An extra goal during a quiet moment allowed the Baldwinsville ice hockey team to build its win streak to seven consecutive games.
Nothing about the Bees’ trip to Oswego last Tuesday night proved easy, but it was worth all the fuss as it beat the Buccaneers by a score of 4-3.
Originally set for Dec. 19, B’ville and Oswego saw their first regular-season meeting twice delayed by different winter snowstorms, adding to the restless edge on both sides.
So when the weather cleared up and they finally got to “The Fort”, B’ville sense that it would be a dangerous assignment, despite its 8-1 record and Oswego’s 1-5 mark.
They played through a 2-2 first-period deadlock, both sides breaking through. B’ville would land the lone goal in the second period, though, a single play that, in the long term, would prove quite important.
This was especially true when Oswego tied it again in the third period, 3-3. B’ville kept it even, then took advantage of a power play. With 49 seconds left in regulation, Connor Bertrand ripped it past Bucs goalie Matt Howard into the net.
Bertrand’s game-winner was his second goal of the night, to go with one assist. Chris Newman and Nick Gaworecki also scored, with Patrick Briggs earning two assists. Adam Mohr joined Newman and Bertrand in the assist column. Nick Leader had 26 saves, two less than Howard, as Josh Sova (two goals) and David Morgia (two assists) led the Bucs’ offense.
B’ville then took its second defeat of the season on Saturday, falling to Rochester McQuaid by a score of 4-3 despite a furious late rally.
Down 2-0 after two periods, the Bees scored three times in the final frame as Newman and Briggs each got one goal and one assist, and Brad Burlingame also scored. Mark Belluci got two assists as Mohr and Bertrand also earned assists.
McQuaid answered with two goals of its own, though, and held on to win, as Nick Lasenna, Woody Hudson, Ethan Madison and Adam Reask all scored for the Knights to negate Leader’s 17 saves.
As a follow-up, the Bees took on Canisius, from Buffalo, Monday night and played the Crusaders to a 2-2 tie.
All the goals came in the second period, with Briggs finding the net twice on B’ville’s behalf, each time off passes from Newman. Leaders did his part to keep the game even, turning back a full array of Canisius shots in the third period and overtime on his way to 32 saves.
Following this string of activity at the end of 2008, the Bees christen the new year next Tuesday when it takes on Auburn at Lysander Arena.
