In order to maintain the long win streak it had built through the first month of the regular season, the Baldwinsville field hockey team would need to make it through tests beyond its Salt City Athletic Conference circle on three consecutive weekends.
But the Bees never made it past the first of these tests unblemished, traveling to Whitney Point last Saturday and seeing its defense struggle throughout a 6-1 defeat to the reigning state Class C champion Eagles.
Arriving with an 8-0 record, B’ville quickly found itself under attack, even though Amanda Strenk notched a first-half goal. Whitney Point’s aggressive approach threw off the Bees and led to a 3-1 halftime advantage.
And it kept going, the Eagles tacking on three unanswered goals in the second half. Only the work of goalie Hailey Boda kept it from getting worse as Boda finished the day with 20 saves.
Before all that, B’ville had to deal with Liverpool last Thursday at Pelcher-Arcaro Stadium, a game that was unsettled much of the way before the perseverance of the Bees’ attack led to a tough 2-0 win over the Warriors, the 50th of head coach Tessa Ordway’s tenure.
Back on Sept. 8 at LHS Stadium, B’ville had to pull out a 1-0 decision over Liverpool, and the rematch would prove just as tense. Each half proved the same, with the Warriors playing tremendous defense and seeing goalie Abbie Bragan dazzle with her multiple point-blank stops.
But Liverpool couldn’t relieve the pressure, either, and Amanda Strenk’s goal with three minutes left in the first half gave B’ville a 1-0 edge. And it continued into the second half, with the Warriors rarely able to clear it out, but the Bees unable to put the game away, either.
Not until Strenk, off a feed from Emma Brushingham, slipped a shot past Bragan with 10:15 left did B’ville gain its final cushion. Bragan finished the night with 19 saves. By contrast, Boda only had to make three saves.
The loss to Whitney Point was just the first big weekend game, with the second coming this Friday night at 6:30 when it hosts local Class C powerhouse Cazenovia.
And this comes after a tough home game Tuesday against Cicero-North Syracuse (whom B’ville only beat 2-1 back on Sept. 13) and a Thursday trip to Vernon-Verona-Sherriill. All of it leads to an Oct. 14 duel with Rome Free Academy that could preview the Section III Class A title game.
