CENTRAL NEW YORK – Perhaps lost in the excitement over the Cazenovia field hockey team playing its first-ever games on its own home artificial turf field is the need for the Lakers to rediscover its goal-scoring prowess.
Ever since Meghan Mehlbaum scored in the third quarter of a 2-1 defeat to Camden on Sept. 26, the Lakers had gone two-plus games without a single conversion.
Only the defense had saved Cazenovia, both in a 0-0 tie with Port Byron and then, again, when it happened last Tuesday afternoon as the Lakers met Weedsport.
Having prevailed 2-0 over the Warriors at home on Sept. 8, Cazenovia saw the rematch take a familiar turn. Rarely did Weedsport have many opportunities throughout the 60 minutes of regulation and seven-on-seven overtime.
Yet the Lakers, too, found it difficult to generate shot, only finishing with five shots, all stopped by Weedsport goalie Arieanna Giacalone, and once again the game ended in a 0-0 tie.
Now Cazenovia paid a visit to Cato-Meridian on Thursday, a team it netted six goals against back in September. And the sight of the Blue Devils proved quite welcome for a Lakers attack that broke out in a big way.
Improving on what it did before, Cazenovia bashed Cato 8-0, and Reid McMurtrie returned to the forefront, not only netting three goals for a hat trick, but contributing a pair of assists.
Hayden Bubble had the first two-goal outing of her varsity career, with single goals going to Meghan Mehlbaum, Margaret Huftalen and Avelyn Wallace as Lizzy Lukowski contributed an assist.
More production was expected on Saturday at Homer, but with the wet, soggy conditions, the Lakers only managed seven shots against the Trojans.
Still, with the game scoreless in the fourth quarter, McMurtrie put it past Homer goalie Aislynn Cobb, and it was enough for a 1-0 victory, the defense limiting Homer to just two shots.
Now at 9-2-2 overall, Cazenovia would travel Wednesday to Cortland and come back to the new turf on Thursday for a regular-season finale that is a rematch with Homer.
