CENTRAL NEW YORK – Once more, the Skaneateles girls lacrosse team enters the Section III Class D playoffs with everyone aiming at them.

The Lakers only reinforced this point last Monday night at Hyatt Stadium when, against West Genesee, it leaned heavily on its defense in the late stagesand defeated the Wildcats 10-6.

For a long while, this game was in doubt. WG equaled what Skaneateles produced and went to halftime sporting a 5-5 tie, led by Mia Gialto’s pair of goals and Olivia Blanding’s goal and two assists.

Absorbing all this, the Lakers started to win more draws in the second half and, gradually, wore the Wildcats’ defense down.

Bella Brogan had three goals and an assist, with Paige Willard getting a goal and four assists. Lilly Marquardt scored twice as Anasofia Cirincione had a goal and two assists. Julia O’Connor, Rachel Hackler and Tatum Ryan also had goals.

Molly Doran, Ashleigh Blanding and Madelyn Ryder put in single goals for the Wildcats and Caraline Major added an assist. Allie Hanlon had six saves, one less than Skaneateles counterpart Emily Evans.

WG was able to recover Thursday and bash Vestal 17-1, its most lopsided win of the season. Mia Gialto and Olivia Blanding had three goals apiece, with Doran and Payton Tyszka each scoring twice and Ashleigh Blanding earning three assists. Lauren Petty earned a goal and two assists.

Westhill made quite a statement in last Monday’s game against Cazenovia, having four different players record hat tricks amid a 20-3 romp.

Adelaide Lowery led the way, scoring five times and getting an assist, with Kara Rosenberger, Rosemary Mahoney and Carly Dillobaugh getting three goals apiece.

Rosenberger and Mahoney also had two assists, with two-goal outings from Avery Starowicz and Olivia Gonnella as single goals went to Sophia Lasher (who had two assists), Ava Lasher and Aubrey Holowinski.

Playing on Friday night, Marcellus put up plenty of goals against Fulton, yet still took a 16-13 defeat, the Mustangs outscored in the second half after the two sides played to an 8-8 first-half tie.

Cece Powell had another sensational outing, her nine goals giving her 94 for the season. Claire Card scored twice as single tallies went to Avery Shute and Samantha Buff, while Fulton got eight goals from Carleigh Patterson, helped by Mya Carroll’s four goals and Anna Bednarz’s three goals and six assists.

Jordan-Elbridge took a 13-11 defeat to Clinton last Monday, not quite able to overcome a 6-4 halftime deficit despite a stellar second half.
Makayla Penird had four goals, with Kelsey Brunelle getting three goals and two assists. Lili Humphreys converted twice and single goals went to Riley Crawford and Briella Gilfus.

In a rematch with Clinton on Thursday, J-E lost again, this time 7-6, not quite able to overcome a 4-3 halftime deficit. Ava Alteri had four goals for Clinton to negate Penird’s hat trick and two goals from Brunelle. Kyra Dominick’s eight saves were three less than her counterpart, Elise Mozloom.

When the sectional Class D playoff bracket was announced, Skaneateles had the no. 2 seed and would see if J-E, the no. 10 seed, would earn a berth in the quarterfinals against them as the Eagles met no. 7 seed Cazenovia.

Meanwhile, Westhill owned no. 3 seed and would await a quarterfinal against no. 6 seed Watertown IHC or no. 11 seed Mexico, and Marcellus, as the no. 5 seed, had to get past no. 12 seed Vernon-Verona-Sherrill to reach a quarterfinal against no. 4 seed General Brown.

Away from all this, West Genesee landed as the top seed in Class B, a big deal since it meant a bye straight into the semifinals. On Thursday at J-E, the Wildcats will meet the winner of Tuesday’s quarterfinal between no. 4 seed Watertown and no. 5 seed Christian Brothers Academy.