CENTRAL NEW YORK – Four area high school girls lacrosse teams would head into the Section III playoffs later this week, with Jamesville-DeWitt situated as the team to beat among Class C sides.
The Red Rams have the no. 2 seed and has a quarterfinal Tuesday against no. 7 seed New Hartford, the winner to face Fulton or Whitesboro in Thursday’s semifinals.
In last Thursday’s regular-season finale, J-D beat Section IV’s Horseheads 17-7, seeing Alexis Scaramuzzino step up to match Merris Kessler’s total of four goals and add a pair of assists. Brooke Bort had three goals and one assist as Sadie Withers and Caroline Stone both scored twice, Stone tacking on three assists.
Christian Brothers Academy is one of the Class B favorites and had a strong start to its week last Monday by traveling to Rome Free Academy and toppling the Black Knights 12-7.
It was close early, but the Brothers outscored RFA 6-2 in the second half and got all its production from four players.
Maeve Mackenzie scored four times and got two assists, with Lilah Kirch managing five assists as Mia Kirch and Madison Ceclia both produced three goals. Maddie Evans finished with eight saves.
During last Wednesday’s 16-1 romp over Syracuse City, CBA got four goals and four assists from Emilia Bonacci, with Mackenzie, Mia Kirch and Lilah Kirch earning three goals apiece. Ceclia scored twice and got a pair of assists.
A rough season for Fayetteville-Manlius continued last Monday at Bragman Stadium when 14-1 Cicero-North Syracuse humbled the Hornets 17-5.
Five different players – Grace Reyna, Kathryn McNany, Emily Noel, Taylor Novack and Anne Leonard – scored goals, with Novack and Noel adding assists.
But the Northstars were just too tough, especially the duo of Brooke Molchanoff and Elizabeth Smith, who each scored five times as Sophia Nesci added three goals.
Yet another close game on Wednesday had yet another negative result, F-M falling 15-13 to Fulton in a contest where it fell close behind and just could not make up that ground in the late stages thanks to Mya Carroll giving Fulton eight goals, helped by Anna Bednarz’s three goals and three assists.
Novack led the Hornets with four goals, half Carroll’s total. Noel stepped up with three goals and three assists, while Leonard and McNany each converted twice. Reyna and Sarah Porter had single goals.
East Syracuse Minoa, whom CBA beat on May 13, nearly got one last Monday against Carthage, but could not hold on to a halftime lead in an 11-10 defeat to the Comets.
A strong first half for the Spartans’ attack produced an 8-6 edge, yet Carthage contained ESM late and rallied as Isabelle Wormwood (four goals, one assist) and Macie Hancock (three goals, two assists) led the attack and Mattingly Dorchester finished with nine saves.
During Thursday night’s 11-3 loss to Chittenango, ESM would get all of its goals in the first half – two from Sophia Ferris, one from Rylyn Commisso. Sarah Stadelmann added an assist as Brooke Walters and Cara Kielbasa led the Bears, each getting three goals.
Despite its struggles, F-M still drew the no. 3 seed for the Sectional Class B playoffs, and in Tuesday’s quarterfinal meets no. 6 seed Oswego as CBA, the no. 4 seed, hosts no. 5 seed Watertown, both looking to advance to semifinals Thursday on J-D’s home turf.
