CENTRAL NEW YORK – With its late start to the regular season, the Cazenovia girls soccer team found itself with little game experience especially in comparison with some of its opponents.
For example, when the Lakers took on Westhill last Tuesday night, it was only the team’s third game this season when compared with the Warriors’ seven.
Still, it was a close one, Cazenovia containing Westhill most of the night thanks to a solid defense anchored by goalkeeper Skye Stanford, who made 13 saves.
Only once, when Abby Rudiger scored in the first half, did the Warriors break through, but it was enough to prevail 1-0 as none of Cazenovia’s five shots got past Sophia Lasher.
Back home on Saturday afternoon, Cazenovia welcomed Christian Brothers Academy and could not contain the Brothers in a 6-0 defeat, the Brothers getting a three-goal hat trick from Emma Hill as Katherine Williamson got two goals and two assists.
Meanwhile, Chittenango took a 3-1 record into last Wednesday’s game against Mexico and was in full command until a stunning comeback by the Tigers led to a 4-3 defeat.
The first 40 minutes belonged to the Bears, who saw Abby Schedielman convert in the 15th minute and return 10 minutes later to add a second goal.
And when Lis Vonderweit converted just eight seconds before halftime, Chittenango was up 3-0 and, with the timing of that last goal, appeared to have broken Mexico’s spirit.
Instead, it only made the Tigers start the second half with aggression that only intensified when the Bears’ Abby Horning was sent off with a red card, reducing Chittenango to 10 players.
Gradually wearing down the Bears’ defenders, Mexico got within 3-2 on Allie Poissant’s back-to-back goals midway through the half. Then, with three minutes left in regulation, a hard Poissant shot got past for the tying goal.
After a first 10-minute OT period without a goal, midway through the second OT again it was Poissant working in front of Chittenango’s net and again she was able to finish, her fourth goal the game-winner.
How the Bears reacted to this game would immediately be on display Friday against Auburn – and it came in the form of two hat tricks, one by Scheidelman and the other by Hannah Machan, in the course of routing the Maroons 8-2.
Notching her ninth, 10th and 11th goals of the season, Scheidelman also picked up a pair of assists, for when Auburn tried to contain Scheidelman Machan took full advantage and scored three times to run her season total to 10.
Abby Baldwin also earned a pair of assists, joining Hannah DiCesare earning single goals. Persephone Rohrer contributed an assist.
At home this week, the Bears (4-2) would welcome Phoenix and Canastota, while Cazenovia would look for its first win of 2024 by playing Hannibal/Cato-Meridian and Homer before its own trip to Phoenix on Saturday afternoon.
