CENTRAL NEW YORK – A new era of Cazenovia lacrosse requires new surroundings.
For both the boys and girls Lakers, that will mean a string of early-season home games on the brand-new artificial turf field installed on the upper end of the Cazenovia High School complex.
After going 8-9 season ago, Cazenovia’s boys were scheduled to have four straight games on this turf, starting Tuesday against Christian Brothers Academy and continuing with Marcellus, Jordan-Elbridge and Tully.
Before all this, though, the Lakers had something close to a perfect start last Wednesday night at Vernon-Verona-Sherrill, keeping the Red Devils off the board while cruising to a 14-0 victory.
D.B. Falge led the charge, piling up six goals to go with an assist as Alex Kuper provided ample support, scoring three times and adding two assists while matching Cole Frazee with a team-best five ground balls.
Paul Mitchell added two goals, with single tallies going to Alex Dolly, Owen Porter and Kyle Caraher. Finn Hagan tacked on an assist. Caleb Gilmore and Eliot Comeau each picked up four ground balls.
Cazenovia’s girls team would also open at VVS, on Thursday night, looking for the same success – and would get it, though in a far different and more dramatic manner.
The Lakers prevailed 6-5, finding itself in a drawn-out affair that was tied 3-3 at halftime and just as low-scoring in the second half, neither side able to get away from each other.
Only in the final minutes did Cazenovia hang on – and for that, it could mostly thank Charlie Prior, who netted five of the team’s six goals, the other going to Hayden Bubble.
Maddy DeAngelis earned the Lakers’ lone assist, while Wynslet Skidmore picked up a pair of ground balls and, in the net, each of Eliza Smith’s eight saves proved important.
Contrasting all this, Chittenango, which has long enjoyed an artificial home surface, saw its girls lacrosse team open last Saturday and prevail 10-8 over Section V’s Wayne.
The Bears built a 7-4 halftime lead and held on from there, led by Tomi Newkirk’s three goals and two assists. Reese Ferstler and Sequoya Roberts both scored twice, with Cailtyn Sgambellone and Hayley Thornton both getting one goal and one assist. Persephone Rohrer also had a goal as Abby Penfield recorded eight saves.
