CENTRAL NEW YORK – Looking around them, the Marcellus boys lacrosse team notes the good starts put up by current and future opponents and wants to make sure it leaves all of them feeling uncomfortable.
For example, Homer had started 4-1, but when it went up against the Mustangs Monday afternoon it was another dominant performance on the part of Marcellus, who prevailed 22-8.
Part of it, no doubt, stemmed from the fact that Marcellus alum C.J. Nye is Homer’s head coach, and the Mustangs were motivated to show something to him, which it did sprinting out 6-1 by the end of the first quarter.
A 7-0 third-quarter dash was even better as the Trojans could not contain the duo of Chris Doshna and Nick Rayfield, who each picked up six goal and each added a pair of assists.
Jimmy Cox and Donavan Fraher both had two goals and two assists, with Connor Ciota and Griffn Barney also converting twice. Henry Lawrence dished out four assists as he and Cam Stojkovski earned single goals.
A big game followed Thursday against Section V’s most accomplished program, Victor, and the Mustangs almost earned a landmark victory again only to get nipped at the end in a 9-8 loss to the Blue Devils.
What cost Marcellus was its inability to get a goal in a second quarter where it shut out Victor after the two teams tied 3-3 early. Then a third-period surge put the Mustangs in front 7-4, but the Blue Devils closed strong, catching up and then inching out in front in the latter stages.
Otto Moses still stopped 13 of the 22 direct shots he faced as, in front of him, Lawrence and Fraher both earned three-goal hat tricks. Rayfield added two goals, but Doshna was kept off the board for the first time this season.
Skaneateles made it two wins in a row and nearly pulled off a shutout in the process, smashing New Hartford 15-1 to climb back to the .500 mark at 2-2.
Accumulating a 13-0 on the Spartans by halftime, the Lakers backed off late but still had seen Landen Brunelle break out with four goals plus five assists as Ty Calabro got four goals and two assists.
Charlie Carbonaro scored three times and assisted twice, with Luke Mizro and Cole Krauter getting two goals apiece. Between them, Luke Logan and Reece Benda stopped nine of New Hartford’s 10 direct shots.
Then Skaneateles handled Cortland 16-1 on Thursday afternoon, building a 12-1 advantage by halftime with Calabro continuing his strong play thanks to five goals and one assist.
Mizro topped that point total scoring three times and adding four assists. Carbonaro and Tye Kennedy both got two goals, Carbonaro adding a pair of assists as Brunelle had a goal and two assists. Luke Bobbett, Colin Henry and Henry Badami also scored.
Westhill had another setback last Tuesday against Section V’s Brighton, falling 5-3 to a Barons side which slowed the game down and never let the Warriors generate a consistent attack.
Jack Hayes, Grady Etoll and Trevor Young put in Westhill’s goals, with Tom Pendergast and Brendan Gilhooley earning assists. Keller O’Hern kept his team close, stopping 16 of Brighton’s 21 direct shots.
Jordan-Elbridge battled Tully and lost to the Black Knights 12-10 despite Nixon Karcz amassing five goals and three assists. Joe LaFluer converted twice, single goals going to Jayden Castaldo, Ryan Gibbs and Alex Christodoulou. Carter Hudson was superb in goal, finishing with 23 saves.
