Early-season high school lacrosse can sometimes be played in unpleasant conditions, with players not only battling the opposition, but elements ranging from rain to snow, cold temperatures to high winds.
When they did play, no local side flourished more than West Genesee, who had quite a start to its sectional Class B championship defense.
With lots of talent back from that 2023 squad that reached the state semifinals before falling to Garden City, the Wildcats met Fulton in last Tuesdya’s season opener and unloaded with its attack during a 19-5 victory over the Red Dragons.
Molly Doran and Mia Gialto each put up four goals, Doran adding an assist, but it was Ashleigh Blanding at the top in points thanks to her three goals and three assists.
Maria Snyder scored twice, with single goals going to Addison Foster, Allison Kittell, Claire Petty, Sophia Lawrence, Mia Kehoskie and Payton Jeffrey, with Payton Tyszka joining Foster and Kittell earning assists.
Hosting Rush-Henrietta two nights later, WG battled past the Royal Comets 11-9, heavily leaning on the duo of Blanding and Doran as Blanding delivered four goals and one assist while Doran contributed three goals.
Gialto netted her fifth and sixth goals of the season, while Lawrence had a goal and assist. Foster added a goal as Allie Hanlon had a strong game in the net, during back 11 of R-H’s 20 shots.
Then, in a rematch of last year’s tense sectional Class B final, WG faced a revenge-minded Auburn, but the Maroons never got close to the Wildcats, who dominated all phases of the game and prevailed 11-2.
A solid WG defense protected Hanlon, who recorded nine saves, while on the other end Blanding provided the most support, dishing out four assists to go with her pair of goals.
Often, Blanding’s passes went to Doran, who scored four times overall. Lawrence also netted two goals, with Foster, Snyder and Keira Vrabel also converting.
Skaneateles and Marcellus were set to renew their rivalry last Wednesday night, but the conditions forced a postponement.
That game will get made up May 11, but both teams were in action Saturday, with varying results.
Skaneateles went to Honeoye Falls-Lima (Section V) and saw an 8-5 second-half lead get away, but it recovered to beat the Cougars 10-9 in overtime.
Tatum Ryan had three goals, with Grace Marquardt scoring twice and adding three assists. Camryn Calabro got a goal and two assists as Mara Stanton, Anasofia Cirincione, Paige Willard and Ana Nichols also found the net. Between them, goalies Brooke Coffey and Arianna Cirincione had 10 saves.
Marcellus, meanwhile, took a 12-7 defeat to Liverpool, unable to make up ground after falling behind 8-3 by halftime. Cece Powell netted three goals, with Claire Card getting two goals and two assists and Avery Shute also scoring twice.
Westhill, its confidence boosted by a March 30 win over Liverpool, followed it up with a dominant effort last Monday against Jordan-Elbridge, ripping the Eagles 16-2.
An 11-0 dash through the first half included plenty from Audrey Holowinski, who took full advantage of all the attention given to Kara Rosenberger as Holowinski set a career mark with five goals and two assists.
Rosenberger still scored three times, as did Sophia Lasher, while Ava Lasher and Avery Starowicz both had one goal and one assist. Kaylin Murphy, Siena Jetter and Grace Stroman earned single goals as J-E’s lone goals came from Kelsey Brunelle and Makayla Penird.
J-E went on to take a 13-2 loss to Homer on Thursday not getting on the board until the second half as Brunelle had one goal and assisted on the other, by Evelyn Bennett. Emma Effinger and Maria Partis led the Trojans, each with four goals and one assist.
But the skid ended Saturday when J-E fought past Cortland 8-6, building a 6-3 lead by halftime and then hanging on. Charlotte Hsiao stepped up for the Eagles with four goals and one assist, Penird adding three goals and Brunelle one goal and one assist.
