Camillus — Any ice hockey game between West Genesee and Baldwinsville is intense enough, but recent history only made it more so.

It was, after all, the Bees who broke the Wildcats’ seven-yard hold on the Section III Division I championship in last year’s semifinal round, a 5-0 defeat that served as ample motivation for when the two sides gathered again Friday night at Shove Park.

Here, it again ended in a shutout – only in WG’s favor, as it controlled the game most of the way, but still needed a pair of late goals to secure a 3-0 victory over the Bees.

Every returning WG player vividly remembered what happened last February at Lysander Arena, and that B’ville went from there to earning its first-ever sectional title and advancing all the way to the state title game – a run the Wildcats want to experience this winter, knowing that getting past the Bees was a key part of the equation.

Both sides entered the game with 2-1 records, but right from the opening face-off WG put pressure on B’ville, spending long stretches circling the Bees’ net.

Each time, though, the Bees managed to turn things away, with goaltender Matt Sabourin constantly making point-blank stops. Almost by himself, Sabourin kept the game 0-0 deep into the second period, stopping more than 20 shots as his team killed four different power plays.

But the Wildcats stayed patient, and with 2:53 left in the second period, Matt McDonald, working from the right point, took a pass from Stephen Anderson and floated a shot that got past Sabourin’s right shoulder and found the top left corner of the net. Dan Colabufo also got credit for an assist.

B’ville’s best chance came on a power play late in the second period, one of the few times it put sustained pressure on WG’s defense. But goalie Sammy Colabufo made several key stops, on his way to 12 saves for the night.

continued — Sabourin, for his part, had 32 saves, and did everything possible to keep the game within range, but WG would finally put things away in a stretch of less than 90 seconds midway through the third period.

With 6:08 left, Garrett Schnorr’s shot deflected off Marshall Winn’s stick past Sabourin to make it 2-0. Just 1:16 later, WG converted on its fifth power-play try, Jeff Kopek getting the goal with an assist from McDonald.

WG came into the game feeling a lot better after going to Rome’s Kennedy Arena last Wednesday night and humbling Mohawk Valley in a 6-1 romp.

The Raiders had recorded a 3-0 start, announcing its status as a possible sectional title contender, but all that did was raise the Wildcats’ awareness and assure that it wouldn’t look ahead to B’ville’s visit.

During a decisive first period, WG overwhelmed Mohawk Valley, grabbing a 4-0 lead, largely on the work of Jay Considine, who finished with a three-goal hat trick plus an assist, and Kopek, who had a career-best four assists.

Though the Wildcats didn’t score in the second period, it kept the Raiders quiet, too, nearly getting the shutout before Frank Alessandro’s unassisted goal in the third period prevented that possibility.

Still, WG rolled behind Considine, Kopek and Pat McDonald, who scored twice and added an assist. Winn earned the other goal, with Schnorr, Matt McDonald, Ryan McDonald, John Bergan and John Galimi adding one assist apiece. WG’s defense protected Sammy Colabufo, who only had to make 10 saves.

While WG battled B’ville, the Syracuse Cougars, who won at the Bees’ Bobby Conklin Tournament the week before, made its own trip to Kennedy Arena on Friday, taking on Rome Free Academy and winning its fourth game in a row with an early blitz that led to a 6-3 victory over the Black Knights.

continued — All through the first period, Syracuse overwhelmed RFA’s defenses, grabbing a 3-0 lead. Not content with that, the Cougars doubled that margin in the second period, eventually gaining a 6-0 lead before the Black Knights got on the board in the final period.

Matt Eccles, with a goal and three assists, anchored the Syracuse attack again, though Andrew Hodgens and Bryan O’Mara also had two-assist outings. Only Matt Frye scored twice, with O’Mara, Colby Skrupa and Ryan Eccles also netting goals. Conrad Skrupa joined his brother, Colby, in the assist column.

This win improved Syracuse’s mark to 4-0, with games against Watertown IHC and Fayetteville-Manlius next week at Meachem Rink as WG goes to Lysander Arena next Wednesday to face Liverpool before returning to Shove Park two days later for a game against Fulton.