ONONDAGA COUNTY – No regular-season game for the Cicero-North Syracuse girls lacrosse team carried more anticipation than its battle last Tuesday night against West Genesee at Bragman Stadium.
Here were two reigning sectional champions, now in the same class since the Wildcats returned to Class A this spring, and at least some figured that it would be a back-and-forth battle.
Except that it was not.
The Northstars dominated in the draw circle, had a double-digit lead by the third quarter and didn’t let up until it had humbled the Wildcats 16-3.
Within less than three minutes it was 3-0, three draws won by Gabby Putman leading to attacks and goals. Both Sophia Nesci and Miabella Gates had hat tricks by the end of a first quarter where an 8-1 lead was already secured.
It got to 10-2 by halftime and C-NS wasted little time getting to a running clock in the third quarter, having seen Nesci add a fourth goal and also pile up four assists.
Sophia Graham matched Gates’ three goals, with Elizabeth Smith scoring twice in the second half. Natalie Wilson, Ryleigh McLauchlan and Daniella Wilson added goals.
Given how well C-NS performed here, what happened Thursday night at Fayetteville-Manlius had to be a surprise as the Northstars needed to go to the wire to hold off the Hornets 10-9.
F-M came into game 5-3 but had lost earlier in the week to Baldwinsville. Still, it got 11 saves in goal from Micaela Jennings and three-goal hat tricks from Taylor Novack and Addison Keyes.
To pull it out, C-NS needed three goals apiece from Nesci and Smith, plus two goals from Gates and single tallies from Putman and Graham. Nesci tacked on two assists.
Unhappy with this performance, the Northstars took it out 24 hours later on Section V’s Brighton, bashing the Barons 17-4 with Nesci and Smith again scoring three times, equaled by Ella Grotto for her first varsity hat trick.
Nesci also picked up three assists, with Putman adding two assists and winning 10 draws. Gates and Graham had two goals apiece, with single goals going to Avery Rumble, Kaelyn Reid and Daniella Wilson. Vivianna Beardsley picked up two assists.
C-NS was coming off its 22-12 victory over Westhill on April 18 where its potent attack took apart the state Class D no. 10-ranked Warriors with 11 goals in each half.
Leading the way, Nesci and Gates both scored six times, Nesci adding two assists, while Smith earned four goals and Graham got three goals. Putman claimed 16 draws, earned two assists and added a goal, with other goals going to Rumble, Wilson, Addie Esce and Paige Munger.
Liverpool had its own game against West Genesee on April 19, contained well by the Wildcats in the course of a 16-6 defeat.
Lyric Noel did produce a three-goal hat trick, with Maura Woods scoring twice. Maura Beckwith had one goal and one assist. Ava Eicholzer recorded 11 saves.
A 15-5 defeat to Fayetteville-Manlius followed. Woods again had two goals, augmented by Beckwith’s goal and assist and tallies from Noel and Lana Alampi. Eicholzer and Bella DaRin combined for 12 saves as Mallory Burns (four goals) and Taylor Novack (three goals, two assists) paced the Hornets.
Then, in Thursday’s 18-11 loss to Baldwinsville, Beckwith got three goals and three assists, with Noel scoring four times. Woods, Alampi, Gianna Carbone and Maya Michaud also scored, with DaRin and Eicholzer again earning 12 total saves. Raegan Ratliff led the resurgent Bees with six goals and two assists.
