They just can’t help it – any time rivals Sknaeateles and Marcellus get together to play girls lacrosse, it’s bound to be exciting and memorable. And Tuesday afternoon’s epic was one of the best chapters yet, with both teams making second-half comebacks and the outcome in doubt until the final shot as, finally, the Lakers survived for a 14-13 overtime victory. It took a combination of Maddy Morrissey’s latest bout of late-game heroics, plus a bit of good fortune, to produce this win. The luck came when Megan Welch’s tying shot with 1:05 to play in the second of the three-minute OT periods caromed off the left post. Morrissey offered the excellence, something Marcellus knew all too well from recent history, dating back to the 2008 Section III Class C final, when her tying and winning goals gave the Lakers the title, 12-11, at the Mustangs’ expense. Then came the 2009 sectional semifinals, when again the Mustangs led late in regulation, again the Lakers came back and again won by a single goal, 11-10 – and again Morrissey put home the game-winner. So when Skaneateles trailed 9-6 after Marcellus dominated the draws and reeled off five straight goals to open the second half (and six overall), it was quite familiar ground, and the Lakers didn’t panic. Morrissey’s second goal, in between a pair of tallies by Shelby McNeilly, tied the game 9-9, and now it turned into a back-and-forth drama that didn’t let up until the last seconds of overtime. After Leea Sinay briefly put the Mustangs ahead 10-9, Morrissey hit on her third and fourth goals to put the Lakers back in front 11-10, but Erin Walter answered and it was tied once more, 11-11. Nora Barry hit on her fourth goal with 2:04 to play, and now it was Marcellus in front 12-11. Then, drawing a double team, Erin Callahan passed to Morrissey right next to the net – and Morrissey converted with 48.9 seconds left, and it was even again at 12-12. Marcellus would get a shot at the end of regulation, but goalie Shannon Byrne turned away Catherine Nolan’s possible game-winner, and it went to OT. In the first three-minute extra period, Morrissey continued her tear, scoring 21 seconds into the OT (her sixth of the game) and assisting on a tally from Aly Davis. And still the Mustangs wouldn’t quit. Barry scored near the end of the first OT and, after Welch almost tied it, Marcellus had one more chance after the Lakers were caught offsides trying to run out the clock. Molly McGuane ran to the net – and Byrne turned away her shot as the clock ran out. Skaneateles will meet Marcellus again at home May 20, in the regular-season finale. In the meantime, though, there were two more games to deal with before the kids returned to school. First, the Lakers met LaFayette on Thursday, and avoided a letdown, beating the Lancers 14-7. Though LaFayette has vastly improved, Skaneateles kept them contained early, holding them to a single goal in the first half as it built a healthy margin. Carly Davis stepped up with a career-best five goals, while Callahan piled up three goals and three assists. McNeilly had two goals and one assist as Morrissey and Grace Kelly also converted. Diane Vitkus and Aly Davis each had one goal and one assist. In a non-league test on Saturday, Skaneateles went east, to the Albany area, to face Section II power Niskayuna, no. 4 in the state Class B rankings. And the Silver Warriors would topple the Lakers 13-10, building its margin in an 8-5 first half and never allowing the Lakers to get much closer. Morrissey, with three goals and two assists, and Callahan, with two goals and three assists, each earned five points as Carly Davis also found the net twice. McNeilly got a goal and two assists as Vitkus had one goal and one assist and Aly Davis also converted. Now with a 5-2 mark, the Lakers will be heavily favored this week in games against Bishop Ludden and Tully.