Off a defeat to West Genesee on April 26, the Baldwinsville girls lacrosse team now faced an even more daunting examination – nine games in a span of 16 days, most of them against high-quality opponents.
It all started last Monday, at Pelcher-Arcaro Stadium, when reigning Class C champion Christian Brothers Academy came to town and, even after the early departure of its best player, went on to beat the Bees 13-8.
Moved up to Class B this spring, the Brothers embraced B’ville’s physical challenge, but fumed when, three minutes into the game, senior star Marisa Romeo went out when an arm injury after she fell to the turf taking a shot on net.
With Romeo out, the Bees concentrated its defenses on CBA’s other offensive standout, Taylor Poplawski, double-teaming her and holding her to one goal and one assist.
But the plan still backfired as other CBA players got open looks and converted them, leaving B’ville trailing 7-5 at halftime. And it pulled away in the second half by employing its own tough defense to frustrate the Bees and create turnovers that led to conversions on the other end.
Amari Pollard had two goals and one assist, with Marjorie Dehm getting a goal and three assists. Kennedy Frink scored and got two assists, with Taylor Gebhardt and Sarah Klaben also finding the net. Emily Ehle and Olivia Pitonzo led CBA with three goals apiece.
The crowded schedule meant that B’ville would get little chance to recuperate. Fortunately, when it played again 24 hours later, it was at Central Square, where the Bees could dictate the terms against the overmatched Red Hawks and cruise to a 12-2 victory.
During an 8-0 first half, the Bees rarely let Central Square have the ball, and it led to Frink putting up three goals and three assists and Klaben scoring four times. Pollard had two goals and one assist, with Stephanie Roberts stepping up, earning a goal and two assists. Gebhardt and Abbey Foote had one goal apiece and Nicole Damon contributed an assist.
Still at home Thursday night, B’ville met Auburn, and played a superb first half, which proved valuable as the Maroons fought back late, but still lost 15-10 to the Bees.
This third game in four nights saw the Bees push the tempo early, leading to a series of scoring chances that were converted and producing an 8-2 cushion going to the break.
The warm night took a toll on B’ville’s defense, though, as Auburn, behind Christina Luziani (four goals), Gabbie Charles (three goals) and Sarah Fuller (two goals, four assists), found success in the latter stages against Nicole Burrows, who still managed 11 saves.
B’ville answered each charge, though, anchored by Frink, who had five assists to go with her pair of goals, often feeding it to Klaben and Pollard, who earned four goals apiece. Dehm added three goals for a hat trick as Gebhardt contributed two goals and two assists.
This led to Saturday night’s non-league game at Fayetteville-Manlius, the first of two meetings in the span of 10 days against the Hornets, who were coming off a 15-12 overtime defeat to Cicero-North Syracuse.
And it was the Bees claiming the first one, 11-6, handling the work in two parts. During a low-scoring first half, B’ville stayed patient and clamped down on the defensive side, leading to a 4-2 edge, and when the tempo picked up in the latter stages, the Bees had ample production to get away.
Dehm, with four goals, and Gebhardt, with three goals and one assist, led the charge. Frink produced two goals and one assist, while Pollard had one goal and one assist and Foote also found the net. Burrows managed eight saves.
B’ville was back at it again on Monday, facing Fairport (a make-up from an April 11 weather postponement) and, a day later, going to Liverpool before a Friday visit from Cicero-North Syracuse.