Ingraham and Mancini Put on a Show in Victory over Lakeland/Panas

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On Tuesday May 13, Somers hosted Lakeland/Panas, and a little family business was a part of the day’s uplift. “My mom always wants to see us connect, so I’m sure she was very happy,” said Lyla Mancini of her assist to sister Isabella. But the player at X has more than one sister on this team, and in a very specific case, no synergy is lost to the fact that the duo doesn’t share chromosomes.

Mancini assisted Sydney Ingraham three times, and Ingraham returned the favor once in Somers 14-9 victory. “I just love playing with her,” said Mancini.

There’s no problem when Ingraham goes it alone either. After Ingraham won the opening faceoff, she dove into a 50-50 scrum in front of the net, and upon emerging with the ball, she hit the net for a 1-0 lead.

61 seconds into the game, the Tusker took the next two draws, and both times Mancini was only too happy to wait for a pair of Ingraham cuts. “She can always get herself open,” said Mancini, and the result was a hat trick on the first three possessions.

A blowout looming, Lakeland/Panas had other ideas. Emma Stewart scored on a penalty shot at 6:03, and after Veronica Lynch denied Mia Paulmeno from ten yards out, the Rebels showed that they could pass too.

On the rush upfield, Katelyn Kuney received near the goal line, and drifting into the end zone, she drew the defense. Emma Stewart was left open, and the attacker received in prime position for a 3-2 game.

Not for long, Ingraham executed in the circle, and the Mancini’s did the rest. Holding her favorite piece of real estate behind the goal, Lyla Mancini spotted Isabella Mancini in her own co-op. “She had a clear opening, and I passed it,” said the elder.

In for a 4-2 lead, the passer made the play sound easy. Not quite, Lyla waited from the back left, and the assist came over the outstretched sticks of the goalie and the back defender. The beeline to the right of the goalie also eluded Isabella’s defender, and upon receipt, the younger beat Lynch’s attempt to slide over for the save.

Mom wasn’t the only one who was pleased either. Setting up her sister, said Lyla Mancini, “I was very happy.”

At 2:58, Ingraham was out of the draw, and Brooke Pizzarello made the most of the absence. She raced down with the win, but the free shot gave Emma Donaldson the chance to shine.

The Somers goalie got a piece of the low ball and more Tusker offense was on the way. Up the field, the ball still got away from Somers but the 50-50 went to Paulmeno. Now, she raced into a penalty shot, and the junior made good at 1:41.

Plenty of time it turned out for the visitors. Emma Stewart took a pass from behind, beat Donaldson with 24 seconds to go, and Lilly Whippo got the edge on the subsequent draw. Pizzarello running under again, she had the hosts doing a double take and rushed downfield to cut the lead to one on the penalty shot.

Onto the second, the teams traded turnovers until Lakeland/Panas leveled the game off. Madalena DiMirco spotted a crevice in the Somers defense, bolted from 15 yards away and tied the game at five.

9:01 remaining in the half, Somers restored order, and it started when the defense drew a charge on Pizzarello, Meodow Dondl took over, and cornered on the sideline, the defender didn’t let all the attention slow the ride.

She dumped off to Caitlyn Mayfield whose pass was just slightly long to Kiera Linares. No problem, Ingraham was on the ball. She made the pick up and went falling down forward with a shot that gave Somers the lead for good.

In at 6:02, Panas won another draw but not for long. The Tusker defense swarmed DiMirco, and her forced centering pass sent both teams on the scramble. The win going to Dondl, she deferred the express train in favor of airmailing one to Mayfield. Non stop, the sophomore took it all the way to the house for a 7-5 lead at 5:27.

This brought Ingraham back to the circle and resuming her winning ways put the Tusker on the set up. Around the perimeter, the ball eventually came back to Ingraham, and the senior put the moves on.

On the right, Ingraham ran into the defense of Pizzarello, stopped short and cut inside for a clear path. No chance for Lynch, the Notre Dame commit had her fifth goal.

An 8-5 game, the defense set up the offense again. After Lynch denied Paulmeno on a penalty shot, the goalie’s swing for midfield sailed, and the Dondl scoop put the offense in a gear that was a departure from the early going. “We needed to settle the ball more on offense and just take our time passing,” said Paulmeno.

The Tuskers did just that, and from behind, Mancini waited for Ingraham to make her move. Coming around a pick, the lead elephant received and fired over the shoulder for the sixth of her seven goals.

Pizzarello did score with 22 seconds left in the half, but the defense maintained the three goal lead until Paulmeno’s penalty shot at 7:45 opened the skies. Mayfield, Ingraham, Mancini and Kate Barton added goals, which had Coach Daly spreading the praise. “It was a well rounded team win,” she concluded.