Cats Color Maroons Gone 15-3

The West Genesee Wildcats captured their 28 Sec. III title, eighth in a row on the carpet at Coyne field on the campus of Syracuse University before a packed house with a 15-3 drubbing of the Auburn Maroons. Much was made about this season’s early 5-4 victory by the Maroons over Cats as four starters nursed injuries, and there was even the mention regarding the end of a dynasty versus a new up-start, after tonight’s game Auburn will have to wait.

Super soph, midfielder John ‘Cali’ Glesner put the Burn on alert early netting the Cats first goal unassisted at 11:32 to make it 1-0. Genny got their next goal 2-0 at 8:12 when senior captain, midfielder Henry ‘Luke’ Cometti drew several Auburn defenders in front of the Maroon goal, then dished off to junior attackman Jordan Rogers who faked Auburn goalie Kevin Dyer. Auburn answered off an unsettled play 2 - 1 with 6:00 to go near the left of the Genny goal when Andrew Chadderdon got squashed by several Wildcat defenders but managed to squeak it past junior goalie Steve Mahle while on his back. Glesner nearly added his second of the evening with 1:58 left in the first quarter when he intercepted an Auburn clearing pass and raced to the goal, it appeared that he had Dyer out of position and shot, put Dyer sprinted back and dove into the net smothering Glesner’s attempt.

The second quarter began with both teams exchanging goals. Genny got their third 3-1 at 9:59 when Cometti passed to senior midfielder Tim Besio, who then unleashed a left handed rope past Dyer and underneath the crossbar. Matt Hoy answered for Auburn 3-2 at 4:20 as his screen shot hit the carpet just in front of Mahle and settled in the right side of the net. Besio followed with his second 4-2 with 2:47 to go, when he secured a pass from senior captain,, attackman Ryan Barber who was behind the cage, and back-handed it past Dyer. Rogers would add his third 5-2 with 1:58 to go with an assist from senior attackman Tim Fetterly. The Cats had Auburn on the ropes forcing a Maroon time-out, but to no avail as they followed with a goal with just 41 seconds left from Fetterly 6-2 who slipped in between the Auburn zone defense, took a pass from Cometti and slipped a shot past a beleaguered Dyer.

The third quarter saw the Cats continue to dominate adding four unanswered goals.
Cometti and Fetterly picked up where they left off with Fetterly ripping a shot past Dyer 7-2 with an assist to Cometti with 10:24 left. With 6:30 to go Rogers made a spectacular leap, snaring a Barber pass from behind the goal and beating a helpless Dyer to make it 8-2 with 6:30 to go. Rogers made it 9-2 with only2:06 to picking up a rebound shot by Besio and sticking it past Dyer from point blank range. Rogers ended the scoring with his fifth of the game, compliments of an exceptional clearing run by senior longstick midfielder Jack Kennedy. Snaring the ball at midfield Kennedy danced and ducked through a mob of Maroon defenders, cleared midfield and found Rogers who did the rest to make it 10 - 2 with only 22 seconds left in the third.

The final period began with a spectacular goal 11-2 at 9:23 by senior defenseman Ben Waldron. Assigned to one of the top-attackman in the league, Auburn sophomore Connor Entemann Waldron put aside his smothering defense (limiting Entemann to no points)and got one of his own, as his sped past midfield, into the restraining box and shredded Dyer with a off shoulder high rope, which brought the Genny faithful up out of their seats.

Besio kept the genny run alive, sneaking down into the crease and converting an assist from Barber to make it 12-2 with 7:12 to go. With just over seven minutes left in the game the Cats started to substitute but the goals just kept coming as Besio netted another with 4:56 with another helper by Barber to make it 13-2. Junior midfielder Ryan McConnell made it 14-2 with a running lefthander with 4:47 to go. With the Cats up by 12 the clock began running time, but their was enough time left for Barber to net another goal, 15-2 with 4:17 in the final quarter.

With the victory in hand Sec.III chairman and former F-M coach Tom Hall presented team captains, Jack Conboy, Luke Cometti and Ryan Barber the Cats 28 Sec.III title plaque adding another piece to the Cats title run.