Cost on the doorstep	McKeon stopped 20 Laker shots

The defending Class A State Champion West Genes Wildcats (1-0 ) and perennial Class B power Skaneateles Lakers 0-1(0-0)opened up their 2004 scholastic lacrosse season with a game that looked like it belonged in a Section III cliff hanger at Coyne Field in June. Despite the torrential rain and chilly temperatures the hearty fans hardly had time to hope their team would steal the game as both sides took turns tearing away the momentum from each other.

Skaneateles opened the scoring 1-0 at the 9:56 mark of the first quarter when senior middie Matt Welch drove around the right side of the Wildcat cage and bounced a shot past Genny junior goalie Dan MCkeon. Playing a man up after a Laker penalty for pushing the Cats used a pretty tick-tack-toe passing sequence as the trio of senior attackman Andrew Hanover, Tom Donahue and Brian Cost appeared to have tied the game at 8:47 but Cost's goal was disallowed for a crease violation.
Genny's first legitimate goal came 43 seconds later when Donahue took a feed from Hanover who was behind the cage, absorbed a hit and shoveled a one handed shot past Laker junior goalie Bill Delaney while lying face down on the ground in front of the Laker net to knot the game at 1-1.

Skaneateles then regained control of the game as they constantly peppered McKeon only to be turned away time and again. Mckeon first blanked senior middie Chris Richards at 6:13 when he snared Richards shot low to his stick side. Richards next attempt eluded McKeon only to glance off the cross bar. Skaneateles continued to pressure the Genny defense when junior attackman Chris Doctor spun on the crease but was stuffed at point blank range by McKeon. The relentless Laker pressure forced Genny into two consecutive penalties, but again Mckeon came to the Wildcats aid. Doctor tried to push Skaneateles ahead as darted past a fallen Genny defender only to have his top corner shot flicked away by McKeon at the last instant. Mckeon then snuffed senior middie Steve Babbles to keep the game tied. Hanover rewarded Mckeon's stellar play with an unassisted goal with just 16 seconds left in the first quarter when he darted out from behind the Laker net and tucked a shot past Delaney ending the quarter in Genny's favor 2-1, despite being out shot 10-3 by Skaneateles.

The Wildcats extended their lead to 3-1 at 10:00 of the second quarter when Hanover netted his second in a row with assists to Donahue and Cost. Skaneateles then retaliated with three goals in a row as senior attackman John Marino made it 3-2 at 8:10, followed by an unassisted goal by Babbles with 6:30 left to knot the score at 3-3. The Lakers fourth goal came with 3:42 left when senior middie Matt Welch took a feed from sophomore attackman Chris Welch and used a pretty behind the back shot that eluded McKeon and put the home team ahead 4-3. Cost answered for the Cats with 2:51 left to go in the half when he took a pass from Hanover who was behind the cage, toed the crease and redirected the pass past Delaney making the score 4-3. Mckeon came to the Cats rescue again with just 52 seconds to play as he partially blocked a point blank shot on the crease and turned around just in time to scoop the rolling ball off the goal line. Hanover's second goal of the half with just four seconds remaining appeared to give the Cats a cushion as they head to the sidelines with a 5-4 lead.

Genny increased their lead to 6-4 at 9:06 of the third with a left handed bullet compliments of senior middie Alex Bily. But the Lakers refused to fold as Babbles swept in from midfield and put a bouncer just under the crossbar at 7:28 to cut the lead to 6-5. Hanover would then take advantage of a failed Laker clear netting his third of the game at 5:04 to put Genny back up by two at 7-5. With Genny holding a two goal lead nearing the end of the third quarter junior middie Dan Hunt beat several Genny defenders in front of the goal scoring with just 25 seconds to go cutting the lead to 7-6. The Cats wasted little regaining their two goal edge when Bily used a blistering bounce shot from 20yards out that skipped by Delaney at 10:06 giving Genny an 8-6 lead. Less than thirty seconds later the never say die Lakers found the range again with a Chris Welch goal at 9:34 cutting Genny's lead to 8-7.
Junior middie Tim Griffin scored his first of the night with 6:52 when he beat Delaney to his right side to give the Cats another cushion at 9-7.

Less than nine seconds later Babbles retaliated with his third of the game for the Lakers sweeping in off the face-off to narrow the margin to 9-8. The Cats nearly ended the game with just over six minutes to go when Bily found himself wide open in front only to ring his shot off the left goal post. Moments later Cost found himself all alone in front but Delaney came up big stuffing the Cats and keeping the Lakers in the game. Matt Welch then tied the game 9-9 with only 54 ticks left on the clock and the scene seemed to be set for a sudden overtime. However the Cats nearly ended by winning the face-off and getting a fast break only to have Delaney turn Costs shot aside at the final whistle. McKeon and Delaney were the heroes of the first overtime trading save after save. Delaney started the goal tending duel by stuffing Cost one on one. McKeon followed with 1:22 left with a huge save on Doctor, followed by another great save on Richards with 36 seconds to go.

With just 18 seconds left in the first overtime Genny had a chance to put the game away as they took the ball in to the left of the Lakers goal from 25 yards out but were called for crease interference giving the ball back to Skaneateles with six seconds to go. Babbles tried to end the game but was turned aside as his near buzzer beater was blocked by Mckeon sending the game into it's sixth and final period. Genny finally found a way to wrestle the game from the Lakers when junior attackman David Osier netted the winning goal 10-9 with 1:23 left off a fastbreak after having entered the game moments before.

1 2 3 4 5 6 final
West Genesse 2 3 2 2 0 1 10
Skaneateles 1 3 2 3 0 0 9
Hanover 4 goals, 2 assists Bily 2 goals, Donahue 1goal,1 assist, Tim Griffin 1 goal, Brian Cost 1 goal.
Saves : Dan McKeon 20
Face-Offs: West Genesee 12 of 20
Shots: West Genesee 33 / Skaneateles 27
Saves: Delaney / Skaneateles 14
Ground Balls: Skaneateles 20 / West Genesee 30