What was a hot rivalry in girls lacrosse between Baldwinsville and West Genesee had turned one-sided in recent years, the Bees always putting up a valiant effort, but always seeing the Wildcats finish on top.
All of that changed on Tuesday at Pelcher-Arcaro Stadium, instantly adding intrigue to the upcoming Section III Class A playoffs -and giving B’ville fans a reason to hope for more magic once the post-season got underway.
Dictating the game’s tempo, playing superb defense and getting terrific work in goal from freshman Julia George, the Bees stunned the state no. 1-ranked Wildcats 6-5, marking the first time since 2009 that B’ville had prevailed over the reigning state Class A champions.
Though it did hold the top spot in the state poll, WG was far from the unstoppable unit that blazed to the 2014 sectional and state crowns, having lost at home to Cicero-North Syracuse and Skaneateles this season.
What’s more, B’ville had played the Wildcats tough in the April 1 season opener at Fayetteville-Manlius, a 12-7 defeat that took place long before George got called up from the junior varsity ranks and took over as the Bees’ primary goalie.
Regardless of who was in the net, though, B’ville knew that, in order to topple WG, it had to win draws and, more importantly, not get into an up-and-down, fast-paced affair that the Wildcats preferred.
The first half went exactly as planned. Claiming draws, the Bees took plenty of time working in WG’s end, and after an early exchange of goals, it put home three straight tallies to race to a 4-1 lead by the 10-minute mark.
With that, the game’s tone was set, and even though the Wildcats closed the deficit to 4-2 by halftime, and pulled within 4-3 early in the second half, B’ville had the visitors out of its rhythm, and also stayed calm in the face of WG’s pressure.
Two more goals, the last one coming with four minutes left, put the Bees up a 6-3, a cushion it needed as Kyra Bednarski and Grace Osterdale both scored for WG late. But Osterdale’s goal came with just 4.5 seconds left, not enough time to get the ball with a chance to get even and force overtime.
All through the game, Jaclyn Hingre, Samantha Cannon and the rest of the B’ville defenders made crucial stops, and when that didn’t work, George was tough, stopping eight of the 13 direct shots she faced.
Taylor Gebhardt paced B’ville’s modest attack, scoring a three-goal hat trick. Peyton Fleming, Alex Leo and Anna Mazurkiewicz earned one goal apiece, with Fleming and Andrea Walker contributing assists.
Yet as good as this victory felt, another win over West Genesee would mean even more, and it could happen in the Class A sectional tournament.
Given the no. 4 seed in a six-team field, the Bees would have to turn back no. 5 seed Fayetetville-Manlius in next Tuesday’s opening round – and the winner plays West Genesee, who still got the top seed, in the May 21 semifinal at Chittenango High School. The final is May 26 at the Carrier Dome.
