Cats Sting Hornets 13 - 4 In A Tale Of Two Halves
 
 
The much anticipated match-up between Class A powers  West Genesee Wildcats boys varsity lacrosse 3-0 (4-0)team and the Fayetteville Manlius Hornets  took place at West Genesee high school on a balmy spring Tuesday evening in front of nearly packed stadium. However the pre-game hype didn't nearly match the games end result as the Cats dominated the Hornets 13-4.

The first quarter started slowly as both teams seemed to play a tentative game, neither wanting to make the first mistake. Genny reached the scoreboard first when senior midfielder Mark Cometti broke the ice with the first goal of the game unassisted at 11:18 for a 1-0 lead. Then it was senior attackman Jeff Ryan adding to the Cats lead 2-0 with another unassisted goal at 6:51. F-M halved the Cat lead at 2-1 when senior midfielder Peter Helmer fired a left handed shot past senior goalie Dan McKeon at 6:06. Just over two minutes later the Hornets knotted the game at 2-2 when the Cats failed to clear the ball and senior attackman Mike Mullett found junior attackman Adam Drypolcher who broke in all alone and stuck a shot past McKeon.
With the game tied the Cats had ample opportunities near the end of the first quarter to increase their lead as the Hornets were called for three penalties in a row but the Cats could only muster a single shot on goal to end the first quarter.

The second quarter saw the Hornets draw first blood when F-M coach Chris Kenneally's verbal pleas for a penalty on a Wildcat who was missing a mouth piece was finally called by the official giving the visitors a man advantage. F-M wasted little time with the gift as Drypolcher struck for his second of the game at 7:10. The Cats answered the F-M goal by squandering five straight opportunities missing the goal or shooting directly into the stick of senior goalie Dan Parker. Genny did however get the last word in the first half when senior midfielder Tim Griffin scored with an assist to senior attackman Dave Osier to knot the game at 3-3 with 1:23 left.

As the second half got underway both Wildcat and Hornet fans had to be wondering which side would take control of the contest? As it was it only took 40 seconds for the nearly full house to get their answer. Wildcat senior David Osier broke the tie at 11:04 with an ankle breaking move that left his defender flank side behind the Hornet cage before whipping a shot past Parker for a 4-3 lead. Next it was long stick senior midfielder Mark Cizenski who scooped the ball off the wing after the face-off ran the right side of the field before circling the cage and hitting senior midfielder Tim Spillet who beat Parker on the doorstep for a 5-3 lead at 10:46. Not to be outdone by Cizenski, longstick senior defender Jon Keuchler scooped up a ball off the face-off, looked to his left and found Osier all alone in front, Osier then ripped a shot past Parker for a 6-3 lead at 10:23.

The back-breaker then came just six seconds later when senior midfielder Brian Griffin conjured up visions of former Wildcat face-off expert Matt Cassalia as he won the draw swooped to the cage untouched and rifled a shot past Parker to increase the lead to 7-3. But the Cats weren't through as Kevin Courtney ripped a right handed shot over Parkers left shoulder at 9:06 with an assist to senior midfielder Andrew Vecchio for an 8-3 lead. With 7:40 left to go it was Ryan finding twine again for his second of the night and a 9-3 lead. Then it was Courtney again with his second goal in less than two minutes, when he faked a look to the crease and fired a no look shot past Parker and the route was on 10-3.

Genny made it 11-3 with 2:22 to go in the fourth when spillet found Ryan in front for the his third of the game and an 11-3 lead. The Cats added two more in the final stanza with Spillet getting his second goal of the game with 9:16 to go, followed by Andrew Vecchio's goal at 4:24 with an assist to junior midfielder Rob Chamberlain for a 13-3 lead. Fayetteville may not have gotten the last laugh but they did get the last goal with 40 seconds left as senior midfielder Brian Poissant made the final 13-4 West Genesee.
 
  1 2 3 4 final
West Genesse 2 1 8 3 13
Fayetteville-Manlius 2 1 0 1 4

Ryan 3-1, D. Osier 2-1, Spillett 2-1, Courtney 2-0, Vecchio 1-1, Cometti 1-0, B. Griffin 1-0, Chamberlain 0-1, T. Griffin 1-0, Cizenski 0-1, Keuchler 0-1
SAVES: McKeon 6, McConnell 1

Shots : West Genesee     42   Fayetteville - Manlius 22
Saves: West Genesee        7  Fayetteville-Manlius 12
Groundballs: West Genesee        42   Fayetteville - Manlius 19
Face-Offs: West Genesee        14/21

Click on an image below to view a game highlight Quicktime movie
Cometti nets a goal Ryan splits his defender Osier from behind the cage
Spillett on the doorstep Courtney with a runner Ryan gets his third goal