CENTRAL NEW YORK – While it’s proven far from a smooth journey, the Jamesville-DeWitt girls lacrosse team still is in the best position of any local side to grab a Section III championship.
Looking to defend the sectional Class C title,the Red Rams had a big game last Thursday night against Homer, who carried a similar record – and J-D got the best of it, prevailing 11-7 over the Trojans.
What mattered the most was the way the game started, J-D stingy on defense and steady on the attack as it jumped out to a 7-2 advantage, one that mostly held despite Homer’s late resurgence.
Macy Durkin and Lindsay Hildreth both had three-goal hat tricks, Durkin getting two assists and Hildreth one assist. Sydney Balotin scored twice and added three assists as Caroline Stone, Merris Kessler and Cambell Endres also found the net. Lucy Keib had six saves.
Before that, J-D had to battle past Class B contender Watertown in a 14-12 decision last Monday where most of the game was played on even terms, the two sides trading goals.
The Rams led 7-5 at halftime, and held on to it despite the Cyclones getting five goals from Delaney Callahan and four goals and two assists from Alex Macutek.
Hildreth, with five goals, and Kessler, with four goals and two assists, paced J-D. Balotin had a goal and two assists, with Durkin and Stone each getting one goal and one assist. Endries and Brooke Bort also put in goals.
Right after beating Homer, J-D pulled off a 13-12, double-overtime victory over Liverpool on Saturday, trailing most of the game but rallying late in the second half and then getting the game-winner in the second extra period.
Hildreth’s five goals paced the Rams, with Kessler getting three goals and one assist. Durkin and Kate Barclay each scored twice, with Balotin earning a goal and four assists. Again, Keib had six saves.
Fayetteville-Manlius faced Baldwinsville, the leaders in the SCAC Metro division, for the only time this season last Tuesday night and put up quite a battle during an 11-7 defeat to the Bees.
Between them, Ava Angello and Julianna Cogliandro won 11 of the game’s 18 draws, allowing for more possessions, though it was something the Hornets could not quite utilize to its full extent.
It also proved a two-person attack, Coglilandro scoring four times and Angello three times as no one else found the net, just a single assist credited to Melanie Steigerwald.
Hannah Williamson finished with seven saves, but B’ville still put enough past her and had five different goal-scorers, led by Brianna Peters’ four goals and Carlie Desimone’s three-goal hat trick.
Christian Brothers Academy fell to Homer last Tuesday in a tense 11-10 battle where Gracie Britton had four goals and two assists, with Lilah Kirch getting a three-goal hat trick.
Amelia Bonacci notched a season-best five assisets as Mia Kirch had two goals and one assist. Madison Cecilia added a goal and Sydney Vaughn got an assist. Camryn Calabro (five goals, one assist) and Kloey Roos (four goals, two assists) led the Trojans.
Then CBA met Marcellus on Thursday and lost by that exact same 11-10 margin, not quite able to equal the Mustangs after taking a modest 6-5 halftime deficit.
Britton’s five goals led all individuals. Lilah Kirch got three goals, with Mia Kirch getting a goal and two assists and Bonacci a goal and three assists. Cece Powell led Marcellus with three goals as three of her teammates – Lucy Powell, Annalise Bird and Kadie Tierney – each scored twice.
East Syracuse Minoa had a 16-7 defeat to Cortland last Tuesday night, unable to overcome a 9-5 halftime deficit. Rylyn Commisso had two goals, with single goals going to Maureen McGinley, Anna Paduano, Morgan Purcell, Mackenzie Praxl and Leah Rehm. Arianna Reed had eight saves.
A 20-9 loss to Syracuse City followed on Thursday night, and on Saturday ESM fell 14-4 to Homer, who bounced back well from the J-D defeat.
