Even though it blazed through most of its opposition on the way to the Section III Class AA championship in 2019, the Baldwinsville boys soccer team still left that campaign hungry.
The Bees’ overtime defeat to Shenendehowa in the regional finals derailed a run at a first-ever state title, and the original plan for 2020 was to try and complete that unfinished task.
But the COVID-19 pandemic altered that agenda. Without a sectional or state championship to go after, B’ville would have to adjust and try, once more, to conquer all of its local rivals.
That it wouldn’t prove easy was made evident by Friday night’s season opener at West Genesee. The Wildcats pushed the Bees to overtime and nearly salvaged a draw before Malik Davis delivered in the waning moments to give B’ville a 2-1 victory.
From last year’s squad, the Bees return 10 seniors, including goalie Owen Tracy and back-line starters Jack Branigan and Geoffrey Tse, while Davis leads a talented junior class.
West Genesee, meanwhile, was quite eager for another chance at upending B’ville, having lost to them in last fall’s sectional Class AA semifinals, and didn’t get rattled when Davis, off a feed from Branigan, netted a first-half goal to put his team in front.
Still trailing 1-0, the Wildcats pulled even in the second half, Justin Byrne getting a shot past Tracy as Josh Rimualdo got credit for the assist. For the rest of regulation and most of two sudden-victory overtime periods, it remained even.
But with 15 seconds left, Davis flashed open and, again getting a well-timed feed from Branigan, put home the game-winning goal, the Bees quite eager to escape this game knowing it will face WG again Oct. 20.
In the meantime, B’ville will get in another full week of practice before facing reigning sectional Class A champion Jamesville-DeWitt next Friday, a prelude to an Oct. 12 showdown with Fayetteville-Manlius at Swan Pond.
