As far as opening impressions go, the Baldwinsville field hockey team could hardly have done better.
The Bees went up against defending Section III Class A champion Rome Free Academy last Wednesday afternoon and toyed with the Black Knights from start to finish, often finding the back of the net in a 4-0 shutout of the Black Knights.
Granted, RFA had many different players to replace from its 2009 title team, and it was playing on grass instead of its home artificial surface. Still, B’ville put together the kind of performance necessary to make a title run in 2010.
Comfortable with its attack, the Bees stayed in RFA’s end most of the game, converting twice to take a 2-0 halftime lead. Then it added two more goals in the late going, never letting the Black Knights counter.
Four different players — Paige McKenna, Lindsay Varga, Natalie Lynch and Andrea Davaro — came up with the four B’ville goals. Sierra Earle fed them with a pair of assists.
And this proved just a warm-up for what the Bees would do in Friday’s game at Watertown – namely, score at will during a 16-0 destruction of the Cyclones.
B’ville notched eight goals in each half, and McKenna led the way as she poured in a career-best six goals. Lynch wasn’t far behind, setting her own career mark by putting four shots in the net.
Varga had a three-goal hat trick, too, while Nicole Bourdon, Lexi Pastore and Liz Ventura earned single goals. Bourdon added an assist.
B’ville returns home Tuesday to face Cicero-North Syracuse before making a Thursday trip to Auburn.
