For all of the great memories that the 2014-15 season triggered for Baldwinsville ice hockey fans, one painful part remained – namely, that it could not secure the program’s first-ever state Division I title, denied at the last hurdle by Rochester McQuaid.
It just so happened that, in last Friday night’s opening round of the Ogdensburg Tournament at the Golden Dome, the Bees reunited with the Knights, and while rosters had changed, old feelings lingered – and B’ville, gaining some atonement, defeated McQuaid 3-2 for its seventh victory in a row.
Going up to Ogdensburg, B’ville was on a month-long roll, having risen back to no. 8 in the state Division I rankings and right on the heels of West Genesee in the American Conference standings, with a Feb. 2 Bees-Wildcats showdown at Lysander Arena still looming.
About the only thing that could stop the Bees was weather, which did keep them from taking on Rome Free Academy last Wednesday night at Kennedy Arena. That game will get made up Feb. 12 in what turns out to be the regular-season finale.
Thus, when B’ville did go to Ogdensburg, it hadn’t played in a week, and that fresh feel, combined with a desire for payback against a McQuaid side noticeably weaker than last year’s state championship squad, led to early success.
As it turned out, the first period gave the Bees all the offense it needed. Twice, Garrett Gray found the net, while Josh Racha also scored, producing a 3-0 advantage that the Knights would spend the rest of the game trying to erase.
McQuaid almost did so, notching a pair of goals and ratcheting up the pressure. But the Bees’ defense protected well, and goalie Matt Sabourin made several crucial stops to help B’ville hang on.
This moved the Bees into Saturday’s championship game against the host team from Ogdensburg, and this one didn’t prove as stressful, B’ville controlling matters on both ends and, by a 4-1 margin, running the win streak to eight.
Alex Rose took his turn in the net, and proved stingier than Sabourin on this weekend, surrendering just one goal and recording 21 saves.
What’s more, the Bees’ attack picked up its production. Gray, named tournament MVP, again earned a pair of goals, while Matt Metcalf and Andrew Starrantino earned the other goals as the Bees again streaked to a 3-0 lead and wouldn’t get caught. Ryan Gebhardt, Isaiah Pompo, Zach Perez and Noah Linsday earned one assist apiece.
This moved the Bees to 10-2, and it would spend this week at Lysander Arena. Tuesday’s game with Cicero-North Syracuse was snowed out, but on Friday B’ville is set to face Liverpool, who entered this week with a five-game win streak of its own.
