CENTRAL NEW YORK – Regardless of the result, great memories would be created when the Chittenango and Cazenovia boys soccer teams met on Friday, the last time Chittenango’s old soccer field would be used.
On a surface where so many championship teams were constructed, including state Class B champions in 1994 and 2001, the Bears gave the home fans one more happy memory at the Lakers’ expense, coming back to prevail by a 2-1 margin.
A Cazenovia goal had it enjoying a 1-0 advantage going into the second half, but then, in the 55th minute, Cole Thomas pulled Chittenango even, using a small opening to push one past Lakers goalie Jack Casey.
They stayed 1-1 until the game went under the 10-minute mark. Gavin Karwoski took the ball and, finding himself alone, dashed toward the net before firing home the eventual game-winner.
It was an evenly-fought game, with the Lakers taking just as many shots but Logan Bronner recording seven saves, one more than Casey, concluding a frustrating week for Cazenovia where it dropped three games to good opponents, each of them by a single goal.
Back on Monday night, Cazenovia had reigning four-time state Class B champion Skaneateles in trouble at the Sean Googin Sports Complex before those other Lakers took over late and pulled it out 2-1.
Strong on both ends in the first half, Cazenovia moved out in front at the 12-minute mark thanks to Eliot Comeau’s timely pass that set up Nat Gale for the go-ahead goal.
Skaneateles shut things down from there and put pressure on the host Lakers. Casey made eight saves, but just as Chittenango would do on Friday, the visitors tied it and went ahead in the second half thanks to goals from Max Cerimeli and Sam Ryan.
In another close and exciting contest Wednesday night, Cazenovia battled Marcellus and produced plenty, yet still lost another close decision as it fell to the Mustangs 4-3.
Ultimately, the Lakers paid for a first half where it saw Marcellus forwrad Connor Ciota produce a hat trick, personally carrying his side to a 3-0 advantage at the break.
Battling back, Cazenovia saw Gale convert twice and Jaden Kaplan add a goal, yet it could not quite complete the rally as Ciota broke loose again for his fourth goal of the night.
Chittenango, meanwhile, was the latest opponent to try – and fail – to score on state Class A no. 3-ranked Westhill, who made it nine shutouts in a row by beating the Bears 4-0.
Not wasting much time, Westhill bolted out to a 3-0 advantage by halftime, sparked by Owen Etoll, who would convert twice. Single goals went to Calvin Petrone and Josh Dabbierro, which overcame 14 saves by Bronner.
Able to turn this around two nights later, Chittenango shut out Cortland 2-0, both goals coming in the second half as Karwoski and Jake Wagner found the net and assists went to Landon Touchette and Bernardo Bortovski. Bronner would stop all seven of the Purple Tigers’ shots.
