CORTLAND – One year ago, when the Skaneateles girls lacrosse team left SUNY-Cortland in the wake of dropping the state Class D championship game to Bronxville, there were more smiles than tears.
It was almost as if the Lakers knew it would be back – and would produce a different outcome with one of the finest performances in the program’s history.
Earning a fifth state title, but first since 2017, the Lakers defeated Bronxville 11-6 in Saturday’s title-game rematch, getting the best kind of payback and giving a decorated senior class the only ending they wanted.
“It’s an amazing feeling,” said senior Bella Brogan, who scored three goals. “Coming back as seniors to win this, surrounded by my best friends, I’m just proud of everyone.”
In a way, the Lakers withstanding Cold Spring Harbor’s comeback to win the state semifinal a day earlier was the real stress test, and the best stuff was saved for the Bronxville rematch.
Simply put, in the first half the Lakers were close to perfect. Brogan said the way to beat Bronxville was to spread out and move the ball quickly, and Skaneateles did so.
“Our game plan went really well,” said head coach Bridget Marquardt. “Everyone fed off everybody, and when we score, we get more confidence.”
Camryn Calbaro got it going, winning the opening draw and scoring off Emma Willard’s feed 1:09 into the game, with Anasofia Cirincione assisting on Lilly Marquardt’s goal two minutes later.
Even when the Broncos got on the board, the Lakers quickly answered, Calabro and Brogan scoring 44 seconds apart, forcing Bronxville to use a timeout trailing 4-1.
More excellence followed, Julia O’Connor deftly passing out of a free position to set up Brogan’s second goal and Willard taking Rachel Hackler’s pass to make it 6-1 with 10 minutes left in the half.
Brogan tacked on a third goal, again assisted by Willard, and to cap it off O’Connor pounced on a Bronxville turnover, charged in and scored just 3.5 seconds before halftime.
This 8-2 halftime advantage was about more than the goals. It was a combination of Lakers – Calabro, Willard and O’Connor – claiming most of the draws, and even when Skaneateles was on defense, Ella Bobbett, Emily Huttar, Claire Neumann and Katie Reed applied pressure any time a Bronxville player moved near the net.
This continued into the second half, Willard getting her fourth and fifth assists on goals from Calabro and Cirincione in the first five minutes to extend the margin to 10-2.
Only now did the Broncos spring to life with four straight goals. Amid that rally, though, Lakers goalie Emily Evans made two key point-blank stops that prevented it from getting closer.
Possessing the ball as the final minutes ticked away, the Lakers sealed it when, fittingly, one of the seniors, O’Connor, scored with 2:03 to play, Willard earning her sixth assist, a new career mark.
Not long after, the celebration started, with even more smiles and cheers than what was seen in 2022, for good reason.
