Wildcats Claw To 8-2 Victory

The West Genesee Wildcats continued their winning ways in 2005 on Friday, April 1 st   with a visit to East Syracuse-Minoa. The opening stanza pretty much was played to a draw as both teams struggled to find   any sort of consistency on offense;   the 'Cats through frequent turnovers or   off target shots and the Spartans through sloppy play and the blanket the Genny defensive front of Cizenski, Leahy, Prosonic, Weopple and goalie Dan McKeon threw on them. Junior middie Kevin Courtney got the 'Cats on the board just before the horn as he took a feed from senior Mark Cometti ripping a right-hander from 15 yards out.

Courtney again contributed as he found senior middie Andrew Vecchio on the right side alone an open about 15 yards out where Vecchio tallied the second Wildcat goal by zipping a cloths line shot to the back of the net.   The first half saw Genny put on a pipe shot clinic with four attempts from various players deflecting off   side pipes or the crossbar.   Senior Jeff Ryan was able to get his "pipe" back as he took a feed from senior attacker Tim Spillett and from the crease, bounced a nice shot past   the ESM's   Chris Ehde for a 3-0 advantage.   Senior middie Tim Griffin then took a feed from Cometti and from striaight on ripped a sidearm shot past the left of the ESM goalie to boost the lead to four. Cometti threaded a perfect pass across the crease through Spartan defenders to senior attacker David Osier who quick-sticked a redirected shot into the net for what turned out to be a 5-0 Wildcat halftime advantage.

The third quarter scoring began with Griffin again tallying as he sprinted toward the cage from the right side and tucked a low bouncing shot under the stick of the Spartan goalie to stretch the lead to 6-0.   McKeon backed up his 15 save performance against Skaneateles with a 13 save effort against the Spartans on this day, sucking up pretty much all shots tossed his way.   Genny's bend-but-don't-break defense held the Spartans in check, closing down passing lanes, clogging the middle and allowing only 15 -20 yard shots for most of the game.   One break for the Spartans came as middie Jeff Lewis was able to get off a shot which deflected and roll under the stick of McKeon to cut the lead to 6-1. Jeff Ryan answered with his second goal from the doorstep when cutting left to right across the cage, took a high feed from Dave Osier   and placed a low shot past Ehde for a 7-1 Genny lead.

Osier again contributed when sweeping from behind the cage, beat his defender with a few fakes and while being slashed, was able to push a shot in low from the crease for an 8-1 advantage. Senior net minder Jeff Cleland replaced McKeon in the fourth and immediately thwarted one goal, one of the only   times the Spartans penetrated the Genny defense.   The final 5 minutes saw the Spartans winging everything and anything toward Cleland with most sailing high and wide.   Adam Vlassis was able to notch one more for the Spartans as he cut to the left and bounced a left-hander past Cleland with 30 seconds remaing.