CENTRAL NEW YORK – It seemed like each week the Marcellus girls soccer team was presented with another major challenge that it would have to conquer in order to build on what it had already done.
The latest one involved East Syracuse Minoa, who visited last Thursday night putting its 100-goal sensation Leah Rehm on the field – and the senior added to her total, but the Mustangs, with a stirring comeback, salvaged a 2-2 draw.
Rehm pounced on a Marcellus turnover in the 13th minute to score and put her team up 1-0. Then, in a spectacular play midway through the half, Rehm, in one motion, flicked a strong cross from Leah Chavoustie past Tenly Baker for her 15th goal of the season.
Trailing 2-0, the Mustangs began to rally when a Spartans handball inside the 18-yard box led to a penalty kick that Lexie Fragnito converted. An evenly played second half followed, ESM doing all it could to hang on.
But with 2:50 to play, Marcellus again attack, and again the Spartans fouled in a place where the Mustangs were awarded a penalty kick. Fragnito’s second conversion tied it, her 11th goal ultimately leading to the draw.
Two nights earlier, Marcellus shut out Hannibal/Cato-Meridian 5-0, taking 23 shots overall and seeing Fragnito record her eighth and ninth goals of the season, plus an assist.
Cece Powell converted twice, too, while Drew Johnson notched a goal. Samie Gilmore picked up two assists, with single assists credited to Sophia Bianchi and Leah Wood.
And after the battle with ESM Marcellus had a far easier time of it routing Altmar-Parish-Williamstown 8-0 on Saturday, with two goals apiece from Fragnito and Neve Murphy as Jadyn Baker got a goal and two assists. Gilmore ,Corrine Aldrich and Alie Kaup scored, too, with Johnson getting a pair of assists.
Skaneateles was one of three local teams who had already suffered defeats to Marcellus. The Lakers fought past Homer in yet another 2-1 match last Tuesday afternoon, and it could be credited to Paige Willard and Caroline McGraw.
Willard netted both of her team’s goals and McGraw assisted on both of them, part of a constant Skaneateles attack which was only thwarted because Homer goalie Kennadie Taylor was sensational, stopping 22 of the 24 shots she faced.
Now, looking to improve to 5-2, the Lakers traveled to Alibrandi Stadium Friday night to face Christian Brothers Academy, only to get turned back by the Brothers in a 3-1 defeat.
They were tied, 1-1, going into halftime, but CBA got clear in the second half led by Katherine Williamson, who scored twice as the other goal went to Eleanor Moles. Six of the seven Skaneateles shots were stopped by Cara Macaluso.
Westhill took its own setback with last Monday night’s 2-1 defeat to Jamesville-DeWitt.
Lyla Gaines scored in the first half for the Warriors, assisted by Molly Dorfman. Noor Al-Zammar equaled it for the Red Rams, then converted again in the second half to break a 1-1 tie and the Red Rams held on from there overcoming Sophia Lasher’s total of seven saves.
Recovering from this 24 hours later, Westhill squeezed past Cazenovia 1-0, with Abby Rudiger’s first-half goal the difference maker. Lakers goalie Skye Stanford kept her team in it, stopping 12 of the Warriors’ 13 shots.
However, a 2-0 defeat to undefeated Lowville followed on Saturday afternoon, with Westhill limited to two shots all afternoon as Lasher got eight saves, but gave up second-half goals to Tai Nortz and Mia Hanselman.
