Knowing that it would appear in the Section III Class A playoffs, the Baldwinsville field hockey team could use its last week of the regular season as a chance to work on all kinds of things in game action against a trio of foes.
None proved tougher than Camden, who hosted the Bees last Tuesday afternoon and proved why they are the favorites for sectional Class B honors, topping B’ville in a 4-0 decision.
Much of it took place in the second half, the Bees only trailing 1-0 at the break and getting fine work in the net from Kaitlyn Gee, who would finish with 13 saves.
Yet Gee and the rest of the Bees’ defenders found it impossible to contain Alyssa Curtis, who had transferred to Camden from Holland Patent this year and has lit up opponents. Curtis managed a three-goal hat trick, giving her 29 for the season, with Sidney McGowan earning the other goal.
At least B’ville got to return home Thursday to face an Auburn side it beat 5-0 back on Sept. 15 and had just taken a 13-0 defeat to Cicero-North Syracuse.
B’ville would prolong the Maroons’ misery, winning by a 7-0 margin as it scored five times in the first half alone, taking 15 shots and converting on nearly half of them.
Jade Earle led the charge, producing a three-goal hat trick, her passes often coming from Serena Capsello, who had three assists to go with a single goal. Maria McCaffrey, Amanda Strenk and Mackenzie Kimball also found the net, with Mackenzie Carhart and Hannah Wood earning assists.
A day later, the Bees’ regular season concluded with a visit from Oneida, and it ended in much the same manner as the Auburn game, only with more goals as B’ville rolled past the Indians 8-0.
Up 5-0 by halftime, the Bees got a particularly big effort from Capsello, who got a hat trick of her own as she scored three times and added a pair of assists.
Wood was right behind, managing two goals and two assists, while Earle, Carhart and Alyssa Bell earned one goal apiece. Samantha Smith made it to the assist column.
All of this left the Bees with a 10-6 regular-season mark, and the no. 3 seed in the five-team Class A sectional playoff bracket. On Saturday, B’ville faces no. 2 seed Liverpool in the semifinals at East Syracuse-Minoa, with the winner going to the Nov. 1 final at Rome Free Academy Stadium.
