Though it has proven a high-quality program for a long period of time, the Baldwinsville ice hockey team still longed to improve its facilities at the Lysander Ice Arena it calls home.

Thanks to some generosity from a B’ville hockey alumnus, that item is now checked off the list.

Eric Schneider, a member of the Baker High School Class of 1988, donated $10,000 that covered most of the costs to construct a new locker room at Lysander for the Bees, which was formally dedicated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in between periods of last Tuesday night’s season opener, a 7-1 victory over Watertown IHC.

A key element of that new locker room, aside from the upgraded physical aspects, was new coach’s offices. Previously, those offices were in another corner of the rink, which kept coaches from talking to players before and after games and during intermissions.

All of this happened as B’ville entered a 2017-18 season. The Bees know that, in order to get to the top of the Division I National Conference, it would need to get past pre-season favorite Syracuse, whom it faced last Friday in the opening round of the Bobby Conklin Memorial Tournament.

The rematch proved a tense, exciting affair. Through two periods, it was 0-0, neither side able to convert though B’ville had more shots and were constantly thwarted by Syracuse goalie Jack Klawitter, who had 30 saves.

Finally, in the third period Parker Schroeder put a shot past Klawitter, with assists going to Mike Carni and Brett Sabourin. However, Ryan Eccles converted for the Cougars, and it was 1-1 at the end of regulation.

Overtime settled nothing, so it ended, for league purposes, in a tie, but since the tournament required a winner, they went to a shootout, and Klawitter’s stops helped Syracuse pull it out.

Thus, B’ville was relegated to Saturday’s consolation game against Fulton, who had lost 2-1 to Cazenovia in the other half of the opening round.

Displeased by what happened the day before, the Bees took it out on the Red Raiders in an 11-3 romp where it scored six times in the first period alone, eventually leading 10-1 through two periods.

Schroeder augmented his three-goal hat trick by getting a pair of assists. Alex Pompo had a goal and three assists, with Brendan Lynch finding the net twice.

Luke Hoskin picked up a goal and two assists as Ben Dwyer, Mike Marsallo, Alex Schmidt and Isaiah Pompo earned single goals. Assists also went to Cam Sweeney, Anthony Pompo and Nick Glamos.

Syracuse beat Cazenovia 4-1 for the first-place trophy, but B’ville is not done with the Cougars as they’ll meet again late in the season Feb. 7 at Meachem Rink.

Before this, B’ville found itself in an early battle in the opener with IHC, only leading 2-1 through one period before it took off in the second period, netting four unanswered goals to pull away.

Isaiah Pompo led that charge, netting a three-goal hat trick and adding an assist. Jamey Natoli scored twice as Glamos and Tanner McCaffrey got the other goals. Schroeder and Mark Monoco each earned a pair of assists as Cody McCarthy, J.P. Clappa and Mike Carney notched single assists.

B’ville would take a 2-0-1 record into an off week before resuming Dec. 12 against Liverpool, with whom it shares the Lysander facility, though home games are played on separate rinks.