ONONDAGA COUNTY – Inevitably, the lacrosse teams at West Genesee enter an intense spotlight each spring, with championships as expectations and high performance required to achieve them.
The boys Wildcats appear to be finding its form early, recovering from a season-opening overtime defeat to Shenendehowa March 30 with four consecutive victories leading into league showdowns with Baldwinsville and Liverpool this week.
During last Thursday’s 19-7 victory over East Syracuse Minoa in the home opener at Mike Messere Field, WG unleashed a deep, versatile attack that featured 10 different goal-scorers.
One of them was Jonah Vormwold, who did his best work in the middle stages, constantly winning face-offs to set up chances as the Wildcats outscored ESM a combined 14-3 in the second and third quarters. All told, Vormwold won 14 of the 17 draws he took.
Charlie Lockwood found the net five times and tacked on a pair of assists. Gary McLane had three goals, with Nolan Bellotti getting two goals and three assists.
Nash Oudemool and Chace Cogan also had two-goal outings. Jake McMahon and Liam Bergan both earned one goal and one assist, while Vormwold, Jacob Pensabense and Jack Weinham scored, too, assists going to Teshale Kelly and Carson Berg.
WG then faced Section V’s Penfield on Saturday afternoon, and the Wildcats beat the Patriots 10-8, getting the jump by taking a 3-1 lead by the end of the first quarter.
Most of the rest of the game was a tense, back-and-forth matter, both sides scoring four times in the second quarter and Penfield not quite able to make up the early deficit.
Bellotti and McMahon both earned three-goal hat tricks, while Lockwood had two goals and two assists. Cogan and Oudemool had the other goals and Owen Coleman was solid in the net, making eight saves.
Back on Thursday night, WG girls lacrosse took its 4-0 record to Bragman Stadium to face Cicero-North Syracuse – and were overwhelmed, the Northstars solidifying its status as the Class A favorites by beating the Wildcats 15-4.
It all started in the draw circle. C-NS earned 21 of them to WG’s three, nine by Gabby Putman, five by Elizabeth Smith, who also netted a team-best five goals helped by Marissa Doty (three goals) and Sophia Nesci (two goals, four assists).
Only Ashleigh Blanding scored twice for the Wildcats, adding an assist. The other goals went to Maria Snyder and Keira Vrabel, with Payton Jeffrey picking up an assist. Addison Foster had a team-best four ground balls.
