CENTRAL NEW YORK – Eight consecutive victories, five of them shutouts, had helped the Baldwinsville ice hockey remain at no. 4 in the latest state Division I rankings.
But an even bigger chance at glory loomed ahead for the Bees as it went to the Duke Schneider Memorial Tournament with a chance, if things broke right, at ending an epochal three-year unbeaten streak put together by the host Skaneateles Lakers.
In last Friday’s opening-round game against Williamsville South (Section VI), B’ville did its part quite well, dominating the Billies from start to finish on the way to a 9-1 win.
Keegan Lynch, Matt Carner and Reese Gilmore each scored twice, combining for four assists. Brayden Penafeather-Stevenson got a goal and two assists as Harrisson Bragg and Brayden Evans also found the net. Cole Schuyler and Dan Spade had two assists apiece.
But then the Bees watched as Pelham, ranked no. 2 in the state in Division II, scored three times in the opening period and held on late to knock off Skaneateles 5-3, halting the Lakers’ 65-game unbeaten run that dated back to December 2018.
Thus, it was the Pelicans who would take on B’ville in the title game. For two periods, the Bees’ defense did a superb job containing Pelham as it fought its way to a 1-0 lead.
Then B’ville doubled the margin to 2-0 early in the third, having seen Carner and Penafeather-Stevenson put in the goals, only to have the Pelicans cut it to 2-1 on Ben Rosenberg’s goal with 4:03 left and, with an extra attacker, pull even when Eric Elbery scored with 1:48 to play.
Through a seven minute, 30-second overtime period, neither team could score, so it went to a shootout. B’ville fell behind, but tied it through three rounds.
Then both teams converted in the fourth round before a Bees goal, and stop on the other end, gave B’ville the tournament title. Lynch, Penafeather-Stevenson and Fernando Moreno were the players that found the net in the shootout.
All through the game, Jon Schirmer had put together a career-best effort, facing a steady stream of Pelham shots and turning most of them back on his way to 51 saves overall.
Before going to Skaneateles, B’ville had, once again, displayed its defensive prowess against Rome Free Academy last Tuesday night in Lysander, securing its place near the top of the standings by blanking the Black Knights 3-0.
This wasn’t a game where the puck was in one end all night. RFA had a fair number of opportunities, but B’ville’s defense held it to 17 shots, all stopped by Schirmer.
It helped Schirmer to have a lead to protect, B’ville quickly going up 2-0 by the end of the first period and able to stay patient until tacking on a third-period insurance goal.
Carner scored twice, helped by Schuyler, who had the other goal. Lynch, Evans, Matt Fawwaz and Leo Vona had one assist apiece.
