CENTRAL NEW YORK – Having earned one enormous victory against a powerful local rival, West Genesee, the Westhill girls lacrosse team looked for another when it challenged reigning state Class D champion Skaneateles last Wednesday afternoon.
These were two of the state’s top-ranked Class D side, with Westhill at no. 2 and Skaneateles at no. 5, but all of the recent history between them favored the Lakers – and so did this game, though only by a 7-6 margin.
Bent on avenging two narrow defeats to Skaneateles in each of the last two Section III Class D semifinals, the Warriors would display patience with the game’s tempo from the outset.
This, along with strong, consisent defense, led to a low-scoring first half which ended 3-2 in Westhill’s favor. Then Skaneateles found some footing in the third quarter, more than doubling its output and taking a 5-4 lead.
That margin grew to 6-4 early in the final period, but now the Warriors rallied, hitting on back-to-back goals, and as the game entered the final minute of regulation, it was 6-6.
Gaining possession, the Lakers used a timeout. Though multiple plays were considered, the first option find Paige Willard – worked, and Willard beat Taylor Falcone for the game-winner with just 11 seconds left.
It was Willard’s second goal of the day, matching teammates Camryn Calabro and Mara Stanton as the trio combined for four assists. Grace Marquardt had the other goal, with Anasofia Cirincione and Janie Phillips also in the assist column.
Half of Westhill’s goals came from Kara Rosenberger’s hat trick. The other goals went to Rosie Mahoney, Aubrey Holowinski and Avery Starowicz, with Sophia Lasher contributing an assist.
Westhill entered the game with an eight-game win streak with no win bigger than the 9-7 decision it earned against West Genesee on April 20 at Mike Messere Field.
Taylor Falcone shined in goal, stopping 11 of the Wildcats’ 18 shots. Rosenberger paced the attack, scoring four times, while Lasher had two goals and two assists. Single goals went to Mahoney, Starowicz and Grace Stroman.
Far easier for Westhill was last Monday’s 18-6 victory over Homer, where Rosenberger got six goals and Lasher scored four times, adding three assists. Mahoney, Stroman and Holowinski had two goals apiece, with Nora Fitzgerald and Kaylin Murphy also finding the net.
As a follow-up to the Westhill win, Skaneateles met Section V’s Brighton on Friday afternoon and won another low-scoring overtime thriller, this one 8-7 as as it overcame a 5-2 halftime deficit and caught up at the end of regulation.
Marquardt, with three goals, led the comeback. Calabro scored twice and got an assist, while Cirincione, Willard and Stanton each got one goal and one assist. Bella Pietropaoli made six saves.
That same day, Westhill lost 11-9 to Auburn, despite four goals from Rosenberger and three from Mahoney. A 7-7 halftime tie was broken when the Maroons outscored the Warriors 6-2 the rest of the way.
WG did not return to action until Thursday, when it faced Christian Brothers Academy and worked its way to a 13-9 victory over the Brothers.
It was breakout performance for Sophia Lawrence, who scored five times to lead the Wildcats. Ashleigh Blanding had three goals, with Molly Doran and Mia Gialto each converting twice. Madelyn Rider added a goal and two assists.
Then WG beat Liverpool 11-8 on Saturday, largely carried by Lawrence’s four goals and Gialto’s three goals. Blanding had a goal and two assists, with Maria Snyder scoring twice.
Marcellus returned to the win column last Thursday night, handling Rome Free Academy 8-4 in a game ruled by defense, the Mustangs only allowing one second-half goal after grabbing a 6-3 halftime advantage.
Four different players – Claire Card, Cece Powell, Leah Wood and Sophia Pilon – had two goals apiece, which proved enough, Marcellus overcoming 10 saves by RFA goalie Gabrielle Seeley.
Then, in Saturday’s 19-5 romp over Union-Endicott, Marcellus saw Powell tear it up for eight goals, running her season total to 43. Card got three goals, with Wood, Avery Shute and Lauren Weidner each scoring twice.
Jordan-Elbridge met Cazenovia last Tuesday in the “Stick It to Cancer” game annually done by the Eagles to raise money and awareness for Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital.
The Eagles lost, 10-8, to the Lakers, unable to hold on to a 6-5 halftime lead despite Kelsey Brunelle’s three goals. Makayla Penird and Stella Opanhoske each scored twice, with Briella Gilfus adding a goal and Ryleigh Gill recording seven saves.
