CENTRAL NEW YORK – Perhaps the most anticipated boys soccer game in recent memory between Cazenovia and Chittenango was set to take place Tuesday night on the Bears’ home turf.
Each side has played quite well so far in September, doing it in different ways but getting to the same winning outcome most of the time.
For example, the Lakers breezed past Solvay 6-1 last Tuesday at Al Merola Field demonstrating plenty of depth, especially in a second half where it found the net four times to built upon its early 2-0 edge.
Then with Nat Gale at the forefront Cazenovia beat Canastota by that exact same 6-1 margin on Friday afternoon, this time doubling its first-half total while building a 4-0 advantage before the break.
Gale, by the time he was done, had registered a three-goal hat trick, with plenty of help from Eli Royer and Alex Dolly, who both picked up a goal and two assists. Francis Ryan also earned a goal.
Chittenango, meanwhile, had seen Gavin Karwoski put together an astonishing performance back on Sept. 12 when he netted all six of his team’s goals against Phoenix.
Nothing close to that was likely to happen the rest of this season, but the Bears remained unbeaten, going to Cortland last Tuesday night and putting together a 3-0 win over the Purple Tigers.
Karwoski received all kinds of defensive attention but still managed a goal and assist, which Cohen Touchette equaled. Jake Wagner gave the Bears a third different goal-scorer as Chittenango took 19 shots to Cortland’s five.
The rematch with Phoenix on Thursday did not include anything close to what Karwoski did the first time around, but the Bears still won by a comfortable 4-0 margin.
Here Karwoski burned the Firebirds for two goals, running his season total to 14. Touchette scored, too, as did Matt Byrne, with Wagner contributing two assists and Micah Schiralli a single assist.
Chittenango would go from its Cazenovia game to meeting Solvay Friday night as the Lakers host Cortland Thursday and take on Manlius Pebble Hill Saturday afternoon.
