Though it holds the Section III Class AA crown and made it to the state finals a year ago, the Baldwinsville girls soccer team found itself well back of its neighbors from Liverpool when the first state AA rankings of the fall came out.
Hours later, those rankings, preliminary as they already were turned obsolete.
Aided by a red card that turned it into an 11-on-10 affair, the no. 18-ranked Bees turned back the no. 7-ranked Warriors 3-0 Tuesday night at LHS Stadium and improved to 5-0-1 on the season.
It wasn’t that Liverpool’s ranking lacked that much merit. The Warriors, after all, had roared to a 4-0 start with two wins over Section V teams (Rochester Aquinas and Mercy) and two others over Section II foes (Bethlehem and Guilderland), all of them away from home.
B’ville hadn’t played a home game, either, but after four consecutive wins it had taken a blemish last Saturday when yet another Section II opponent, Niskayuna, had played the Bees to a 0-0 draw.
Combine all of these factors, and a mid-September game had a post-season feel. Within the opening minute, B’ville was threatened when Liverpool attacked, but managed to avoid an early deficit.
Gradually, the Bees’ pressure picked up as it tested a new-look Liverpool defense anchored by a sophomore goalkeeper, Megan Merrifield. Then, in the 15th minute, the entire game changed.
Having earned a corner kick, the Bees’ Carolyn Brussel hit it to the middle, where amid a scramble the ball bounced up and hit the hand a Liverpool defender inside the 18-yard box.
This was pivotal on two fronts. Not only did it give B’ville a penalty kick, Liverpool was issued a red card, leaving the Warriors to use just 10 players for the rest of the game.
Freshman Simone Neivel took the penalty kick and beat a diving Merrifield, fitting the ball inside the left post. B’ville had the lead, a player advantage, and was far from done.
Six minutes later, B’ville converted off a transition play, Brussel making the pass to Addison Hornsey, who put home her team-best sixth goal of the season. The Bees’ defense withstood some Liverpool chances for the rest of the half and led, 2-0, at the break.
A mere 30 seconds into the second half, B’ville had possession on the right side of the field. Mackenzie Schaffner, from 25 yards out and a tough angle, ripped a hard shot that curled into the top right corner of the net.
B’ville didn’t score again, but with the defense, led by Brussel, Gabrielle Piontkowski, Katie Weaver and Gabby George, smothering anything the Warriors tried to establish, the Bees could afford to pull starters throughout the second half, making sure no serious injuries took place.
Liverpool absorbed the defeat, knowing that it will get a rematch with B’ville Sept. 29 at Pelcher-Arcaro Stadium.
