CENTRAL NEW YORK – With each game, and each victory earned, the Chittenango girls lacrosse team continues to buy into the belief that it can challenge the long-established area powers.
The Bears made it four wins in a row last Tuesday night, defeating Cortland 12-5 as it nearly blanked the Purple Tigers in the first half, cruising toward a 5-1 advantage that grew the rest of the way.
Tomi Newkirk, by herself, matched the entire Cortland roster with five goals, adding an assist, while Caitlyn Sgambellone equaled that production, netting four goals and two assists. Reese Ferstler, Persephone Rohrer and Gabriella Peak had one goal apiece, Anna Lazzaro adding an assist.
Going to Homer two nights later, Chittenango almost got its fifth win in a row, only to bog down in a tense defensive battle that resulted in a 5-4 defeat to the Trojans.
Most of the production came in the first half, Homer going in front 4-3 and getting plenty more chances, only to run into Bears goalie Abby Penfield, who stopped 12 of the 17 shots she faced.
All Chittenango could manage, though, was a single second-half goal, held to 10 shots overall. Newkirk had two of the goals, the others going to Rohrer and Gracie Brazell.
Then came a shorter road trip on Saturday, this time to East Syracuse Minoa, and another close contest that went against the Bears right at the end in an 11-10 overtime loss to the Spartans.
Less than two minutes remained when Chittenango broke out of a 9-9 tie and got the lead, only to have ESM respond a minute later with Madison Wood tying it again.
The two sides went to OT, where the Spartans quickly gained possession and Wood, netting her third goal, put the game-winner past Penfield, who to that point had made six saves.
Newkirk got three goals and one assist, while Sgambellone, Rohrer and Ferstler had two goals apiece. Brazell added one goal and one assist. ESM’s Sophia Ferris joined Wood netting three goals.
In boys lacrosse, Chittenango had dropped its first games of the season, but broke the brief skid last Tuesday against Vernon-Verona-Sherrill, leaning heavily on Brandon Barnard past the Red Devils 17-10.
Getting out to a 6-2 lead through one period, the Bears then traded goals until a 4-1 push through the third quarter settled matters, Barnard not letting up until he had poured in eight goals and contributed a trio of assists.
Peter Schulz also had a big night, converting five times, while Henry Miller had two goals and one assist. Macksen Cliff and Cole Dawkins had the other goals, Cliff also getting an assist. Connor Bradbury finished with 10 saves.
Back in action Saturday against Owego (Section IV), Chittenango took a 9-5 defeat, falling to 1-3 on the season. An early 3-1 lead got away when Owego went on a 4-1 second quarter spurt and, after the Bears tied it 5-5, closed with four unanswered tallies. Barnard had three goals and Norman Coomer the other two, assists going to Schulz and Hunter Burrows as Bradbury got 16 saves.
