CENTRAL NEW YORK – When heavy snows fell in the weekend leading up to the start of the 2024 area high school girls lacrosse season, some concern arose about whether games would start on time.
They did, though, and no one had a more exciting effort than Fayetteville-Manlius, who emerged from a wild 20-18 battle with Marcellus.
Already with a 19-6 win over Whitesboro in the books, the Mustangs ran into an F-M side just as potent, and the Hornets nearly got a double-digit advantage in the third quarter, building a 19-10 advantage.
That cushion was needed. Battling back, Marcellus cut the margin to 19-12 and then, in the fourth quarter, kept inching closer, led by Cece Powell’s seven goals and four-goal efforts from Avery Shute and Claire Card.
F-M had a bit more depth, though, Taylor Novack equaling Powell with seven goals and Julianna Cogliandro netting four goals and three assists in her first game back after a knee injury sidelined her in 2023.
Kathryn McNany and Addison Keyes both got three goals, McNany adding two assists. Colbie Jennings earned the other goal as Micaela Jennings, a junior, managed 12 saves.
This happened as Jamesville-DeWitt had a more conventional winning effort against Oswego, doubling up the Buccaneers on the way to a 16-8 victory.
Taylor Keehfus and Merris Kessler both had four-goal outings, with Brooke Bort adding three goals and one assist. Margaret Bliss converted twice, with Lillian Wells, Lacey Phaneuf and Sadie Withers earning one goal apiece.
Things got underway last Tuesday when East Syracuse Minoa pulled out a 10-9 overtime decision over Clinton.
Having gone 2-14 a season ago, ESM, now under head coach Bill Aldrich (who once coached the boys team at Cicero-North Syracuse), was glad to have any kind of positive result at the outset.
It didn’t prove easy, though. Clinton jumped out to a 6-3 halftime advantage, only to have the Spartans storm back and pull even, 7-7, late in the second half.
Twice, the Comets went back in front. Twice, ESM answered, most dramatically in the final minute of regulation when goalie Sara Godleski made a point-blank stop, the Spartans went in transition and Madison Wood nailed the tying goal with 28.1 seconds left.
Going into OT, ESM gained possession and worked it around until freshman Jordis Aldrich put the game-winner past Clinton goalie Zeno Mummer with 1:20 to go.
It was Aldrich’s third goal of the game, giving her a hat trick. Wood, Sophia Ferris and Liliana DiNatale each scored twice, with Morgan Purcell adding a single goal. Laura Markert and Rhiannon Cobb earned assists and Godleski finished with 11 saves.
Against Syracuse City two nights later, ESM took an 8-6 defeat, with Alayna Wood (four goals, two assists) and Abigail Delaney (three assists) carrying the Syracuse attack. DiNatale was the only Spartans player to score twice as Cobb and Aldrich both got one goal and one assist. Ferris and Abby Cain also converted.
