ONONDAGA COUNTY – For all of its struggles, the West Genesee boys lacrosse team still had time, and ample opportunities, to turn things around against the opponents it wanted to beat the most.
In fact, the Wildcats would twice confront reigning sectional Class A champion Baldwinsville in a 48-hour stretch late last week, starting with Thursday’s showdown at Mike Messere Field.
And for a while, it seemed that WG had turned a serious corner, but it couldn’t sustain its early success against the Bees, who slowly gained control late and prevailed 14-9.
During a back-and-forth first quarter, the Wildcats fought its way in front, and stayed there the rest of the half, the game going to halftime with WG in front 7-6.
Yet the Bees’ depth, and ability to win face-offs and gain possession time, gradually wore down the Wildcats’ defenses, and set the stage for Saturday afternoon’s immediate rematch at Pelcher-Aracaro Stadium.
Now on the road, WG did put together a superb defensive effort while, at the same time, controlling the game’s tempo. And it still took a 7-6 defeat to the Bees.
Unable to build upon its early 3-2 edge, the Wildcats were shut out in the second quarter, only to hang in there and tie it, 5-5, before B’ville got back the lead midway through the final period and held on.
WG roared back from its May 15 loss to Christian Brothers Academy when it went to Liverpool last Tuesday and pulled away to beat the Warriors 13-7.
Even with an uneven attack, the Wildcats held Liverpool to a single goal in the first half, and then doubled its margin behind Alex Rosa’s four goals and two assists.
River Oudemool and Sam Mancabelli both scored twice, with Oudemool adding an assist. Nick Louise and Pat Linton both had a goal and two assists, with Joe Delany and Liam Burns both earning one goal and one assist. Braeden McNeil also picked up a goal.
While all this was going on, WG’s girls lacrosse team had its own big game against Baldwinsville to consider, the two top Class A contenders having split their initial encounters.
When they met Thursday night at B’ville, it proved closer than those first two games, but WG’s late comeback fell short in a 12-9 defeat to the Bees.
Rylee Gonzalez scored twice to help the Wildcats erase an early 3-1 deficit, but B’ville countered with four goals in a span of less than six minutes to go in front for good.
For the rest of the game, any WG surge was matched, with Carlie Desimone (four goals) and Emma Gebhardt (three goals, one assist) pacing the Bees.
Gonzalez led the Wildcats with three goals as Courtney Reynolds got two goals and one assist. Halen Saroney, Grace Detor, Reis Pagan and Sophia Scialdone had one goal apiece
Before this, WG wanted to make sure that its third encounter with Liverpool was far more lopsided than the previous two. That mission was accomplished during the Wildcats’ 17-4 romp over the Warriors.
Six different players had multiple goals, with Scialdone and Gabby Meager each getting three-goal hat tricks. Saroney, Detor and Pagan all had two goals and one assist, with Julia Miller also converting twice.
Reynolds chimed in with a goal and two assists, followed by Gonzalez and Olivia Blanding notching goals as Allie Hanlon managed to stop nine of Liverpool’s 14 shots.
