Six matches, six victories and zero goals allowed in those wins helped the Baldwinsville boys soccer team climb to no. 4 in the first state Class AA rankings of the season.
This entire run of 491-plus minutes without a concession was a tribute to the work done in the back line by seniors Alex Charest and Teklu Habtesion, along with junior Jared Kantak and Jack Branigan, the only sophomore on the roster.
Together, this quartet has offered ample protection to whoever is in the net, and the longer the shutout streak went, the more their role in this 6-0 start was enhanced.
Whenever this streak ended would be a big deal. That it happened at Liverpool Thursday night, and the result of that was a 1-0 defeat to the Warriors, made it hurt a bit more.
Liverpool was off to its own fine start at 4-1, its lone defeat to state no. 2-ranked Bethlehem, and the Warriors were no. 15 in the state rankings, serving as B’ville’s biggest test so far.
Throughout the game’s early stages, the Warriors had put together a string of run. Then, just past the 11-minute mark, the ball drifted out to junior Ujjwal Chhetri, situated 35 yards from the net and slightly to the right.
Given room to take a long-distance shot, Chhetri powered a perfect drive that proved too high for B’ville goalie Nate Hanna and fit just inside the crossbar at the top of the net.
For the rest of the night, the Warriors would make plenty of spirited attempts to add to its total, yet could not do so, leaving the matter to its own defense to protect a one-goal margin for more than 68 minutes.
Seniors Mike Salinas and Connor McClain, along with junior Jack Pento, anchored a back line that constantly frustrated the Bees, clogging up the middle and ably handling whatever free kicks or corner kicks B’ville gained. They also protected goalie Ben White, who didn’t have to make many difficult stops, though he did have six saves, the same total as Hanna.
Back on Monday night, B’ville had made it six shutouts in a row, but visiting West Genesee proved tough, keeping the Bees off the board for more than a half before the hosts got away for a 2-0 victory.
It stayed 0-0 throughout the first half, WG under constant assault and yet holding on, Zach Bolton continuing his fine work in goal as he would finish the night with 20 saves.
Only in the 49th minute did B’ville break through with Josh Price’s goal, assisted by Tyler Johnson. And it wasn’t until Ben Rabe converted off a feed from Price with 10:40 to play could the Bees pull clear.
The loss to Liverpool only begin the season’s tough stretch as B’ville hosts 3-0-2 Cicero-North Syracuse next Tuesday and then, next Saturday at noon, venture to Swan Pond for its first encounter with Fayetteville-Manlius since last fall’s Section III Class AA final that the Hornets won in overtime.
