For 10 long months, the Baldwinsville boys lacrosse team has waited, with a lot of eagerness, to get back on the field.
Just how eager was evident when the Bees ventured to Hyatt Stadium Saturday and took apart long-time Class C power Skaneateles, breezing to a 14-6 victory in the opening round of the Finger Lakes Shoot-Out.
Every B’ville player, coach and fan remembers how the 2013 season ended. Leading late in the fourth quarter of the Section III Class A semifinal against West Genesee at Cicero-North Syracuse’s Bragman Stadium, the Bees could not hold on, dropping a 9-8 decision at the wire.
That defeat, and seeing the Wildcats go on to claim the sectional title and advance all the way to the state Class A championship game, has stayed with B’ville, whose last sectional title was earned in 1992, more than two decades ago.
Veteran head coach Peter Fiorini, nearing 400 career wins, is joined by a large returning cast that, in 2014, sought to make an immediate impression – and did so at Skaneateles.
Originally set for both Friday and Saturday, the Finger Lakes Shoot-Out was altered by bad weather. As a result, B’ville played Skanetaeles and Marcellus would face Auburn on Saturday, with the other games played at a later date yet to be deteremined.
Right after Marcellus rallied past Auburn 11-10, getting the game-winner on Ross Filtch’s goal with less than a minute left in regulation, B’ville took the field, and quickly seized control against a Skaneateles side with far more new faces in the lineup.
The Bees attacked with confidence and the Lakers struggled to find any rhythm in the first quarter, and the combined result was a 6-0 lead for the visitors. That continued the rest of the half, B’ville not letting up until the margin was 10-0 at the break.
Finally, the Lakers got on the board in the third quarter, but it was too large of a deficit to overcome.
Spreading its production around, B’ville got three goals from Steve Petrelli and two goals apiece from Jake Anderson, Billy Hamm, Cody Luke and Mitch Rein. Hamm also had a pair of assists.
Connor Chapman anchored the attack, notching four assists, with Kyle Terrell managing a goal and two assists. Connor Smith, Luke McCaffrey and Matt Klein also scored, with Sean Barron and Charlie Bertrand contributing assists. Dan Thomas, playing in goal, finished with 14 saves.
B’ville would look for back-to-back wins Tuesday at Corcoran and host Auburn on Thursday before a tough non-league test Saturday against defending state Class C champion Cazenovia on the Cazenovia College turf field.
