SKANEATELES –– Cincinnatus head coach Lisa Sustad was smirking like everyone just learned how good her team truly is. The Lions had just gone to perennial Section III Class B contender Skaneateles and won 3-0, dominating the game from start to finish.
Cincinnatus returned most of its Class D state championship-winning team this year, but the Lions had yet to face a test like Skaneateles this year. Sustad knew her girls were ready and would shine when given the opportunity.
“I’ve been excited all day,” Sustad said.
Cincinnatus goalkeeper Sidney Glover needed to make just three saves for the clean sheet, but it was the teamwork that put Cincinnatus in control. The Lions moved the ball all over the field, possessing and making the Lakers chase them all over.
“They’re a good team, but I feel like on our team we have dominant players on every part of the field,” senior Cassia Schuyler said. “I feel like that definitely showed (Thursday). There was no weakness in any part of our play. We possessed from the back to the goal.”
After Skaneateles threatened in the first few minutes of the game, Cincinnatus slowly began to take over. Jocelyn Turshman put the Lions on the board with 17:51 left before halftime. Jelsie Stafford passed to Payton Landers, who touched it right to Turshman. The sophomore let a shot go and it hit Skaneateles goalkeeper Mara Stanton in the hands and trickled in the net.
“The moment the goal went in everyone got so hyped and I think it really put up the energy,” Turshman said. “Everyone had the drive to keep going. Then we got the second and the third came along naturally.”
Schuyler added another goal with 4:34 left before halftime, hitting a laser from an angle past Stanton.
The Lions appeared to weather a few Skaneateles waves in the second half, with Glover making a diving save with 14:22 left to keep the Lakers off the board.
Lucy Finch sealed the deal with 11:38 remaining, putting away a Schuyler cross.
Sustad wanted to challenge her girls with a big-time game and knew they love the spotlight.
“These girls have a way of coming alive in games like this,” Sustad said. “We’ve been using the other games for possession and strengths and weaknesses, but I couldn’t wait for a more competitive game.”
Cincinnatus, now 7-0, had done a bit of a scout on Skaneateles but didn’t quite know how Thursday would play out. Turshman just wanted the team to work hard and figured things would go well.
“We didn’t really anticipate a whole lot, we just knew we had to come in and play hard,” Turshman said. “Everyone on that field did what they could and as a team we worked together no matter how long you played.”
The Lions have a few more tough non-league games coming up, but first must play rival McGraw at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at SUNY Cortland. The Cincinnatus and McGraw boys soccer teams will play after a 8:30.
