Before they could go to their separate Section III playoff brackets, the Fayetteville-Manlius and East Syracuse Minoa field hockey teams had to settle local bragging rights.

They did so last Saturday afternoon at Spartan Stadium, and it was the Spartans, with an inspired all-around effort, getting the best of the battle, defeating the Hornets 2-0.

This was a game where an early strike proved quite decisive. Just two minutes in, ESM pushed and, unassisted, Gillianne McCarthy put a shot past F-M goalie Catherine Barr.

For the rest of the half, both teams had plenty of opportunities, but it remained 1-0 in the Spartans’ favor, the margin doubling at the 10-minute mark of the second half when Lindsey Russell’s shot got deflected into the net by Emma Conte.

All game long, the ESM defense had to work hard to maintain the shutout, and when shots did come, Cory Palmer and Mary Searle turned them away, combining for 10 saves.

Even if it wasn’t a victory, what F-M did in last Wednesday night’s 4-3 defeat to defending champion Baldwinsville had to provide some encouragement with the Section III playoffs starting this week

B’ville had a chance to secure the outright Salt City Athletic Conference Metro division regular-season title because Cicero-North Syracuse had lost, 2-0, to Liverpool the night before. The Bees attained that title, but F-M didn’t make it easy.

The Bees’ defensive issues exposed in recent defeats to Whitney Point, C-NS and Cazenovia were still there on this night, as it saw Susan Bansbach, Lindsey Kilpatrick and Maddy Duggleby score goals for F-M, Bansbach adding an assist.

Still, the Hornets trailed, 2-1, at halftime, and B’ville kept answering every time F-M produced a goal, doing so while its top scorer, Amanda Strenk, was held to a single assist.

Instead, it was Mackenzie Wodka leading the way by getting two goals and one assist, while Emma Brushingham and Erika Van Slyke earned the other goals. B’ville overcame Barr’s 14 saves.

Meanwhile, ESM tuned up by blasting Auburn 7-0 that same night, with Emma Schafer putting her team on the board just 2:15 into the game and scoring a second time at the nine-minute mark, assists going to Russell and Conte.

Schafer then connected for a third goal to take care of her hat trick before halftime. Then, in the second half, Schafer tacked on a fourth goal after tallies from Russell and Cara Buffaloe as Leah Brennan added a late goal.

The win over F-M was followed by ESM finding out it had the no. 2 seed for the sectional Class B playoffs, with a bye straight into the semifinals next Tuesday at Camden High School against New Hartford or Cortland.

F-M was one of four Class A sectional qualifiers that will play their semifinals next Monday at Baldwinsville’s Pelcher-Arcaro Stadium, with the Hornets facing top seed Cicero-North Syracuse and B’ville against Rome Free Academy