Consecutive January weekends where the Baldwinsville ice hockey team went a combined 0-3-1 against West Genesee, Fairport, Syracuse and Rochester McQuaid, and consequently fell from no. 3 to no. 10 in the state Division I rankings, had taken a toll.
More than anything else, the Bees needed a win – and not just a win, but a stress-free effort where the team’s many skills could flourish again, and confidence could be restored.
All of that was done in last Tuesday night’s game against Watertown IHC at Greater Baldwinsville Ice Arena, where the Bees got to double digits and shut out the Cavaliers 10-0.
IHC had a 3-7 record going into the game, and even though it had beaten Mohawk Valley 6-5 the day before, it had no answer for the waves of B’ville attacks.
By the end of the first period, it was already 3-0, but the Bees doubled that total in the second period, scoring six times to bury IHC’s chances.
Remarkably, those 10 goals came from 10 different B’ville players. Matt Abbott, Joe Glamos, Jacob Norton, Alex Paterson-Jones, James Pelcher, Charlie McAllister, Kyle Lindsay, Anthony Pompo, Matt Monaco and Brett Sabourin – all found the net.
Abbott produced a team-best two assists, while Pelcher, Paterson-Jones, Glamos, McAllister and Lindsay joined Isaiah Pompo with single assists. B’ville took 57 shots to IHC’s seven.
It figured to get tougher on Friday night, when the Bees faced Liverpool, with whom it shares the Lysander facility and whom it beat 4-0 back on Dec. 2.
Once again, though, the Bees pulled off a shutout, blanking the Warriors 3-0 in a game where all of the production came in the first two periods as protection for Sabourin, who only had to face 18 shots and stopped them all.
A goal in the first period, plus two in the second period, was enough as Paterson-Jones, Abbott and Ryan Gebhardt each found the net. Paterson-Jones contributed an assist, too, joining Isaiah Pompo and Charlie Bertrand in that category as Andrew Starrantino earned two assists.
Those wins improved B’ville to 9-4-2, as it would have a pair of games against Division II opponents this week, hosting Oswego on Tuesday before visiting Whitesboro on Friday.
