For 10 long months, the Baldwinsville girls soccer team got ready to start again.
Dropping last October’s Section III Class AA semifinal to Liverpool, and then seeing the Warriors surprise top seed Cicero-North Syracuse to repeat as sectional champions, was all the motivation the Bees could possibly want.
So even though 10 seniors graduated from the 2014 squad, the returning B’ville cast wasted no time asserting itself, venturing to the Buffalo suburbs last weekend and winning the Clarence Tournament.
Clarence, the host school, reached the state Class AA final four a season ago, and was favored – but the Bees, who had already beaten Nardin Academy 4-0 in Friday’s opening round, didn’t care much for this, going out and topping the Red Devils 2-1 in the championship game.
It was the duo of Jade Gentile and Isabella May leading the way, each of them notching first-half goals to counter Clarence’s tally as Mackenzie Schaffner picked up an assist.
Then, in a tense second half, neither side was able to add to their totals, the Bees not getting away, but playing superb defense in front of goalkeeper Mackenzie Hanna, who recorded nine saves.
Back in the opener against Nardin, a private school from Buffalo, the Bees took its time to get moving against the Gators, but then, up 1-0 at halftime, it pulled away.
Gentile notched two of B’ville’s four goals, but a pair of varsity newcomers, Simone Nievel and Adrianna Sposato, joined in with their first varsity goals. May, Schaffner, Julia Pelcher and Carolyn Brussel had one assist apiece, with Hanna and Julia George (two saves each) dividing the net time.
B’ville has its home opener on Tuesday, against Auburn, and then takes on Section II visitor Baldwinsville next Saturday afternoon. All told, the Bees will play five consecutive games at Pelcher-Arcaro Stadium before a Sept. 21 visit to West Genesee.
