A first-ever Section III Division I championship is nice – but the Baldwinsville ice hockey team knows that a first-ever state championship, if accomplished next weekend at Utica Memorial Auditorium, would be a whole lot nicer.
The Bees earned a third trip to Utica and the state “Frozen Four” Saturday night in a tough battle against Section IV Ithaca in Saturday’s Division I regional final at the Little Red’s home ice called “The Rink”, hanging on down the stretch for a 2-1 victory, its 11th in a row.
It was, in short, everything B’ville’s 7-4 victory over Syracuse in the sectional final Feb. 28 in Utica was not – a game marked by tight defense on both ends where the value of every scoring play was much higher.
These same two teams had met at The Rink on Dec. 29, and B’ville had won 4-1. More than two months later, Ithaca sported an 8-12 record, but the Bees knew that beating them a second time would prove a serious challenge.
Right from the opening face-off, the game proved physical, Ithaca not letting the Bees into the same free-flowing attack that had skated over Syracuse seven days earlier.
Still, Joe Glamos, whose hat trick keyed the sectional final victory, broke loose and put home the game’s first goal during that opening period, the only tally for either side.
While the second period was just as hard-fought, an Ithaca penalty proved to be a major mistake, for on the ensuing power play, Ryan Gebhardt, taking a pass from Matt Monaco, drilled a shot into the net, and the Bees held a 2-0 lead.
It would need that cushion. Ithaca got on the board with 8:02 to play in regulation on Nate Walker’s goal, assisted by James Cronin, and it was getting a superb effort in the net from goaltender Griffin Varrichio, who stopped 28 of B’ville’s 30 shots.
But the Bees’ defense, anchored by goalie Matt Sabourin and defenders like Gebhardt, Charlie Betrand and Ben Dwyer, would have the final say, turning away all of the Little Red’s late-game opportunities and assuring another weekend visit to Utica.
B’ville (18-4-2) now advances to face Section II champion Saratoga in next Saturday’s state semifinal, which is scheduled to start at 5:45, though three games will precede it on the schedule, starting with the showdown between Skaneateles and CBA/Jamesville-DeWitt in Division II.
Whoever wins between the Bees and Saratoga will make to the title game next Sunday at 3:30 against Section I champion Scarsdale or Section V champion Rochester McQuaid, who beat B’ville 8-2 on Jan. 17 – the last time the Bees tasted defeat.
