Cats throw leash on Bulldogs 14-7

O’Connell and Hanover lead Genny with 4 goals apiece


The West Genesee Wildcats 4-0(9-1) continued their get even tour on Friday at a windswept field above Nottingham High School with a convincing 14-7 win over the Nottingham Bulldogs. Genny had beaten the ESM Spartans earlier in the week to defeat one of the four foes who blemished the Cats 2001 season.
Nottingham started out like they meant business as the Abbotts, Matt and then Mike each scored to give the Bulldogs a 2-0 lead 6:45 into the game. But West Genesee senior midfielder Matt O’Connell replied for the Cats with a right handed overhead missile that singed the net behind Nottingham goalie Chris Jones to cut the lead to 2-1.
O’Connell followed with his second of four goals on the day as he put a shot past Jones while on his knees after getting pushed to the turf and evened the game at 2-2. Genny took a 3-2 lead with only 32 seconds left in the first quarter on a goal by senior attackman Jake Bebee who took a pass from junior middie Matt Cassalia, tip-toed on the crease to the left of Jones and slid the ball along the ground.

The Cats began the second quarter with their first man-up situation of the day as the Bulldogs served a 30 second penalty for pushing. Matt O’Connell wasted little time converting the Bulldog miscue as he buried a shot from the left side of the goal at 11:25 with an assist to junior attackman Drew Dabrowski to give West Genesee a 4-2 lead.
Dabrowski helped add to the Wildcat cause at 10:17with another assist when he fed senior captain, middie Mark Conklin who snuck in undetected and put the ball into anright side of the net increasing the Genny lead to 5-2.
Nottingham dug into the Cats lead with their third goal of the game as Chris Greenman and Matt Abbott connected to make it a 5-3 game. The Bulldogs threatened to narrow the margin moments later when Gary Elieff broke free only to be turned aside by junior netminder Casey Rotella on a point blank save.

O’Connell ended the first half as he began it with two goals one at 7:32 on a left handed shot and the final goal of the half with 2:34 left on a fine spine move at the top of the crease to give Genny a 7-3 lead at the half way point.
Mike Abbottd the third quarter with a goal for Nottingham cutting the lead to 7-4. However West Genesee returned the favor when senior defenseman P.J. Burns scooped up a loose ball after a face-off ran down field and passed to Dabrowski, who in turn hit Bebee who then found Hanover with a cross cage feed and the Cats led 8-4.
Hanover struck again with 3:39 to go again on an assist by Dabrowski on a broken Nottingham clear and Genny was ahead 9-4. Bebee added another Genny marker at the buzzer as he scooped in a Hanover near miss and the Wildcats headed in to the final stanza with a 10-4 lead.

Genny answered a goal by Mike Abbott off a face-off win by junior middie Matt Cassalia who ran the ball down the center of the field, passed it to Dabrowski who found Bebee who then dished to Hanover for the goal and a 11-5 advantage. Genny’s twelfth goal came off the stick of senior middie Matt Woolshlager who fired a rocket past Jones with an assist from Dabrowski to make it 12-5. Mark Conklin netted his second of the game, followed by a goal from junior middie Bill Gleason on an assist from junior middie Andrew Sugar and the Cats went on to win 14-7.


West Genesee scoring:

Drew Dabrowski 4 assists,Matt O’Connell 4 goals, Andrew Hanover 4 goals, Mark Conklin 2 goals, Jake Bebee 2 goals, 2 assists, Matt Woolshlager 1 goal, Bill Gleason 1 goal, Matt Cassalia 1 assist, Jim Mullaley 1 assist, Andrew Sugar 1 assist.
Saves: Casey Rotella 9, Brian Cumming 2 saves.

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