CENTRAL NEW YORK – In order to make a real climb up the area large-school ladder, the Fayetteville-Manlius field hockey team must first get through other challengers who are just as hungry.
Liverpool served as the Hornets’ first league opponent of the season last Wednesday night at LHS Stadium and, despite getting on the scoreboard, F-M fell 3-1 to the Warriors.
Having finished third in the season-opening Whitesboro Tournament on Sept. 6-7, F-M continued to get strong play from Carlye Bryant, who put in her fourth goal of the season unassisted.
Most of the game, though, was in the Hornets’ end, Liverpool taking 18 shots to F-M’s two. Emma Dobrovech made 15 saves, but the trio of Gianna Carbone, Sophia Puccia and Jane Razza all beat her for single goals.
Staying in league play on Saturday morning, F-M made another trip, this time to Pelcher-Arcaro Stadium to face Baldwinsville, and found itself forcing overtime but taking a 2-1 defeat to the Bees.
Trailing 1-0 at halftime, F-M pulled back even when Isa Crain converted, the Hornets able to keep B’ville quiet for the rest of regulation. So it went 1-1 to a seven-on-seven OT.
A tremendous team effort won it for the Bees. Kate Rinn took a pass from Isabel Seabest, who had cleared it out of her end, and moving the ball until finding Abigail Mantione in stride as Mantione, in one motion, flicked the game-winner past Dobrevich.
Prior to that, Dobrovech had earned 14 saves, with F-M getting all kinds of chances throughout the afternoon yet turned back due to 20 saves from B’ville goalie Chloe Butler.
Back on Friday, East Syracuse Minoa met Auburn and kept the game scoreless until the fourth quarter, when the Maroons inched in front and beat the Spartans 1-0. It was Sydney Yurco netting the game-winner, dropping ESM’s overall record to 0-2.
