As it crossed the midway point of the regular season, the Baldwinsville field hockey team sported a six-game unbeaten streak and was atop the Salt City Athletic Conference standings.
The Bees had done so despite having four different games go to overtime, including last Wednesday’s tense 2-1 win over East Syracuse Minoa at Spartan Stadium.
ESM entered this game having won six in a row, and it withstood plenty of heavy B’ville pressure in the first half, with Sarah Dusse’s goal the lone breakthrough that got the visitors in front.
Less than a minute into the second half, the Spartans tied it, 1-1, with Grace Stone’s goal. Unfazed by this, B’ville continued piling up opportunities, making ESM goalie Maura Leib record 21 saves.
And when it got to OT, the Bees, who had beaten Cortland and Cicero-North Syracuse and tied Fayetteville-Manlius in three previous trips beyond regulation, knew how to finish, Mackenzie Wodka putting it past Leib for the game-winner.
Already, the Bees had swept its neighbors from Liverpool, completing it last Monday night at Pelcher-Arcaro Stadium by blanking the Warriors 3-0.
These teams had met Sept. 5 and B’ville had won 4-0. Less than two weeks later, little changed in the rematch, other than the Warriors generating a few more chances.
Hailey Boda turned them all away, though, making six saves, while on the other end veterans took over. Wodka and Emma Brushingham each had one goal and one assist, with the other goal going to Erika Van Slyke.
On Friday, B’ville visited Burton Street Elementary to face Cazenovia, who had a string of 11 consecutive Section III titles broken in 2017 and had struggled plenty this fall, too, only sporting a 2-2-1 record.
The Bees took full advantage of this situation, finally avoiding overtime by defeating the Lakers 3-1. Though Lily Sorbello scored in the first half for Cazenovia, B’ville still seized a 2-1 advantage.
Then, as the defense made sure the Lakers didn’t catch up, the Bees added another goal as Brushingham would score twice and Wodka also converted, Madison Ascioti getting credit for an assist.
B’ville would take an 8-1-1 record into Monday’s game at Moravia and then have a big match on Saturday against four-time defending state Class C champion Whitney Point.
