The strong effort put forth by the Baldwinsville ice hockey team during its 3-1 defeat to West Genesee on Dec. 9 at Lysander Arena provided a benefit beyond the Bees’ knowledge that it could stick right with the reigning Section III Division I champions.
When the first state Division I rankings were released early last week, the Bees held the no. 14 spot, but it nearly gave away that mark in last Tuesday night’s game at Fulton, where it trailed going into the third period but, thanks to Zach Perez’s late heroics, pulled out a 3-2 decision over the Red Raiders.
It was the third straight time a B’ville game was close going into the third period, which wasn’t a big surprise since Fulton had already played the Bees tough in a 4-1 decision in the Dec. 2 opening round of the Bobby Conklin Memorial Tournament.
Here, Fulton grabbed a 2-0 lead, having with Ethan Cimino assisting on both Red Raiders goals – one by Rocco Cannatta, the other by Austin Vashaw. Also, Spencer Evans was having a superb game in the net, on his way to 30 saves.
Through all this, B’ville stayed patient, and when Josh Racha scored late in the second period, things turned around. Perez, who had missed the first four games of the season, assisted on Racha’s goal, but was only getting started.
Thanks to Perez’s first goal of the season, the Bees tied it, 2-2, and kept building the pressure on Evans. With just 16 seconds left in regulation, Perez, possessing the puck at an awkward angle to the net, found a small opening and blasted a shot through it past Evans for the game-winner.
It’s already the second time this season B’ville has won a game in the waning seconds of the third period, having done so with Ryan Gebhardt’s goal with two seconds to play to beat Syracuse in the Dec. 3 final of the Conklin Tournament.
Now the Bees came back home Friday to face Liverpool, with whom it shares the Lysander facility. It turned into another physical battle between long-time neighbors and rivals, but B’ville was up to it, shutting out the Warriors 3-0.
Coming off a 9-2 defeat to West Genesee two nights earlier, Liverpool was determined to assert itself on the defensive side, which it did during a scoreless first period that featured plenty of checks and hits.
B’ville weathered all this and, in the second period, grabbed a 2-0 lead, tacking on an insurance goal and watching Alex Rose stop all 26 shots he faced for his first shutout of the winter.
Perez produced a goal and assist, with Carhart and Alex Schmidt also earning goals. Gebhardt, Jacob Abbey and Chris Speelman got credit for assists as the Bees overcame a terrific effort in the net by Liverpool goalie Sebastian Jesmore, who recorded 36 saves.
On Tuesday night, B’ville goes to Meachem Rink to face Syracuse, the team it beat 4-3 in the Dec. 3 finals of the Conklin Tournament, but has scored 10 of more goals in its other four games. Then the Bees head to Rome’s Kennedy Arena Friday night and plays Mohawk Valley.
