Now trying to climb back to the .500 mark, the Westhill boys lacrosse team took a large step by going to Tully last Tuesday and ripping past the Black Knights 13-5. What was a close contest broke open in the second quarter, when the Warriors outscored Tully 5-1. Then it blanked the Black Knights much of the second half to allow for a cushion. John Zimmerman led with four goals and three assists. Owen Nicola and Alex Tripp both notched three-goal hat tricks at the forefront of an aggressive, balanced attack. Justin Selbach had a goal and two assists as Austin Webb and Luke Longo converted, too. Pete Valenti contributed an assist. Mark McAnaney stopped 12 of the 17 shots he faced. Still looking for its first win of 2011, the Westhill girls team didn’t find it in last Tuesday’s trip to Cazenovia, taking a 19-8 loss to the Lakers. Throughout the game, the Warriors’ defense struggled, especially against Cazenovia star Gabby Jaquith, who amassed seven goals and five assists for 12 overall points. Two teammates, Becca Wheeler and Kaitlyn Button, finished with four goals and three assists. Meanwhile, only Brenna Rainone, who got four goals and one assists, got any consistent attack for the Warriors. Nicole Easterly scored twice and added an assist, while Molly Kiggins and Maggie Tripodi each had one goal. The Warriors looked again for that breakthrough Thursday, against Bishop Ludden, and finally got it, having to fend off a spirited resistance from the Gaelic Knights to prevail 15-13. Playing in some of the season’s worst conditions (high wind, cold temperatures), Westhill worked its way to a 7-6 halftime lead. As the game wore on, both teams were able to convert on the offensive end, but the Warriors had an answer every time the Gaelic Knights tried to surge. Mostly, that involved Rainone, who amassed a season-best eight goals, more than half her team’s total. Tripodi, with three goals and one assist, and Emily Mizer, with two goals, offered the support as Kiggins and Meg Dwyer earned single goals. Ludden had a well-balanced attack where Erannan Shattuck, Kat O’Hara and Nicole Granteed each managed three-goal hat tricks. Liz Tully added two goals and one assist as Gemma O’Kane and Jennifer Vazquez scored, too.