For the first time since the mid-1980s, the Baldwinsville boys lacrosse team hit the field without Peter Fiorini guiding them from the sidelines.
The search for Fiorini’s successor ultimately led the Bees to select Matt Wilcox for that role. Fittingly, Wilcox is a B’ville alum, charged with the task of keeping a strong, steady program pushing toward the top of the Section III Class A ranks.
But there is bound to be some bumps along the way. After all, B’ville not only saw Fiorini retire, but had most of its 2014 starting lineup graduate, including the likes of Steve Petrelli, Mitch Rein, Sean Barron, Connor Chapman, Dan Thomas, Luke McCaffrey and Clayton Messmer.
And for its season opener last Tuesday night, the Bees drew none other than West Genesee, though the game wasn’t played in Camillus due to troubles with the Wildcats’ home turf.
Instead, the game took place at Nottingham High School, where B’ville suffered through the worst possible start before settling down and playing quite well the rest of the night, though it still resulted in a 14-8 defeat.
Essentially, the game got settled in the opening minutes. Having already played once (beating Penfield 10-4 at Onondaga Community College on March 28), WG dominated the early face-offs, attacked hard and tore through the Bees’ defense, gathering up a 6-0 lead before the game was six minutes old, Nick Cunningham netting three of the goals.
B’ville did get on the board late in the period, but still trailed 7-1. Then it played on dead-even terms with the Wildcats the rest of the night, matching them goal-for-goal, but never able to make a sustained run to create some late suspense.
Jacob Anderson led the Bees’ attack, pouring in four goals, half his team’s output. Charlie Bertrand, Pete Fiorini III, Patrick Delpha and Connor Smith had one goal apiece, with Fiorini also contributing an assist. Cunningham finished with four goals as David Procopio and Ryan McDonald both scored three times and Mike Fletcher managed four assists to go with his lone tally.
Two days later, B’ville faced Vestal (Section IV) at Onondaga Community College’s Murphy Field, and it was here that Wilcox earned his first victory at the helm, with the Bees finishing strong to defeat the Golden Bears 14-9.
Much of the game was played on even terms, B’ville getting a 3-2 first-quarter lead, but unable to make any kind of sustained run against a Vestal side that won its fair share of face-offs and, by doing so, dictated the game’s tempo.
Clinging to a 7-6 lead going to the fourth quarter, B’ville was able to pull away because it claimed some of those draws and quickly capitalized, doubling its output from the first three periods.
Bertrand led with four goals, but the attack was otherwise well-balanced. Anderson and Dillon Darcangelo and Jacob Anderson each scored twice.
Ryan Gebhardt earned four assists, joining Fiorini, Smith, Delpha, Matt Dickman and Evan Stolicker with single goals. Darcangelo, Fiorini and Smith also had assists as Riley Smith and Sean Coe, splitting time in goal, combined for 13 saves.
During the week of the school break, B’ville would play four times in six days, facing LaFayette on Monday at OCC, going to Auburn Wednesday and Fayetteville-Manlius Friday before Saturday’s non-league game at Watertown IHC.
