CENTRAL NEW YORK – At least through two league games, the Fayetteville-Manlius boys lacrosse team has found itself quite humbled.
First, the Hornets took its 3-0 record to Baldwinsville and was in striking distance against the reigning state Class A champions before a rough fourth quarter led to a 14-4 defeat.
The Bees quickly seized control with goals by Dylan Wirtheim and Ryan Quinn in the first 2 1/2 minutes. Then Brady Garcia and Garrett Sutton added goals to double the margin to 4-0, Sutton converting in the waning seconds of the first quarter.
F-M settled down and, over the course of the next two periods, battled back into the game. Even with T.J. Conley going out with an injury, the Hornets picked up its attack and got two goals from Rob Madden, plus tallies from Michael Hance and John Angelicola.
Only trailing 6-4, everything changed when Quinn converted off a turnover 1:09 into the fourth quarter and the Hornets committed a penalty that gave the Bees a two-minute man-up situation.
Within 75 seconds, Sutton and Anthony Menickelli had netted goals, and Sutton returned to get his fourth goal with 8:56 left, which made it 10-4. Lynch, who finished with five assists, joined Carson Dyl and Jamesen Gipe to net goals in the final minutes.
Tough as this was, F-M may have felt more frustration two nights later when, against visiting Cicero-North Syracuse, it suffered a 13-12 defeat to the Northstars.
A back-and-forth first half saw the Hornets match whatever C-NS threw at them and carry a 7-6 advantage to the break, but the Northstars controlled the third quarter, outscoring the hosts 5-2.
Now trailing 11-9, F-M nearly made it back, Angelicola getting three goals and two assists as Madden, Sean Kellish and Colin Clark each scored twice, single goals going to Hance, Jack Hearn (who had three assists) and Charles Addonizio.
Still, C-NS held on at the end, helped in no small part by Leyton Sullivan’s 12 saves as Mason Ciciarelli got five goals, Ian Leahey and Donovan Chaney three goals apiece and Elijah Martin two goals plus four assists.
Then F-M lost again Saturday, a 10-8 decision to Marcellus where it led 5-4 at halftime, only to get shut out in the third quarter as the undefeated Mustangs seized a 7-5 advantage.
Unable to overcome that late deficit, the Hornets saw Madden and Angelicola each get a pair of goals, with Hance, Kellish, Hearn and Addonizio earning one goal apiece. Nick Rayfield (five goals) and Adam Rayfield (three goals, two assists) led the Marcellus effort.
Christian Brothers Academy rebounded from a close April 8 defeat to F-M by taking on New Hartford last Tuesday and pulling out a 9-7 decision.
Tied 6-6 going into the fourth quarter, the Brothers went ahead for good as Andrew Kohlbrenner all but carried the attack most of the night, netting six goals and adding a pair of assists. Joe Papa, Ben Anderson and Jack Wichmann had the other goals, Matt Craybas recording nine saves.
On Sunday, CBA lost, 10-8, to St. Joseph’s (Buffalo), unable to overcome a late 9-5 deficit as Kohlbrenner picked up four goals, with Papa scoring twice and getting three assists. The other goals went to Jack Wichmann and Jon Fallon as Craybas did all he could, recording 14 saves.
