CENTRAL NEW YORK – All that the Cazenovia boys soccer team had worked on through the first half of the regular season would get put to the test Tuesday night when it faced Skaneateles, the reigning state Class B champions who sat atop the state rankings.
Before this, Cazenovia was scheduled to face state no. 11-ranked Westhill last Thursday night, but heavy rains saturated the Sean Googin Sports Complex and forced a postponement, this following a 4-1 loss to Marcellus earlier in the week.
Chittenango had its boys soccer team flatten Vernon-Verona-Sherrill 6-1 last Monday to run its unbeaten streak to six.
It was only 1-0 at halftime, but the Bears got away late thanks to a well-balanced attack as six different players earned the teams’ six goals.
Arthur Paul had a goal and two assists, with Andrew Graf getting one goal and one assist. Kaleb Stephenson, Jacob Schneiderman, Josh Boulter and Gavin Karowski also got goals, with Ella Bonelli adding an assist.
This solid play would continue a day later, with Chittenango blanking the Solvay Bearcats 4-0.
Taking 25 shots to Solvay’s two, the Bears broke through with Bonelli getting a pair of goals. Paul and Graf both had one goal and one assist, with Scheidelman and Connor VanDee also earning assists.
Moving to girls soccer, Cazenovia, who will have its postponed Sept. 15 game against Holland Patent made up exactly one month later (Oct. 15), took on Marcellus last Tuesday and also lost, 4-1, to the Mustangs.
Julia Reff scored in the first half, assisted by Katie Rajkowski. Still, Marcellus went up 2-1, and then pulled away in the second half, overcoming Sky Sanford’s eight saves as Jadyn Baker and Brielle McShane both had one goal and one assist.
Then, taking on Skaneateles Friday night, Cazenovia lost 3-1, with the visiting Lakers going up 1-0 at halftime and then doubling the margin late.
Raeanne Thompson’s second-half tally did not prove enough, Skaneateles getting goals from Paige Willard, Maeve McNeil and Ella Bobbett to prevail.
Still with only one win this fall, the Chittenango girls took a 5-0 defeat to Westhill last Tuesday. Aiyana McDowell made 12 saves, but five different Warriors scored goals and Liv Holowinski got a pair of assists.
It was much closer on Thursday against Homer, but the Bears fell 2-1 to the Trojans, who got both goals from Gracie Patriarco as Cara Kielbasa converted for Chittenango, assisted by Maryanna Garciz, and McDowell got 11 saves.
