CENTRAL NEW YORK – On the first Friday in May at Hyatt Stadium, the Skaneateles boys lacrosse team will offer its challenge to Marcellus in what could prove a preview of the Section III Class B championship game later in the month.
That it feels this way is due to the tremendous starts of both teams, with just one combined defeat (the Lakers falling in overtime to Fayetteville-Manlius) through the end of April.
This included Skaneateles handling defending sectional Class C champion Westhill last Tuesday night in a 14-5 decision that reflected how strong the Lakers can be on an all-around basis.
Part of it is having Grayson Brunelle. Try as it could, Westhill’s defense had no answer for Brunelle, whose eight goals was more than the entire opposition by three as he also got a pair of assists.
Helping out, Jack Torrey scored three times, with Ethan Hunt getting two goals and an assist. Sean Kerwick had a goal and three assists.
Between them, goalies Luke Logan and Jack Marquardt stopped 11 of Westhill’s 16 shots. Only Luke Gilmartin, with three goals, consistently hurt the Lakers as Owen Etoll and Tom Pendergast had the other goals.
As this went on, Marcellus met a challenge from Class C contender Cazenovia, playing a dominant first half that proved enough to subdue those other Lakers 12-7.
Essentially, this game got decided in the first and second quarters, Marcellus able to control possession and steadily produce goals on the way to a 7-1 advantage at the break.
Cazenovia battled back, led by Brandon Barnard, who netted a game-high five goals but got little support, contrasting the Mustangs’ scoring balance.
Adam Rayfield scored four times and got two assists, while Doryn LeClair had two goals and four assists. Chris Doshna got two goals and two assists as Nick Rayfield and Jimmy Cox also had two-goal outings.
Marcellus then shut down Homer 10-2 on Thursday night to make it 11 in a row, Quenten Polkowski stopping every shot he faced (eight saves overall) after the Mustangs raced to a 6-2 lead by the end of the first quarter.
With his three goals and four assists, Adam Rayfield set the tone, helped by LeClair’s two goals and two assists. Nick Rayfield added three goals and Doshna converted twice.
When Skaneateles got its turn against Cazenovia on Thursday night, it won the Laker duel 9-3 with a ferocious defensive effort that only surrendered single goals from Cazenovia’s potent attack combination of Brendon Barnard, Forrest Ives and D.B. Falge.
Everything else got turned back by Marquardt and Logan, who made seven total saves as Brunelle scored four times on the other end, helped by Kerwick’s two goals and one assist. Hunt had a goal and two assists, with Carbonaro and Carter Loi also finding the net.
Yet another win came on Saturday, Skaneateles handling Section V’s Geneva 11-5. Kerwick, with three goals and three assists, set the pace, Grayson Brunelle adding two goals and three assists as Torrey and Landen Brunelle also scored twice.
Westhill won a 9-8, double-overtime classic over Christian Brothers Academy on Thursday, seemingly taking control with a 4-0 domination of the second quarter to lead 5-1 at halftime.
But the Brothers, led by Joe Papa and Andrew Kohlbrenner (four goals apiece), made a comeback and, in the fourth quarter, rushed to force OT and then a second extra period.
Still, Westhill pulled it out, Gilmartin getting three goals and four assists as Charlie DeMore and Emmet Starowicz each had two goals, single goals going to Etoll and Pendergast.
Jordan-Elbridge faced Homer last Tuesday and lost, 12-3, to the Trojans, only getting two goals fron Nixon Karcz and one from Wyatt Werth as Austin Brunelle made 16 saves. Reid Partis led Homer with three goals and one assist.
A 19-5 defeat to LaFayette/Onondaga followed on Thursday, but the Eagles did win 8-2 over Mynderse Academy Saturday led by Karcz and Joe LaFleur each getting three goals and one assist.
