Both inside and outside the CNY Counties League, the Baldwinsville field hockey team faced varied competition in the last full week of September, with varied results.
By far, the week’s most important game took place last Wednesday, with the Bees hosting defending Section III Class A champion Cicero-North Syracuse. And despite a solid all-around effort, B’ville lost, 2-1, to the Northstars.
At just 1-4 entering the game, C-NS was in a bit of a desperate mood, and quickly jumped in front, 1-0, netting the lone goal of the first half.
During the second half, B’ville got on the board, Shylea Dukat scoring off a feed from Amanda Strenk, but it didn’t get anything more and the Northstars converted again. Goals by Taylor Lessard and Cara Binaxas proved enough as the two goalies – Abigail Timmins for B’ville, Julia Lantry for C-NS – each had four saves.
The Bees had its most explosive half of the season in last Monday’s non-league home game against Cortland, piling up goals in the first 30 minutes on the way to an 8-0 shutout of the Purple Tigers.
All through the first half, B’ville attacked and converted, not letting up until it had a 6-0 advantage and eventually putting 26 shots on the Cortland net.
Lauren Brushingham had the most success, setting a career mark by scoring four times, with passes coming from Strenk and Jade Earle, who had three assists apiece. Dukat, Alyssa Bell, McKenzie Carroll and Maria McCaffrey each earned single goals, with Chloe Lynch contributing an assist.
The loss to C-NS left the Bees at 3-3 heading into a busy stretch where it visits Cato-Meridian Monday and play another key home game on Wednesday against Liverpool before a non-league test at East Syracuse Minoa on Oct. 3, pushed back a week from its original date on Saturday.
