Up against no. 1 seed Clinton in last Wednesday’s Class B semifinal at Chittenango High School, the Lakers withstood plenty of attacks, then waited until the second half to pull out in front and register a 2-0 victory over the Warriors.
Having been tested all season in the OHSL Liberty division against the likes of Marcellus and Westhill, the Lakers were fully prepared for Clinton, whose 17-1 mark had mostly been attained in the Tri-Valley League.
Throughout the first half, the two sides traded chances. Clinton’s offense constantly pushed toward the Lakers’ net, but a veteran Laker defense coolly handled all the chances, and Jake Bird worked his way to a shutout by earning nine saves.
In the second half, Skaneateles would break through. Bryan Stokes-Cawley and Jared Amory both struck shots past Clinton goalie Rob Larkin, with Kelly Donigan and Jeff Baldetti getting credit for the assists.
Now the Lakers would wait to see who it would face in the Class B final. Marcellus and Westhill meet Thursday night in the other semifinal match at West Genesee.
