A post-season full of marvel and wonder for the Baldwinsville boys lacrosse team ended two wins short of the ultimate prize – a state Class A championship.
In Wednesday’s state semifinal at St. John Fisher College, the Bees led by as many as three in the first half against Section V champion Pittsford, but by controlling the face-off circle, the Panthers eventually turned possessions into points on the board, and pushed past B’ville 11-8.
Many things favored Pittsford in this match-up. Not only were the Panthers playing close to home, it had breezed through its regional game with Orchard Park by a 20-6 margin.
By contrast, B’ville had narrowly escaped its regional game with Ithaca, prevailing 10-9 after nearly squandering a 9-0 halftime lead. It was the third straight time in the post-season the Bees had prevailed by a single goal.
Despite all these supposed disadvantages, it was B’ville controlling most of the first quarter. Cole Peters put his team on the board less than two minutes into the game, and after Pittsford countered, Matt Dickman and Ryan Gebhardt hit on back-to-back goals.
When Dickman returned to score his second goal in the waning seconds of the first quarter, the Bees carried that momentum into the second period as Pete Fiorini converted on an electrifying solo run to the net to make it 5-2.
At the same time, though, B’ville threw away other scoring chances, unable to establish a bigger margin and leaving things open for the Panthers – which proved costly.
Pittsford stayed patient and, midway through the period, caught up with three consecutive goals. Brandon Mimas scored with a minute left, but Jeremy Jacob’s answer 22.7 seconds before halftime pulled the Panthers even again, and it was 6-6 at the break.
Fiorini pushed B’ville back in front with his second goal early in the third quarter, but Pittsford countered again. Ohio State-bound Colby Barker’s goal tied it for a fourth time, and when Barker converted again midway through the period, the Panthers moved in front for the first time.
A Jake Belias goal, assisted by Barker, made it 9-7 by the time they reached the final period, meaning that B’ville would need a comeback similar to what it pulled off in those landmark sectional games against Fayetteville-Manlius and West Genesee.
Spencer Wirtheim attempted to launch a rally with a move around the net and a diving shot that found the net with 8:40 left. But that would prove the Bees’ last goal.
With 5:48 left, Barker struck for his fifth goal of the day, making it 10-8. Barely a minute later, Sonny Imburgia stretched Pittsford’s margin to three, and the Bees could not recover.
A large part of B’ville’s problem came in the face-off circle. The same thing that allowed Ithaca to nearly steal the regional final would help Pittsford come back, the Panthers winning all nine battles at the center X and claiming 16 of 22 face-offs overall.
While Pittsford advanced to face Ward Melville in Saturday’s championship game at St. John Fisher, B’ville returned home, still proud of a season which, for the first time since 1992, ended with a sectional title.
Gebhardt, Dickman, defender Kyle Pelcher and goalie Frank Delia are among the graduating seniors, but a large returning cast, including Fiorini, Wirtheim, Mimas, Peters, Austin Bolton, Ben Dwyer and David Steria, gives the Bees a great chance at another championship push in 2018.
