CENTRAL NEW YORK – More than half a regular season was in the books, and the Westhill boys soccer team still had not given up a goal – nine games, nine shutouts.

Skaneateles wanted to change this when the two powers met Thursday night, and it played quite well overall – but one ill-timed mistake and the crushing force of the Warriors’ defense led to a 1-0 win over the Lakers.

Other than a series of opening charges, the first half was played on close to even terms, Skaneateles not laying back and drawing some chances and set pieces, but always turned away.

But it stayed 0-0 as the Lakers were just as good limiting close-up opportunities, the best shot one by Eric Holstein late in the half that Charlie Carbonaro dove to stop.

Yet there was nothing Carbonaro could do when, less than a minute into the second half, a Westhill cross glanced off the hand of a Skaneateles defender inside his own 18-yard box.
Regardless of the intentions, a penalty kick was awarded – and Owen Etoll put it in the net.

Protecting that one-goal margin, Mike Madigan, Josh Gratien, Benji McPeak, Jackson Goodness and the rest of Westhill’s back line made sure the Lakers never put goalie Charlie DeMore in danger. DeMore had five saves, all of them routine.

Determined to keep this remarkable streak going, the state Class A no. 3-ranked Warriors managed to make it nine shutouts in a row last Monday at Chittenango, where it blanked the Bears 4-0.

Not wasting much time, Westhill bolted out to a 3-0 advantage by halftime, sparked by Etoll, who would convert twice. Single goals went to Calvin Petrone and Josh Dabbierro, with Holstein getting two assists. Single assists were credited to Hasan Althebiah and Tim Cowin.

More drama was found with Skaneateles last Monday night as it went to Cazenovia and, after an early deficit, rallied late to take this latest Laker duel by a 2-1 margin.

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. Jack Casey made eight saves, but the visitors tied it and went ahead in the second half thanks to goals from Max Cerimeli and Sam Ryan.

Then, right before meeting Westhill, the Lakers earned a 5-1 victory over Phoenix, netting most of its goals in the early going before resting top players in the second half.

Those five goals came from five different players – Cerimeli, Sean Kerwick, Heschel Eidel, David Petercsak and Finnegan Ryan, with Ian Thompson and Teague Foley joining Petercsak and Eidel in the assist column.

As that went on, Westhill made it 10 shutouts in a row, blanking Homer 3-0 largely led by Holstein, who scored twice and managed an assist on Calvin Petrone’s goal. Cowin was credited with an assist on one of Holstein’s goals.

Marcellus had gone through its own battles with both Skaneateles and Westhill, but found itself engaged in an exciting match last Wednesday night against Cazenovia, hanging on for a 4-3 victory over the Lakers.

Connor Ciota had a memorable evening. All that Ciota did in the first half was record a hat trick, carrying the Mustangs to a 3-0 halftime advantage.

Still, Ciota needed to convert again in the second half to withstand a ferocious Cazenovia comeback that involved two goals from Nat Gale and another from Jaden Kaplan, but Marcellus did enough to hang on.

Another close decision on Saturday had Marcellus fighting off Rome Free Academy 3-2. Austin Raicht’s pair of assists anchored an attack where Ciota, Aaron Weber and Matthias Ferrara put in one goal apiece, the Mustangs improving to 5-5 overall.