When the Baldwinsville ice hockey team routed Mohawk Valley 8-1 on Dec. 19 at Kennedy Arena, it almost felt bad because it wouldn’t return to action for 10 days.
During that respite, as the Christmas holidays were celebrated, the Bees, who had risen all the way to no. 4 in the first state Division I rankings of the winter, feared that all the momentum picked up during a five-game win streak might dissipate.
All of those fears proved groundless, though, for when B’ville went to The Rink last Monday afternoon to face Ithaca, all of the facets of its game, especially the defense, was in working order during a 4-1 victory over the Little Red.
This same Ithaca team had beaten seven-time defending Section III champion West Genesee 5-2 on Dec. 13, so there was plenty of reason to respect the Little Red – which B’ville did.
All game long, Ithaca had its fair share of chances, but only got on the board once with Nate Walker’s goal. Otherwise, B’ville goalie Matt Sabourin stopped everything and ended up with 23 saves.
Though not explosive, the Bees’ attack was diverse. Four different players – Adam Tretowicz, Andrew Starrentino, Isaiah Pompo and Josh Racha – scored the four goals, with Tretowicz adding a pair of assists. Starrentino, Charlie McAllister and Joe Glamos each had one assist.
Another big road test awaited on Friday, as the 2015 slate began with B’ville taking on New Hartford, who had roared out to a 6-0-1 start under first-year coach Carson Cunningham and sat atop the Division II National Conference standings, also owning a no. 7 state Division II ranking.
And the Spartans would prove that it deserved that high praise, stunning the Bees with a second-period outburst before B’ville rallied late to salvage a 3-3 tie.
Through one period, the Bees owned a 1-0 lead, but it didn’t last. During that second period, New Hartford struck for all of its goals, two of them by Peter Rayhill, as Mike Mercurio earned the other goal and Alec Bard contributed a pair of assists.
Despite this, B’ville only trailed 3-2 going to the final period, and managed to pull even, though both sides missed chances to win it late in regulation and in the five-minute OT period.
Tretowicz, Pompo and Charlie Bertrand each scored once on the Bees’ side. Matt Metcalf and James Pelcher added assists, and after his mid-game struggles, Sabourin settled down and blanked the Spartans in the third period and OT, getting 30 saves overall. New Hartford goalie Tyler Hansen recorded 21 saves.
B’ville faces Fayetteville-Manlius next Tuesday night at Lysander before a big weekend that includes a trip to Shove Park Friday night to face seven-time defending Section III champion West Genesee (who has struggled out of the gate this season) and a visit Saturday from Section V power Fairport.
