Last season, both Cicero-North Syracuse and West Genesee girls lacrosse advanced to their respective state championship games, with the Northstars emerging as winners in Class A and the Wildcats as finalists in Class B.
After West Genesee's move up to Class A this year, the two powers had to go through each other in the sectional playoffs, with only one extending their dream of another trip to state championship weekend.
Monday's Section III Class A final was worthy of that state championship stage.
The Northstars won an instant classic, 19-18, to topple the Wildcats and keep their pursuit of a repeat state championship alive.
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"Honestly, it was probably even more competitive than our state championship, because we were back-and-forth all the way to the end," said C-NS sophomore midfielder Sophia Graham, who scored four goals. "Honestly, it was very thrilling but the adrenaline is still pumping for sure."
With C-NS up 17-15 with just under four minutes left, Graham forced a turnover, sprinted all the way down the field and won a free position. Elizabeth Smith scored on the free position to give the Northstars a three-goal lead, and they held on from there despite two last-gasp Wildcats goals.
Maria Snyder scored with 2:33 left to cut the lead to 18-16 and then Sophia Lawrence nailed a free-position shot of her own to bring it back to 18-17 with just 39 seconds left.
But C-NS claimed the final draw and ran the clock out to seal the win.
Northstars head coach Stephanie Prentice and West Genesee coach Jessica Lavelle agreed it was the wildest game either had coached all year. Graham said it was the craziest game she had ever been a part of.
"It was a great game," Lavelle said. "We knew it would be a tough one, it was back-and-forth all game. We knew it would be a battle, and that's exactly what you want in a championship game."
Though C-NS easily defeated West Genesee twice in the regular season — 16-3 on April 22 and 13-4 on May 8 – neither team held much of an advantage at any point on Monday evening.
C-NS went up 5-1 after just five minutes before West Genesee went on a run to tie the game 6-6 with five seconds left in the first quarter. The Northstars and Wildcats traded goals back and forth throughout the second quarter and ended a breathless half knotted at 12. Goalies on both sides scarcely made a save.
"We played really well against them the first two times," said C-NS attack Natalie Wilson, who scored a game-high six goals. "We knew we'd have to work harder this time. It's hard to beat a team three times. We knew that they wanted it."
West Genesee and C-NS kept trading goals in the third quarter as the Wildcats briefly forced out Northstars starting goalie Jillian Howell for replacement Allison Spoto. West Genesee's Molly Doran scored with 19 seconds left in the quarter to send the game into the fourth quarter tied at 15.
But Graham opened the fourth quarter with back-to-back goals and West Genesee never reclaimed the lead.
"We noticed what their offense was doing," Wilson said. "They had a driver and then they threw the ball to the feed, so we had to make sure we ended up with the second slide."
Wilson led C-NS with six goals, Graham scored four goals, Sophia Nesci added two goals and three assists, Smith contributed three goals and Miabella Gates scored twice. Last year's All-CNY Large School Player of the Year Gabrielle Putman was all over the field and recorded a goal and an assist.
"Gabby can't even feel her legs, cramping up," Prentice said. "And she's still running around the field."
The Northstars move to 17-1, with their lone loss coming to Wellesley, a Massachusetts school with the No. 2 overall seed in the MIAA Division I state tournament.
West Genesee had won the last two Class B sectional titles. The Wildcats lost to Victor in the state championship game last year and fell to Garden City in the state semifinals in 2023. They finish with a 13-6 record in Jessica Lavelle's first season as head coach.
West Genesee's 17 goals scored marked a season-high in goals allowed for C-NS. The only other Section III teams to get within eight goals of the Northstars this year were Fayetteville-Manlius (twice) and defending Class D state finalist South Jefferson.
Cicero-North Syracuse's repeat state championship quest begins in the subregional round, where it'll host Section VII champion Plattsburgh.
And a special guest will be traveling with them too. Ever since senior night – which was "Mr. Worldwide" themed – a life-size cutout of singer Pitbull has traveled with the Northstars to every game.
After the medal ceremony on Monday evening, the entire team held the cutout up in the air and posed for a photo with it.
"He's our good luck charm now," Graham said. "Ever since we came out with the win on senior night. He comes with us everywhere."
