CENTRAL NEW YORK – Game after game, the Skaneateles girls lacrosse team continues to roll past the opposition and gain plenty of confidence, important as its Section III and state Class D championship defenses loom.
One main rival, Marcellus, has tried for years to catch the Lakers, and would get another chance at them when the two met last Saturday afternoon at Hyatt Stadium.
And it was just what both teams needed.
Skaneateles, pushed here the way it was against Westhill in late April, emerged victorious 13-11 for its 10th win in a row, but Marcellus, by keeping the game close start to finish, boosted its own confidence for a possible playoff rematch.
Right from the outset, the Mustangs showed it was ready for the fight, nearly equaling what the Lakers produced and going to halftime only trailing by one, 7-6.
And it would stay tight, Marcellus getting four goals from Cece Powell and three goals from Sophia Pilon as Claire Card converted twice and single goals went to Avery Shute and Lauren Weidner.
To stay in front, Skaneateles needed Grace Marquardt to equal Powell’s four goals and two others, Anasofia Cirincione and Mara Stanton, to each score three times. Paige Willard added two goals and an assist, with Camryn Calabro getting one goal and one assist.
The week began for Skaneateles with an 18-2 romp over Cortland, which featured 13 first-half goals and Willard having a part in half the scoring plays due to her three goals and six assists.
Marquardt scored four times, with Tatum Ryan and Madison Rossi earning two goals apiece. Cirincione had a goal and three assists,Stanton getting a goal and two assists as Calabro, Ana Nichols and Lily Kennedy each finished with one goal and one assist. Kate Falkenberg and Claire Holden also earned goals.
A day later, it was Marcellus’ turn for a lopsided victory, handling Homer 21-8, though it was close for quite a while, the Trojans only within two, 9-7, going into halftime.
The second-half getaway featured Powell and Card both getting 10 points, Powell earning seven goals to run her season total to 63 and adding three assists as Card’s six goals gave her 48 for the season to go with four assists.
Pilon had a big night, too, scoring four times to go with a pair of assists, while Shute landed her own three-goal hat trick and Leah Wood added a goal.
Skaneateles took out Cazenovia 18-3 on Wednesday, with four goals from Cirincione as Marquardt and Willard each got three goals and two assists. Calabro and Satanton both scored twice, Calabro adding two assists. Nichols had one goal and one assist.
Westhill entered the week no. 3 in the state Class D rankings and led Christian Brothers Academy in last Tuesday’s game at Alibrandi Stadium before a late comeback secured, for the Brothers, a 15-14 overtime decision.
The Warriors controlled the first half and built a 9-4 lead, but defensive adjustments on the Brothers’ part led to more stops and turnovers while, on the other end, the attack kept converting.
Maeve Mackenzie led the rally, getting to double digits in points with six goals and four assists as Lilah Kirch also scored six times. Yet it was eighth-grader Ryann Murphy who, in the OT period, fired home the game-winner.
Kara Rosenberger finished with five goals and two assists. Sophia Lasher scored four times and got an assist, with Rosie Mahoney getting three goals as Aubrey Holowinski had a goal and two assists. Grace Stroman earned the other goal as Westhill went on to win big Saturday over Southern Hills 18-4.
Jordan-Elbridge played last Tuesday against Vernon-Verona-Sherrill and lost, 9-5, to the Red Devils. Briella Gilfus (three goals) and Mikayla Penird (two goals) accounted for all of the Eagles’ production as Kelsey Brunelle and Marceline Titus earned assists.
