ONONDAGA COUNTY – Though one side had an easy time of it and the other most definitely did not, the Fayetteville-Manlius and Jamesville-DeWitt girls lacrosse teams would earned shots at Section III championships on Tuesday at SUNY-Cortland.
In the Class B semifinal Thursday at Alibrandi Stadium, F-M, the no. 2 seed, jumped all over no. 3 seed and defending champion Auburn and never let it get close, routing the Maroons 18-7.
These teams met in early April and the Hornets prevailed 13-7. Here, it didn’t stay suspenseful, Ava Angello winning the draws and F-M building a 5-0 edge in the game’s first seven-plus minutes.
Not letting up, the Hornets’ margin grew to double digits and it netted as many goals in 25 minutes here as it did in twice that time in the initial meeting.
From that 13-2 halftime lead, the Hornets cruised, Angello scoring seven times and adding a pair of assists as Julianna Cogliandro got four goals and one assist.
Sarah Porter and Emily Noel both converted twice, with Melanie Steigerwald amassing five assists as she joined Sophia Leonard and Talbot Baldwin with single goals. F-M would meet West Genesee in the sectional title game after the Wildcats rallied past Watertown 12-11 in the other semifinal.
At Central Square, where the sectional Class C semifinals unfolded, J-D, the top seed, found itself severely tested by no. 4 seed Indian Riveer and held on late to edge the Warriors in another 12-11 decision.
Seeking its first-ever sectional finals berth, IR proved that its 12-4 record was legitimate, getting four goals from both Ravan Marsell and Michaela Delles as Marsell added four assists.
To counter it, the Rams needed five goals from Lindsey Hildreth and Sydney Balotin setting a new season mark with six assists to go with her pair of tallies. Kate Barclay and Caroline Stone each had one goal and one assist, with Brooke Bort, Merris Kessler and Macy Durkin also finding the net.
Back in last Tuesday’s sectional quarterfinal J-D pulled off a shutout, roaring past no. 8 seed New Hartford 18-0. Eleven different players scored, with Bort netting three goals as Hildreth, Balotin, Stone, Sadie Withers and Maggie Bliss had two goals apiece. Macy Durkin added a goal and three assists.
The narrow win over Indian River advanced J-D to the sectional Class C final, yet again facing Fulton, who ousted Homer in a 13-12 thriller in the other semifinal.
Up in Class A, Christian Brothers Academy, the no. 4 seed, needed all of its poise and talent to withstand a challenge from no. 5 seed Rome Free Academy and prevail 11-9 at Alibrandi Stadium.
Looking for another shot at top seed Baldwinsville in the semifinals, CBA found itself in a tight battle, only leading the Black Knights 6-5 going into halftime.
Alexandra Tapia, who had six goals for RFA, did all she could to keep things tight, yet she didn’t get enough help from her teammates, in contrast to the balance in the Brothers’ lineup.
Gracie Britton had three goals and one assist, with Sydney Vaughn also earning three goals and Amelia Bonacci getting a goal and four assists. Maeve Mackenzie and Madison Cecilia each scored twice as Lilah Kirch had two assists and Nina Tangredi one assist.
Two days later, CBA ran into top seed Baldwinsville in the semifinal at East Syracuse Minoa and lost, 19-6, to the Bees, who jumped out to an 11-3 lead by halftime and never got caught.
Britton, with three goals, and Bonacci, with two goals, accounted for most of the Brothers’ production. Carlie Desimone led B’ville with five goals and one assist, while Mia Pozzi and Sarah Hunter had three goals apiece.
