With back-to-back Section III Class A titles and state final four appearances, the Baldwinsville field hockey team has emerged as the dominant large-school program in the area.
Now the Bees want to build on that success, taking the first step in yet another championship push last week when it hosted the Huntington Classic, an event with meaning far beyond the field.
The tournament is named in honor of Stacy Huntington, a former B’ville coach. Huntington passed away at age 44 in June 2015 after a long battle with breast cancer.
In Huntington’s honor, this early-season tournament was established, with funds raised from the sale of T-shirts and other items to breast cancer research. The team also hands out the Stacy Huntington Memorial Award at the end of each season to deserving players on B’ville’s varsity, JV and modified teams.
They opened play on a hot Wednesday afternoon as B’ville endured the heat and defeated Holland Patent 3-1, while Vestal (Section IV) topped Liverpool 4-0.
It was Holland Patent who, in 2017, brought an end to Cazenovia’s decade-long sectional title run in the Class C semifinals, going on to win the sectional final, so it wasn’t going to be intimidated by the Bees’ recent success.
Still, B’ville absorbed a first-half goal by the Golden Knights’ Natasia Plunkett and went in front, 2-1, tacking on a late insurance goal as Emma Brushingham led with one goal and one assist.
Madison Asicoti and Leah Tuch got the other goals, with Claire Vredenburg contributing an assist. Hailey Boda, in goal, turned away five HP shots.
The final pitted B’ville against Vestal, who reached the state Class B finals a season ago, and it proved a lot tougher for the Bees, who could not hold onto an early lead and fell, 3-2, to the Golden Bears.
Both of B’ville’s goals came in the first half, with Brushingham scoring one and assisting on the other, by Mackenzie Wodka as Olivia Wachob assisted on Brushingham’s tally.
Up 2-1 at intermission, the Bees got blanked the rest of the way, Vestal tying it and then going in front to overcome Hailey Boda’s five saves.
In the consolation game, Holland Patent defeated Liverpool 3-0. B’ville would then face the Warriors Wednesday at LHS Stadium before a Saturday-afternoon trip to Cortland.
