Given the long and contentious history that they share, the Baldwinsville and West Genesee ice hockey teams would best be served by having two regular-season meetings each winter.
However, since they are in separate Division I leagues this winter, there was just one encounter scheduled, and it did not disappoint in terms of the tension and drama.
At Shove Park Tuesday night, the Bees pushed the undefeated, state no. 3-ranked Wildcats more than any previous opponent this season, yet could not hold on to a mid-game lead and fell 3-2 in overtime.
In most aspects, WG entered the game with advantages that ranged from playing on home ice to the fact that it had played nearly twice as many games a B’ville, who was 3-0-1.
In fact, the Bees, due to a light schedule and a snowed-out Dec. 12 meeting with Liverpool, had not played for two weeks since a 5-0 shutout of Rome Free Academy on Dec. 5, so there were plenty of questions about how the long layoff would affect them.
From the outset, though, B’ville skated right with the Wildcats, and didn’t get too discouraged when WG’s Dan Colabufo snapped in a wrist shot off Patrick McDonald’s face-off 4:37 into the first period.
Instead, the Bees picked up its pressure, forcing WG into a trio of penalties and out-shooting them 12-7 in that opening frame. The series of power plays did lead to a tying goal by Isaiah Pompo on an odd-angle shot from the left side with 1:06 left in the period. Alex Schmidt picked up the assist.
Now playing with more confidence, the Bees took a 2-1 lead 4:47 into the second period when Tanner McCaffrey, off a feed from Braden Lynch, shot from the point and beat Aidan Procopio.
And the game got more physical as the period rolled on, with hard hits on every rush up the ice. Gradually, WG began to assert itself again, tying it, 2-2, with 2:01 left in the period when McDonald emerged from a net scramble to poke it past Jeremy Rappard.
A tense third period followed, with the Wildcats getting most of the chances, only to see Ben Dwyer, Brett Sabourin and the rest of B’ville’s defense continually make key stops, blocking pucks and steering other shots wide.
Then the Bees got its best chance to win it with 1:30 left in regulation. Parker Schroeder broke open, up the middle, and closed in on Procopio, only to skate too close and take a shot that Procopio smothered.
So it went to OT, but not for long. With B’ville’s defenders caught up the ice, Billy Fisher skated in and, just 44 seconds into the five-minute extra period, pushed the puck past Rappard for the game-winner.
Prior to that, Rappard had 28 saves, three more than Procopio. Fisher had earned an assist earlier in the game, joining McDonald, Timmy Winn, Ryan Washo and Dan Holzhauer in the assist column.
B’ville would host Mohawk Valley Friday at Lysander Arena and then visit Casey Park to face Auburn Thursday night for its lone game during the holiday break before making up the snowed-out Liverpool clash on Jan. 3.
