No one on the Baldwinsville field hockey team wanted the joyous, historic excursion through the 2010 season to end.
Yet it did end Tuesday night in the Class A regional playoffs, where Section IV champion Greene, playing on its home turf, beat the Bees 1-0 in overtime.
Just three days after securing its first-ever Section III title over Rome Free Academy, B’ville found itself confronting the first of a two-step regional process if it wanted to go to Cicero-North Syracuse’s Bragman Stadium for this weekend’s state final four.
And it involved beating Greene, a well-regarded Southern Tier power with the rare advantage of playing on its home field – something that didn’t prove all that advantageous for the Trojans over the 60 minutes of regulation.
The two sides set a quick pace, exchanging runs at the net. B’ville’s defense had to be good – and the back line of Sierra Earle, Nicole Piontkowski, Andrea Davaro and Liz Ventura kept flicking away all of Greene’s opportunities.
By the same token, every time Lindsay Varga, Paige Corso and the rest of B’ville attackers had a chance to work in the Trojans’ end, it met with frustration, as regulation play ended 0-0.
Now it went to overtime, and a seven-on-seven format. In a similar scenario in the sectional Class A semifinals, B’ville had won, 1-0, but this match would turn out different.
Greene found room for a fast break – and before the Bees could react, the Spartans’ Andrea Day had put a shot past B’ville goalie Lindsay Farrell (who had made five saves on the night) into the cage for the game-winner.
So ended the Bees’ 15-4 campaign, which might be tough for coach James Hanley to replicate in 2011. No less than 11 seniors depart, including Varga, Ventura, Earle, Davaro, Natalie Lynch and Emily Brissenden. Farrell, Corso and Piontkowski lead the list of returnees, but finding the same kind of depth that produced this championship season will be a real test.
