| |
|
|
'Cats
stung by Hornets 8-7
The Wildcats dropped their first game of the season 5-1
(10-1) at Coyne Field on Friday night as the Fayetteville
Manlius Hornets upset the Cats with a come from behind
8-7 victory. Genny took a 2-0 lead four minutes into the
game on goals by junior middie Alex Biley 2:28 into the
game followed by another solo goal from junior attackman
Andrew Hanover. The Hornets halved the score at 6:45 converting
a Wildcat turnover into a goal to make the score 2-1.
West Genny increased their lead to 3-1 taking advantage
of a loose ball off a Hornet clear that ended with senior
attackman Jed Bebee converting a pass from co-captain
Drew Dabrowski with 5:20 left to play in the first quarter.
Genny’s lack of physical play at the defensive end
hurt them moments later when a Fayetteville attacker beat
a double team, then beat a slide to put a shot by senior
goalie Casey Rotella at 4:26 to cut the lead to 3-2. Less
than two minutes later the Hornets struck again as they
sifted their way through a non-existent Genny defense
and knotted the game at 3-3. The Cats took possession
of the next face-off and just failed to convert as a Biley
to Dabrowski to Bebee passing combination led to a harmless
carom that slapped off the Hornet goal post.
The opportunistic Hornets then rallied with two goals
in the final 55 seconds to charge past the Cats and take
a 5-3 lead. The first goal came on a bouncer over Rotella’s
right shoulder, followed by another goal from a Fayetteville
attackman who was left untouched in front of the cage.
Genny looked to have rebounded from a horrendous first
quarter with three straight second quarter goals in just
over a minute to take a 6-5 lead.
The first goal came off the cross of Dabrowski who beat
his defender in front and put a low shot into the cage.
Senior middie Pat McCormick followed with two in a row
the first with an assist from Hanover. With just over
three minutes to go in the half senior middie Bill Gleason
had an opportunity to increase the Genny lead but watched
his shot sail just wide of thecage. The Cats continued
in vain to extend their lead over the Hornets before the
half but once again came up empty as senior co-captain
middie Matt Cassalia picked up a loose ball sailed straight
to the cage only to have his shot deflect harmlessly off
the cross bar.
West Genesee’s last goal of the game would come
just under two minutes into the third quarter when Bebee
converted a Hanover pass while cutting to the cage to
extend the Genny lead to 7-5. With 8:19 to go Fayetteville
edged closer to the upset as a lone Hornet attackman proceeded
to back the Genny defender into their own crease before
turning to fire on a defenseless Rotella and cut the margin
to 7-6.
Less than a minute later the Hornets victimized the Genny
long stick defenders as they pranced out from behind the
cage untouched to tie the game at 7-7.
The Wildcats last good scoring opportunity came off the
stick of Cassalia with just 28 ticks remaining on the
clock but once again the shot sailed harmlessly off the
outside of the post. Less than a minute into the final
stanza the upset would become complete as the Hornets
stalled the Genny 19 game win streak with an instant replay
of the nights’ past goals when a Hornet attacker
beat several Genny defenders and fired a shot past Cassalia.
The Cats did have the chances to get back into the game
but could never capitalize as junior middie Jake Moulton
bounced a shot just over the crossbar at 9:12 followed
by a shot that barley missed the widecage at 8:53.
Hanover also had a near miss as his diving one hander
trickled wide of the far post with 7:23 left.
Fayetteville finally retained possession of the ball and
proceeded to keep it in the Genny offensive end with 4:50
left in the contest ,much to the chagrin of the Cat faithful
who felt the Hornets should have been called for a stall
penalty being they only made one legitimate attempt at
the goal. Genny’s last chance came with 17 seconds
left in the game with the advent of a Hornets offsides
giving the Cats the ball at midfield. But it wasn’t
to be as the Cats seemed unsettled and could only muster
a last gasp pass that flew several yards over the closest
Wildcat helmet, leaving the Hornets with nothing left
to do but stream onto the field in a victory celebration
and give the Cats a few things to think about on the ride
home. |
| |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
final |
| West Genesse |
3 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
7 |
| Fayetteville-Manlius |
5 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
8 |
| Bebee 1-1, Bily 1-0, Dabrowski 2-0,
Hanover 1-2, Hennigan 0-1, McCormack 2-0 |
| Click on an image
below to view a game highlight Quicktime movie |
|
 |
|
|
| Bily puts the 'Cats on the board first |
Dabrowski from Bebee |
Hanover goes high corner |
|
|
|
