Baldwinsville’s girls soccer team did not require any extra motivation with a berth in the state Class AA final four on the line – but Niskayuna provided it just by serving as the opposition for Saturday’s regional championship game at Stillwater High School.
Remembering full well how the Silver Warriors beat them earlier this season, the Bees played a far better game this time around, taking over in the second half and prevailing by a 3-0 margin.
These two sides had first encountered each other Sept. 26. Niskayuna won that game, 2-1, part of a campaign that eventually resulted in a sectional title and a rematch in home territory against the Bees.
But things were far different this time, aside from the higher stakes. B’ville had a week to prepare for this game after blanking Liverpool 3-0 in the Section III Class AA final Oct. 31 at Fulton, while Niskayuna had played its Section II final late Wednesday night and required four overtimes to subdue Shenendehowa 3-2.
Even with half the rest time, though, the Silver Warriors attacked B’ville hard in the early going, getting several chances in the early minutes.
The Bees’ defense withstood them, and stayed patient even as it could not pounce on its own first-half scoring chances. It also gained more momentum when goalie Mackenzie Hanna dove to stop a close-up shot by Niskayuna’s Marika Contompasis late in the half.
With the game still 0-0, Jade Gentile changed the game’s tone. Less than 90 seconds into the second half. Getting around the Silver Warrior defenders, Gentile took a pass from Addison Hornsey and drilled a shot past Niskayuna goalie Morgan Kelleher.
Try as it could, the Silver Warriors could not contain Gentile, who timed a perfect pass to Bella May and watched as May put home the Bees’ second goal. And the Bees sealed it with 7:43 left when Lauren Paul found the net.
This brings, for B’ville, a return to the state semifinals, where it last appeared in 2010, falling in the semifinals to John Jay-East Fishkill.
The Bees face Section IX champion Monroe-Woodbury (who routed Corning 6-0 in its regional game) in the state AA semifinals, which takes place next Saturday at noon at Tompkins County Community College in Dryden. The winner advances to the state final a day later at SUNY-Cortland.
