ONONDAGA COUNTY – When last week’s girls lacrosse action got underway, no one in Section III was undefeated except two neighboring schools separated by a stretch of Route 20.
Skaneateles was joined in those unbeaten ranks by Auburn, and both were still perfect at week’s end, in no small part due to the Wildcats knocking off West Genesee 12-10 in Saturday’s showdown at Hyatt Stadium.
Entering the game with an 8-3 mark, mostly against Class A foes, WG would give the Lakers its closest call so far, jumping out to a 3-0 edge helped by two goals from Courtney Reynolds.
Skaneateles absorbed this and promptly answered with four in a row, and from there the two sides traded goals until the Lakers inched in front 6-5 going into halftime.
Even after Rylee Gonazlez and Julia Miller scored to put the Wildcats back in front 7-6 early in the second half, the Lakers replied with a 3-0 run in less than five minutes to reclaim the lead, this time for good.
Only once the rest of the way did WG pull within one, the Lakers getting clear helped by a well-balanced attack.
Lilly Marquardt had three goals and two assists, with Julia O’Connor getting two goals and three assists as Maggie Newton had a goal and four assists.
Anna McGlynn also converted twice for Skaneateles as Kathryn Morrisey, Ava Logan, Bella Brogan and Rachel Hackler also netted goals. Olivia Blanding, in defeat, paced the Wildcats with three goals and one assist.
Two nights earlier, Skaneateles excelled in all phases of the game while putting away the Tully Black Knights 17-2.
No less than 12 different Lakers put in a goal by game’s end, with Newton the focal point as she amassed a career-best six assists to go with her pair of goals.
Morrissey scored three times, with Emily Huttar and Elizabeth Wamp each matching Newton’s two goals. Logan had a goal and three assists as Brogan, O’Connor, Hackler, Makenzie Miller, Rory Comer, Kelsey Rutledge and Grace Bailey also found the net.
Auburn had furhter reinforced its credentials last Monday when it took apart Marcellus in a 24-4 decision.
Bella Clarke and Lucy Powell both had one goal and one assist, with Anna Spitzer and Annalise Bird also finding the net as Kadie Tierney added an assist.
But the Maroons had 15 goals by halftime and kept going as Natalie Calandra-Ryan and Natalie Long both scored five times, Calandra-Ryan adding three assists as Gracie Giannettino and Abbie Izzo had three goals apiece.
Marcellus, to its credit, bounced right back from the Auburn loss by defeating Tully 18-3 a night later, having seven different players earn multiple goals.
Madeline Caron scored four times, with Powell getting three goals and four assists. Anna Spitzer also had four assists as she, along with Tierney, Clarke, Sophia Spitzer and Quinn Burnett, had two goals apiece. Emily Moses had the other goal.
This happened just as Westhill was blitzing Jordan-Elbridge in a 22-3 romp that moved the Warriors’ overall record to 6-4. Eagles star Gabrielle Gunnip was held to a single goal as Riley Crawford and Gabrielle Gunnip also converted.
On Thursday, J-E lost a close 13-11 decision to LaFayette-Onondaga, though Gunnip again was potent with seven goals helped by Crawford’s two goals and one assist. Ireland Hill had one goal and one assist.
Westhill, back in action on Friday, fought its way past Homer 10-7, scoring not even half what it did against J-E, but playing solid defense as goalie Frankie Argentieri made nine saves.
Balanced in its attack, the Warriors had Adelaide Lowery, Gianna Zerillo and Rosemary Mahoney each score twice, with Grace Winkler getting a goal and three assists. Bella Sampo, Katy McPeak and Sophia Caron had the other goals, with Claire Hunter getting an assist.
