Passing the midway point of the regular season, the West Genesee boys lacrosse team was showing its best form so far, offering a direct challenge to Baldwinsville for SCAC Metro division supremacy.
The Wildcats followed up its April 21 win over previously unbeaten Liverpool with a trip to Bragman Stadium last Tuesday where, leading most of the way, it toppled the Northstars 11-7.
What happened in the first half proved key. Taking an early 3-1 lead, WG absorbed plenty of good production from C-NS in the second quarter and matched all of it, going to the break with a 7-5 advantage.
Then, as the defense silenced the Northstars for most of the second half, the Wildcats’ margin doubles, Liam Burns getting three goals and adding an assist.
Teshale Kelly, Jack Mellen and Ryan Mahoney each scored twice, Mahoney contributing an assist. Charles Lockwood had a goal and two assists, John Giannuzzi getting the other goal as Shane Staudt finished with eight saves.
Just as impressive was what WG did two nights later at Jamesville-DeWitt, relying on strong defense and a single scoring run to earn an 8-4 victory over the Red Rams.
Even with J-D coming off back-to-back defeats (to Victor and East Syracuse Minoa), it still managed to keep the Wildcats in check throughout a low-scoring first half.
Still, WG led 3-2 at the break thanks to two goals from Mellen, and then took off in the third quarter, outscoring the Rams 5-1 as River Oudemool converted twice, Mellen put in a third goal and Burns and Zach Ryan also converted, with Lockwood adding an assist.
This win streak would get halted Saturday when the Wildcats faced Section II’s Burnt Hills/Ballston Lake and lost, 10-7, to the Spartans. Only Lockwood scored twice as Burns got three assists, with single goals going to Oudemool, Ryan, Mellen, Ryan Mahoney and Patrick Linton.
Back home, WG’s girls lacrosse team put its 7-2 mark on the line against C-NS, the reigning sectional Class A champions, and played strong defense – but still lost a 7-5 decision to the Northstars.
Having started to move away from its own early struggles, C-NS shut down the Wildcats for most of the first half after Rylee Gonzalez got the game’s first goal.
Cara Major did put in a goal in the final second of the half to cut the Northstars’ margin to 4-2, and Ally Major reduced the margin to one early in the second half, but WG didn’t convert again until Courtney Reynolds and Olivia Blanding converted in the final minutes.
Another defeat followed on Saturday, the Wildcats shut down for most of its 12-6 defeat to Victor as the Blue Devils netted five straight goals in the first half to break a 1-1 tie and never got caught. Pagan and Cara Major led WG with two goals apiece.
