Now things are completely even between the Baldwinsville and West Genesee girls lacrosse teams. How things turn out against others, though, might determine the Bees’ fate in 2018.
Two games played between B’ville and WG have resulted in a split, each side winning by a single goal on the road.
After the Bees prevailed 8-7 in overtime on April 18 at Mike Messere Field, the Wildcats got the best of Monday night’s rematch at Pelcher-Arcaro Stadium, never trailing and holding on late to prevail 7-6.
It was the second time in as many games that WG had defeated someone it lost to earlier this season, having done the same with Cicero-North Syracuse. It also put a halt to state no. 6-ranked B’ville’s eight-game win streak and put the two sides level with each other in the Salt City Athletic Conference Metro division standings.
Early action was controlled by the Wildcats on both ends. Not only were defenders making key stops, but it was converting on free-position shots as Eliza MacCaull scored twice after Matisyn Schaut’s initial goal.
Not until the 11:22 mark of the first half did B’ville get on the board with Peyton Fleming’s goal. Trailing 4-1, the Bees got closer with goals by Katie Pascale and Maria Henwood 47 seconds apart, but MacCaull’s third tally in the last minute of the half pushed WG to a 5-3 edge at the break.
Accustomed to winning close games (it had just beat Fayetteville-Manlius and Ithaca by one-goal margins in back-to-back games), B’ville fought back, early in the second half, making defensive stops of its own and tying it, 5-5, as Sara Goodwin hit on consecutive goals.
But the Bees never went in front, and with 10:37 left Emily Stratton pushed the Wildcats back in front, striking again four minutes later to make it 7-5 and force B’ville to use a time-out.
Again, the Wildcats were put on the defensive, but after Pascale cut the lead to one with 2:05 left, Madison Fox, a strong force all night, made the biggest of her 11 saves on Fleming point-blank less than a minute later, WG able to run out the clock from there.
Tough as this was, it hurt even more to have another familiar opponent get even with the Bees on Thursday night as Cicero-North Syracuse topped B’ville 8-7.
They had played a close one April 23 and B’ville won on C-NS’s turf, 9-7, but in the second encounter it was the Northstars’ defense that stood out, especially in the second half.
Having fought its way to a slim 6-5 halftime advantage, the Northstars would spend much of the rest of the game fending off the Bees’ charges, the back line protected so well that Kaitlyn Lippert only had to make two saves.
Goodwin and Hannah Johnson both earned two goals for the Bees, with Fleming getting three assists. Henwood, Emma States and Monica Lannier each got one goal as Pascale was held to one assist. Molly Merryweather made nine saves, but C-NS’s Jessica Meneilly solved her for five of the Northstars’ eight goals.
Given all this, B’ville was glad to break this skid on Saturday when it defeated Irondequoit (Section V) 8-4, not getting away until the second half, when it held the Eagles to just one goal.
Jenna Pastore stepped up with two goals and one assist, with Goodwin also scoring twice. Pascale had a goal and two assists as States got one goal and one assist. Johnson and Fleming earned the other goals.
On Tuesday night, B’ville, at 11-4, closes the regular season at Liverpool, a team it could face once more in the Section III Class A playoffs that start a week later.
