It appeared to be the perfect time for the Cazenovia boys lacrosse team to catch LaFayette as the two sides collided Wednesday afternoon at the wind-swept Fenner Street complex. The Lakers were 8-1, playing some of the best lacrosse in the program’s history, while the Lancers, once 7-0, were reeling from three losses in four games, including back-to-back defeats to Jamesville-DeWitt and Westhill. Both patterns would continue as the Lakers, effective on offense and patient on defense, doubled up on the Lancers, earning a 16-8 victory. Never trailing, Cazenovia made a strong defensive stand to start the game, holding LaFayette without a shot and forcing a turnover. Then, 2:16 into the game, the Lakers took its first shot – and freshman Connor Cannizzaro converted, assisted by his brother, Sean. Both sides stayed patient until the end of the period, when Brad Nardella and John Greacen scored a minute apart, and Cazenovia took a 3-0 lead to the second period. LaFayette would cut the margin to 3-2, but Connor Cannizzaro countered with two more goals to earn a hat trick before halftime, with Brett Axelson converting on a long shot into an unoccupied net in between. For all this, it was the third quarter that proved decisive. Ahead 6-3, Cazenovia doubled its total with a 6-2 run, and Connor Cannizzaro continued to sizzle, not stopping until he had seven goals, nearly matching LaFayette by himself. Greacen finished with three goals, adding an assist. Sean Cannizzaro had two goals and two assists, with Matt Donovan, Brett Gifford and Mason Powell earning second-half goals. Alec Cross worked most of the game in the net, earning 12 saves as the Lakers’ defense shut LaFayette down for long portions of the game. Only Lyle Thompson, who scored four times, had more than one goal on the Lancers’ behalf. Two days before meeting LaFayette, the Lakers performed an offensive clinic at Onondaga, steadily taking the Tigers apart in a 21-7 romp. A first-quarter shutout was nice, but the 4-0 margin grew as the night went on. Cazenovia set a relentless pace, building the margin to 10-2 by halftime and again reaching double digits in the second half. Sean Cannizzaro, with three goals and four assists, anchored a deep attack where Greacen led with five goals and one assist. Axelson had four goals and Connor Cannizzaro also scored three times, with Sam Lewis adding two goals and two assists and Nardella also finding the net twice. Powell and Donovan got single goals. And two days after the LaFayette win, the Lakers had one more hurdle to clear before this Tuesday’s duel with Skaneateles –and it did so, winning at home over Jordan-Elbridge by a score of 12-4. Strong starts in each half made the difference, as Cazenovia outscored the Eagles 4-1 in both the first and third periods, which made up for the lulls elsewhere. Greacen matched J-E by himself with four goals, adding an assist. Axelson and Connor Cannizzaro each scored twice, with Nardella, Chad Dorrance, Sean Cannizzaro and Justin Hoffmann earning single goals and Lewis contributing an assist. Combined, Cross and Ben Romagnoli stopped 12 of the 16 shots they faced. The Skaneateles game served as, arguably, the biggest home game in Cazenovia’s brief lacrosse history, and highlights a week that also features a Thursday-night trip to CBA.