When the Baldwinsville girls soccer team makes its trip to Liverpool next Tuesday night, it knows that the Warriors are bent on getting even for a 1-0 overtime defeat to the Bees at Pelcher-Arcaro Stadium on Sept. 18.
And it would have a particular insight into Liverpool’s mindset because that was exactly where the Bees stood going into last Tuesday’s game at Fayetteville-Manlius, where a thirst for payback translated into a splendid all-around performance that buried the Hornets 5-0.
No doubt, B’ville remembered that F-M had beaten them 2-1 at Pelcher-Arcaro Stadium on Sept. 9. Less than three weeks later, the rematch took a different turn, the Bees roaring out to a 3-0 halftime lead and overcoming nine saves from Hornets goalie Sabrina Suriani.
What made the win even more impressive was the depth and balance that B’ville displayed. Five different players – Jade Gentile, Bella May, Hailey Couchman, Addison Hornsey and Adrianna Sposato – had the five goals, with Gentile adding an assist.
Kelly Pinkerton and Kelsey DeLola also picked up assists, and though F-M had some chances to break through, it never put a shot past the Bees’ pair of goalies, Mackenzie Hanna and Julia George, who combined for seven saves.
Two nights later, at Archie Hall Stadium, B’ville earned another shutout, this one 3-0 over Cicero-North Syracuse, whose season-long struggles continued as the Bees grabbed a 2-0 edge at halftime and kept on going.
Once again, the duo of Gentile, with two goals, and May, with one goal, inflicted the most damage. Couchman added an assist as Hanna and George stopped all six Northstars shots they faced. C-NS goalie Olivia Haven had seven saves.
With those wins, the state Class AA no. 15-ranked Bees improved to 10-2, knowing that the Liverpool rematch is the key to what happens to the team during the rest of the regular-season homestretch, with the Section III Class AA playoffs just two weeks away.
