CENTRAL NEW YORK – Without question, the pair of overtime victories over Westhill and South Jefferson had given the West Genesee girls lacrosse team a much-needed psychological boost.
Now the Wildcats were out to prove it could start a game well, too, which is just what it did last Tuesday when it roared past Christian Brothers Academy 14-5 at Mike Messere Field.
Five different players – Reis Pagan, Olivia Blanding, Rylee Gonzalez, Olivia Lockwood and Courtney Reynolds – netted five goals for WG before the Brothers could even get on the board.
Pagan ultimately added two goals for a hat trick, with Gonzalez getting another goal plus two assists. Sofia Snyder, Julia Miller, Cara Major, Ally Major, Molly Doran and Margaret Sheehan would all pick up goals, too, as part of a deep and dangerous Wildcats offense.
Even more impressive was what WG did against reigning sectional Class B champion Auburn last Saturday, the Wildcats nearly blanking the Maroons in a dominant 14-1 victory.
Though Reynolds and Blanding both finished with three goals, what was most impressive was the way WG spread around its production.
Ten different players finished with goals as single tallies went to Miller, Doran, Sheehan, Lockwood, Cara Major, Sofia Snyder, Maria Snyder and Katie Long, with Doran getting two assists and assists also going to Pagan and Ally Major.
It was a different story for West Genesee’s boys team, who had its own game against CBA at Alibrandi Stadium and could not hold a fourth-quarter lead in an 11-9 loss to the Brothers.
CBA, in its first game under new head coach and former Syracuse University great Ryan Powell, bolted to a 5-2 first-half lead, and would be up 6-4 at halftime largely because Declan Landers (in the first) and Seamus Nicholson (in the second) both netted goals in the last seconds of the opening two periods.
Angry at this, WG controlled most of the third quarter and used four goals from four different players to race to an 8-6 advantage, but that would not last.
The Brothers cut it to 8-7 late in the third and, during the final period, hit the tying and go-ahead goals before long possessions down the stretch led to clinching tallies from Landers (who had five goals) and Dan Anderson.
Liam Burns, in defeat, gave the Wildcats three goals and three assists. Ryan Mahoney converted twice, with defender Jack Garvey joining Ryan Considine, Jack Mellen and Nolan Belotti with single goals. Pat Linton got two assists.
Back home Thursday night to face East Syracuse Minoa, WG worked through the rain and, with a strong fourth quarter, was able to defeat the Spartans 12-9.
They were tied, 8-8, going to the final period, but led by Charles Lockwood, the Wildcats were able to move in front for good, Lockwood ultimately finishing with four goals and one assist.
Burns scored three times, adding two assists. Mahoney, Linton, Belotti, Mellen and John Gianuzzi picked up one goal apiece, with Teshale Kelly contriubting an assist.
Even more dramatic was Saturday’s 8-7 win over Penfield (Section V) on the same day that former players gathered at Mike Messere Field for the inaugural Alumni Appreciation Day.
They saw WG trail most of the way, Penfield going up 3-1 through one period and trading goals until the fourth quarter, when the Wildcats fought back and pulled even, 7-7, with a minute to play.
Then, gaining possession, WG worked it around until Bellotti, off a feed from Burns, scored the game-winner with just three seconds left. Prior to that, Burns had netted three goals, with single goals going to Mellen, Linton, Mahoney and Kelly.
