CENTRAL NEW YORK – Another high-school lacrosse season is underway which includes varsity teams from Cazenovia and Chittenango both taking plenty of early hits.
At least the girls Lakers got close to a victory last Tuesday night in its season opener, a 10-8 defeat to Clinton.The Comets battled its way to a 7-4 lead by halftime and then withstood all of Cazenovia’s attempts to catch up led by Claire Mihm and Leah Altieri getting three goals apiece along with three assists from Alice Gaetano.
Hayden Bubble and Charlie Prior accounted for most of Cazenovia’s production, each scoring three times for a hat trick. Tara Pratt and Maura Phillips earned the other goals, with Maddy DeAngelis and Bridget Stromer-Galley getting assists. Gwen Livingston finished with four saves.
A 17-6 defeat to New Hartford followed on Thursday afternoon. Prior again had three goals, with single tallies going to Pratt, Stromer-Galley and Caroline Mehlbaum, but the Spartans were impressive start to finish as Natalia Viola netted six goals and Allie Philipkoski four goals, with Liz Rayhill earning five assists.
Not until Saturday did it turn around against Whitesboro as the Lakers clamped down on defense and worked its way to a 5-2 halftime advantage, then matched whatever the opposition produced down the stretch to win by a 9-6 margin.
DeAngelis scored twice and got three assists, Bubble earning three goals and one assist. Prior managed two goals and two assists as single tallies went to Stromer-Galley and Pratt. Livingston picked up six saves.
This happened as Chittenango broke out of its early-season skid edging Section IV’s Windsor 11-10 in a game where Persephone Rohrer earned four goals. Anna Lazzaro and Reese Ferstler both got two goals and one assist, with Sequoya Roberts and and Gracie Hayes-Brazell also converting.
Two nights earlier, Chittenango met up with General Brown and fell 12-8 to the Lions.
Ferstler, with her three goals, paced Chittenango’s attack. Lazzaro and Rohrer each scored twice, Solana Rohrer getting the other goal. Claire Ramie and Tricia Price put up three goals apiece to lead General Brown.
An 18-4 defeat to Christian Brothers Academy started out the week. Lazzaro, Rohrer and Sequoya Roberts all earned goals and Reese Ferstler got a pair of assists as Sue Horning earned six saves. Maeve Mackenzie’s five goals and Sloane Massa’s two goals and five assists paced CBA.
Moving to boys lacrosse, Cazenovia was looking to improve upon last season’s 6-9 mark and took a big step in that direction in last Saturday’s opener w hen it routed Vernon-Verona-Sherrill 17-3.
Only allowing one goal after the first quarter, the Lakers put up nine unanswered goals in the second and third periods to get clear as Ben Bianco was unstoppable, finding the net eight times and adding an assists.
Others helped, too, especially Bobby Livingston and Paul Mitchell, who each picked up three goals and two assists. Basil Sayre contributed four assists as single goals went to Finn Hagan, Finn Tobin and Owen Porter.
Chittenango had its boys lacrosse team fall 15-2 to Central Square last Monday night, its only goals coming from Cole Dawkins and Hunter Burrows as Marcus Ludwig had six goals and three assists for the Redhawks.
But the Bears would win on Saturday beating Windsor by that exact same 15-2 margin. Peter Schulz broke out for six goals to set a new career mark, Henry Miller adding four goals and one assist. Norman Coomer scored twice and got two assists as Dawkins, Joey DiNatale and Cameron Reed had one goal apiece.
