Even with the brutal five-games-in-eight-days stretch behind them, the Baldwinsville girls lacrosse team was not done in terms of dealing with major Class A contenders.
The Bees, in fact, had a return engagement with Fayetteville-Manlius last Monday night and waited until the second half before really clicking on both ends in a 17-10 win over the Hornets.
Having beaten F-M 15-12 just nine days earlier at Ray Middle School, B’ville knew what kind of challenge the Hornets posed. And that was proven in the first half as the Bees’ defense could not contain anything that F-M tried, leaving the two side seven, 9-9, going into halftime.
Everything changed after the break, though. Meghan Cuddy dominated the draws, giving B’ville far more possession time. Also, Cuddy, Taylor Pastore, Amanda Ingersoll, Nicole Bourdon and the rest of the Bees’ defense slammed F-M every time it got close.
Meanwhile, B’ville kept exposing the Hornets’ porous defense. Katie Sullivan, with four goals, and Maggie Monnat, with three goals and three assists, led the way as Sam Yaro added two goals and three assists.
Cuddy, Erin Ward and Claire Monnat each finished with two goals, while Pastore earned a rare goal on a long charge to the net and Erika Wilcox also converted.
Again, the Bees had short rest – just 24 hours – before playing again, but it had no trouble with Central Square, smashing the Red Hawks 19-4.
Up 9-2 by halftime, B’ville kept a relentless pace as 11 different players scored. Cuddy and Ashley Gentile, with three-goal hat tricks, set the pace as Yaro, Ward, Sullivan and Alexis Czyz managed two goals apiece. Maggie and Claire Monnat both had one goal and three assists, with Pastore, Kennedy Frink and Erika Wilcox also converting.
On Friday, B’ville struck again, going to Auburn and ripping the Maroons 18-6 by getting nine goals in each half and steadily pulling away.
Sullivan went to the forefront, scoring five times, just ahead of Gentile, with four goals, and Cuddy, with three goals. Maggie Monnat fed them all with five assists as Claire Monnat gained two goals and two assists. Ward added two goals and one assist as Wilcox and Yaro gained single goals.
B’ville, at 11-3 on the season, will take trips to Brighton and Cicero-North Syracuse this week to close out the regular season.
