallo and Trey Ordway each found the net twice.
Things reversed themselves for both of WG’s teams when they took on Cicero-North Syracuse Thursday, the boys pulling out a 9-8 decision but the girls taking a 5-4 loss to the Northstars.
A tense first half in the boys game at Bragman Stadium saw the Wildcats trail 5-4 at halfitme, only to make a big move in the third quarter to seize an 8-6 advantage.
Hanging on late, WG saw Louise earn three goals, with Delany and Pat Linton each converting twice. Rosa and Braeden McNeill earned goals and Ben Chamberlain got an assist as Landry, with 10 saves, stopped two more than C-NS counterpart Giovanni Heater.
Meanwhile, the girls Wildcats would get early goals from Meager and Scialdone, only to get contained for the rest of a low-scoring first half that ended 2-2.
Twice in the second half, C-NS went in front, and twice WG pulled back even on goals by Rylee Gonzalez, but the Northstars went out in front with less than four minutes left and held on, despite Hanlon’s 12 saves.
The week ended well with WG’s teams sweeping Liverpool for the second time this season on Saturday afternoon.
In the boys Wildcats’ 13-5 win, Louise netted four goals, with Delany and Liam Burns each getting two goals and one assist and River Oudemool also scoring twice.
WG’s girls again had a battle with Liverpool, winning 15-11 only when it broke out of a 10-10 tie late in the second half. Saroney netted two late goals to match Detor, Meager and Scialdone on that number as Rylee Gonzalez led the way with three goals and three assists. Hanlon produced 10 saves.
