CENTRAL NEW YORK –
The optimism built up by the Cazenovia boys lacrosse team during a four-game win streak had dissipated by the time it hit Memorial Day weekend.
A May 25 defeat to LaFayette was followed, two days later, by the Lakers taking on Tully/Fabius-Pompey and taking a 16-12 loss to the Black Knights.
Ultimately, the second quarter proved decisive. Clinging to a 5-4 edge after a wild opening period, Tully/F-P outscored Cazenovia 5-1 in that frame to establish a 10-5 halftime lead.
Brody Coleman tried to bring the Lakers back, amassing five goals and four assists. Gannon Houghton and Cody Dickinson both scored twice as Forrest Ives, Max Michael and Jack Wright got single goals and James LaFever earned an assist.
But Black Knights goalie Ryan Shute had 11 saves, and his teammates kept answering Cazenovia’s runs, especially Lane Edinger, who led both sides with six goals and one assist.
Back in action last Tuesday to face Jordan-Elbridge, the Lakers rolled past the Eagles 19-3, putting together its highest goal total of the season in advance of tough tests against Skaneateles and LaFayette.
Skaneateles would get away from Cazenovia last Thursday, winning the Laker clash 15-8 despite Dickinson and Coleman both netting three goals and Houghton getting two goals and two assists.
By contrast, Skaneateles had eight-different goal-scorers, with Grayson Brunelle and Ryan Willard each earning three goals and two assists and Max Wamp amassing five assists.
When Cazenovia met LaFayette on Saturday, the Lancers, once 9-1, were reeling from three straight defeats to Westhill, Skaneateles and Tully, and were looking to rebound.
Needing to win to make the Section III playoffs, the Lakers could not pull it off, falling 16-9 to the Lancers, who steadily built a 14-5 advantage through three quarters.
Coleman, with two goals and five assists, did all he could as Dickinson scored four times. Houghton had two goals and Ives had the other goal as six different LaFayette players had multiple goals to overcome Chris Vecchiarelli’s 13 saves.
In girls lacrosse, Cazenovia put away Tully 11-3 on May 27, the game tight until the second half, when the Lakers’ defense shut out the Black Knights.
On the other end, Emily Knapp scored four times, with Katie Rajkowski getting two goals and three assists. Carley Lounsbury, Sammy Sparks, Lily Sorbello, Julia Ketcham and Hadley Schug each had one goal.
Cazenovia honored its seniors prior to last Tuesday’s game against Jordan-Elbridge and then proceeded to dominate against the Eagles, claiming a 16-6 victory.
Rajkowski and Sorbello both had three goals and two assists. Emily Knapp also scored three times, with Ketcham and Megan Kuhn both netting a pair of goals. Riley Knapp and Maddie McGreevey both had one goal and one assist and Lounsbury also scored.
This briefly put Cazenovia at the .500 mark (7-7) before a 17-2 defeat to Skaneateles closed out the season, with Rajkowski and Riley Knapp earning the only goals and Mackenzie Halliday recording nine saves.
