Beware to all opponents – the West Genesee girls lacrosse team is hungry again.
Instead of yet another state championship to defend in 2010, the Wildcats find itself away from the crown, having dropped an overtime decision to Farmingdale in last year’s state Class A semifinals. With head coach Bob Elmer welcoming back lots of key players for 2010, including Bre Hudgins, Morgan Corso, Karlyn Tupper and Lauren Michaels, WG focused on what it could do to make sure that, if and when it returned to SUNY-Cortland this June, the outcome would be different. And when the Wildcats came out for Thursday night’s opener at Cicero-North Syracuse, it had the rhythm and confidence of a team at the end of a season, not the start. The result was a 19-2 pasting of the Northstars at Bragman Stadium. WG’s first goal took just 14 seconds to record, as Mel Murphy won the battle for the opening draw, then charged through the middle of the field and fired a clean shot past CNS goalie Stephanie Reynolds. Hudgins and Tupper followed with goals 12 seconds apart to make it 3-0, and the cycle kept repeating itself. Every time the Northstars wanted to clear it out, the Wildcats applied full pressure, forced turnovers and attacked again. At one point, WG scored four times in a span of three minutes, expanding the margin to 7-0 before Rachel Bowles finally put the Northstars on the board 9:26 into the half. That was just a temporary lull, though, as the Wildcats doubled its output before the half was done, capped by Hudgins sprinting into the CNS defense, making a superb spin move and ripping a shot home to make it 14-1 just before halftime. In all, 12 different Wildcats put in goals before the night was done. Hudgins and Katey Hart led with three goals apiece, while Corso, Tupper and Erica Geremia each found the net twice. Emily Tripodi helped out with four assists. Back home Saturday, WG had a much tougher time against long-time Section V power Brighton, but took over in the second half to beat the Barons 15-10. Brighton won most of the draws in the first half, allowing it to dictate the tempo and, a few times, break through the Wildcats’ young defenders and put in goals. At the break, WG trailed 5-3. All that changed in the second half, though. Rising to the challenge, the Wildcats did better in the draw circle and, led by Corso, roared back. Overall, Corso had seven goals, a new career mark, five of them coming early in the second half as the Wildcats moved out in front. Elsewhere, Hart scored three times as Lauren Michaels earned two goals. Hudgins, Tupper and Tripodi had single tallies as goalie Sarah Elmer recorded 10 saves. WG will meet Baldwinsville Thursday, their first encounter since last year’s sectional final, but only after the Wildcats face Fayetteville-Manlius on Tuesday.