CENTRAL NEW YORK – Given the way they had both started, the Cazenovia and Chittenango boys soccer teams geared themselves up for a classic when they went head-to-head last Tuesday afternoon on the Bears’ home turf.
And for more than 90 minutes the battle continued until the Lakers, in overtime, got the scoring play it needed to prevail 2-1, handing Chittenango its first defeat of the season.
Rarely had these two Madison County neighbors met with such good records on both sides, Cazenovia at 6-1 and Chittenango at 5-0-1, and it was the Lakers seizing an early lead on Nat Gale’s goal.
To hold that 1-0 advantage Cazenovia’s defense went to work, players taking turns keeping an eye on Bears forward Gavin Karwoski, who had netted 14 goals in his team’s first five games.
Led by the quartet of Sebastian Gebers, Eliot Conway, Basil Sayer and Braden Carnahan the Lakers’ plan mostly worked – “a team effort”, as coach Adam Reynolds put it – in front of Jack Casey, who contributed a big stop himself when he denied Chittenango on a first-half penalty kick.
Karwoski was held scoreless, but his timely second-half pass set up teammate Ryan Thousand to put in the goal that tied it 1-1 and ultimately forced overtime.
Neither team cold end it in the first 10-minute extra period but in the second OT the Lakers won it and, again, Gale was in the middle of it.
Open near the Bears’ net, Gale drew a foul inside the 18-yard box. Taking the ensuing penalty kick, Jack Coburn put it past Logan Bronner to give Cazenovia the victory. Prior to that, Bronner had made 15 saves, a total Casey equaled.
What was perhaps the best part of this win on Cazenovia’s part was that it didn’t let down when facing a different opponent two days later, recording a 4-0 shutout over Cortland.
In fact, the Lakers sped to a 3-0 advantage by halftime led again by Gale, who notched a pair of assists to go with his goal as part of a well-balanced attack.
Alex Coburn, Chase Shepard and Alex Dolly all took turns finding the net, while Gebers and Sam Kupinsky both got credited with assists and Casey stopped all five Purple Tigers shots he faced.
In a non-league game Saturday at Manlius Pebble Hill, Cazenovia was tested by the Trojans but emerged with a 2-1 victory.
Helped by Nick Lurvey’s goal assisted by Andy Lurvey, MPH went to halftime tied 1-1, but Cazenovia moved in front in the second half and stayed there, the goals coming from Dolly and Eli Royer as Gale contributed an assist.
Having moved to 9-1, the Lakers would take on Jordan-Elbridge/Cato-Meridian and Canastota this week as Chittenango goes to Homer before a Saturday game with Oneida.
