CENTRAL NEW YORK – As it prepares for the Section III Class C playoffs, the Cazenovia boys lacrosse team can take some comfort in knowing that its defense is capable of containing a high-caliber opponent.
This is what happened in last Monday’s game at the Sean Googin Sports Complex, when the two Laker rivals got together and Cazenovia more than held its own for long stretches of a 6-4 defeat to Skaneateles.
Right from the outset, it was clear that both teams would struggle to find the net. Some of it was due to poor shooting, but more of it was a result of defenses forcing those shots off target.
Playing one of his best games of the season, Cazenovia goalie Tucker Ives recorded 16 saves, which equaled the total the two Skaneateles netminders, Jack Marquardt and Luke Logan, put up, each of them playing a half.
Helped by three goals from Forrest Ives and a goal from D.B. Falge, Cazenovia had it tied, 4-4, going to the fourth quarter, but was kept off the board the final 12 minutes.
Skaneateles got the go-ahead goal and tacked on an insurance tally, overcoming Cazenovia’s focus on Grayson Brunelle (he was held to one assist) thanks to two goals and three assists from Sean Kerwick as Devon Gryzlo also scored twice. Single goals went to Ethan Hunt and Charlie Carbonaro.
At Alibrandi Stadium on Thursday night, Cazenovia took on Christian Brothers Academy, and its attack could never get going as it lost to the Brothers 14-5.
CBA kept Cazenovia off the board until a single second-quarter tally, and even then the Lakers found itself trailing 6-1 at the break and 11-2 through three quarters.
Forrest Ives would get a three-goal hat trick late, Bobby Livingston netting the other goals but the likes of Falge and Barnard shut out, aside from Barnard’s three assists.
While Tucker Ives made 13 saves, the Brothers leaned on Andrew Kohlbrenner, whose five goals equaled the entire Cazenovia output as he also got two assists. Joe Papa added three goals and two assists.
Cazenovia was slotted into the no. 5 seed for the sectional Class C tournament, where it will face ho. 4 seed Homer in Wednesday’s quarterfinals, where a berth in Friday’s semifinal at Fayetteville-Manlius, likely against top seed Jamesville-DeWitt, is at stake.
