CORTLAND – Determined to reclaim the historic spot atop New York State boys lacrosse earned through 15 state championships, West Genesee found its quest halted by a historically great defense.
Canandaigua smothered the Wildcats throughout Wednesday’s state Class B semifinal at SUNY Cortland, and the result was a 5-1 defeat which kept WG from having the opportunity at its first state crown since moving to the Class B ranks.
Going into the game, nearly everyone expected the defenses to dominate. WG had not allowed a goal in the last 25-plus minutes of its regional final win over Vestal on June 4.
Cananadaigua was even more well known for its ability to stop opponents. The Braves had altered the course of the state tournament when it upset powerhouse Victor in the Section V semifinals, the key victory in its post-season run.
With three senior Division I recruits – goalie Jack Faiola, defender Brady Comella (both going to Hobart) and defender Eric Platten (Yale), Canandaigua knew how to shut teams down, and did so again to cool down a Wildcats squad that had netted a total of goals in its post-season games.
From the outset, the Braves used its size, strength and aggression to force WG into mistakes. Also, Comell made a series of quality stops, giving Canandaigua extra possessions.
And what the Braves did with these possessions throughout the game dictated the game’s narrative. Without a shot clock, Canandaigua could take several minutes on every possession, so even when the Wildcats made stops, its margin for error decreased.
Jaxon Grant had the only goal for either side in the first quarter. Then Sean Olvany converted early in the second period and, when Elliott Morgan’s hard shot flew past Dylan Desena, the Wildcats found itself trailing 3-1.
With 2:30 left in the half, WG finally got on the board, Liam Burns scoring from the right side off a feed from Ryan Mahoney. It would prove to be the Wildcats’ only tally.
The third quarter proved critical. Nelson Hudgins, Jack Garvey, Sam Rosa and the rest of WG’s back line was effective in containing the Braves, but every time it tried to attack, the Wildcats either ran into hard resistance or again saw a shot get gobbled up by Faiola.
Ultimately, WG’s frustrations led to three penalties in the fourth quarter, and while it killed two of them off, the Wildcats also saw Olvany and Braden Giosefli put in goals that all but sealed the outcome.
Yet even as this result was disappointing and Canandaigua advanced to meet Garden City in the state title game, the Wildcats could still feel proud of a 13-7 season and the sectional and regional titles earned under first-year head coach Eric Burns.
