CENTRAL NEW YORK – Each of the Cazenovia lacrosse teams had to confront a relentless slate of opponents, hoping, at the very least, it could keep up with them.
When the boys Lakers took a 3-1 record into last Tuesday night’s game at Westhill, it may have expected to offer a good challenge to the Warriors.
Instead, Cazenovia lost, 14-3, only managing two goals from Alex Kuper and a goal from D.B. Falge, with Finn Hagan able to pick up an assist.
Everything else got turned back by Westhill goalie Keller O’Hern, who made 11 saves. Tucker Ives had 11 saves, but watched Andrew Mondo (four goals, three assists), Charlie DeMore and Tom Pendergast (three goals each) lead the Warriors’ charge.
Better defense was played by the Lakers Thursday against LaFayette/Onondaga, but it still resulted in an 8-5 defeat to the Lancers as Cazenovia fell back to the .500 mar
Kuper again scored twice, with Falge getting one goal and one assist. Owen Porter and Paul Mitchell also found the net, but everything else got turned back by LaFayette/Onondaga goalie Braxtin Jones, who made nine saves, one less than Ives’ 10.
It didn’t figure to get easier in Saturday’s rematch with Westhill, and indeed the Lakers were kept off the board until Kuper and Porter found the net in the fourth quarter of an 8-2 defeat.
Again, O’Hern turned most of the Lakers’ shot back, recording 11 saves, while Ives managed 19 saves. DeMore led Westhill with two goals and four assists as Pendergast and Josh Gratien also scored twice.
Moving to the girls side, Cazenovia, who started the week 2-3, welcomed Westhill to the new high school turf field, only to see the Warriors put on a scoring display as it beat the Lakers 21-4.
A 15-goal first half by Westhill settled matters, Kara Rosenberger leading the visitors by scoring six times as teammates Sophia Lasher and Aubrey Holowinski both added three-goal hat tricks.
When Cazenovia was able to convert, it came from Charlie Prior and Hayden Bubble, who had two goals apiece. Maddy DeAngelis tacked on an assist. Eliza Smith recorded seven saves.
Against Southern Hills two days later, it was far closer, Cazenovia getting a chance to win in the latter stages but unable to take advantage of it in a 10-9 loss to the Storm.
Prior did all she could, carrying the Lakers’ attack and setting a career mark with six goals. The other tallies went to Bubble, Izzy Stromer-Galley and Wyatt Skidmore, with DeAngelis getting a pair of assists. Maddy Lund (three goals) and Mackenzie Loughlin (two goals, three assists) led a more balanced Southern Hills lineup.
Then, facing Marcellus on Saturday, Cazenovia lost 20-5 to the Mustangs, who got six goals from star sophomore Cece Powell and four goals and three assists from Claire Card. Prior did have a three-goal hat trick for the Lakers, the other goals going to Bubble and Tara Pratt.
