Wherever they went, and whoever they faced, the problem for the Fayetteville-Manlius and East Syracuse Minoa field hockey teams were the same, mostly centered around the difficulty keeping the other side from finding the net.
F-M faced that problem in last Monday’s game at Liverpool, the Hornets unable to contain the Warriors in a 4-2 defeat.
Having lost 2-0 to Cicero-North Syracuse on Sept. 8 in a game where first-half goals by Katie Thies and Lindsey Hughes held up the rest of the way, F-M looked for a better start but did not get it, again giving up a pair of early goals even as it got on the board.
They traded goals early in the second half, but again the Hornets were unable to catch up as the Warriors tacked on a late insurance goal. Susan Bansbach and Lindsey Kilpatrick converted for F-M. Liverpool goalie Hannah Dombroski made nine saves as Claire Gaynor scored twice to lead the hosts.
From there, the Hornets would venture to the Whitesboro Tournament, where it would charge to the first-place trophy, not allowing a goal in either of the games there.
In last Friday’s opening round, F-M shut out Little Falls 3-0, seeing Bansbach and Kilpatrick again put in goals and each contribute an assist as Paige Freyer also found the net. Only the work of Mounties goalie Mackenzie Harrington, who made 12 saves, kept it from getting more lopsided.
Moving to the final, the Hornets met host Whitesboro, who had blanked Central Valley Academy 5-0 in its first-round game. But this was just as lopsided in the Hornets’ favor, a 4-0 decision where the visitors scored twice in each half.
Actually, it was Stephanie Drapas beating the Warriors by herself, three times putting shots in the net to earn her first career hat trick. Her assist came on Sofia Melfi’s goal as Kilpatrick and Bella Militi got assists, too, and Katie Scuderi stopped all six Whitesboro shots she faced.
ESM, meanwhile, had to go to Pelcher-Arcaro Stadium to face defending Section III Class A champion Baldwinsville last Monday night, and got overwhelmed in an 8-2 defeat to the Bees.
By the time Leah Brennan and Gillianne McCarthy netted second-half goals, B’ville had put it away, having built a 4-0 halftime lead and continuing to produce behind the likes of Amanda Strenk, who had three goals and two assists, and Mary Cate McKee, who scored twice. Cory Palmer, under pressure all night, made 14 saves.
