All of those close calls and overtime victories in September had kept the Baldwinsville field hockey team from having its main Class A challengers catch up to them.
But that turned around last Tuesday night at Pelcher-Arcaro Stadium, where revenge-minded Cicero-North Syracuse did not let the Bees come back this time around, prevailing 3-0 to salvage a regular-season split.
Every Northstars player had remembered how B’ville had not just defeated them in the 2017 Section III final, but how, on Sept. 10, it came back late in regulation from a 1-0 deficit and ultimately beat them again 2-1 in OT.
Now, with the Bees coming off a 5-1 loss to reigning state Class C champion Whitney Point on Sept. 29, the Northstars sensed even more vulnerability and went right after it.
Twice in the first half, C-NS converted, and try as it could, B’ville could not answer, the margin growing larger in the second half.
The three Northstars’ goals came from three different players – Jamie Wagner, Jamie Snyder and Allison Bartlett, with assists going to Katie Thies and Vanessa Wilkins. B’ville goalies Hailey Boda and Sarah Smiley made eight saves between them.
Two days later, B’ville was supposed to travel to face reigning sectional Class D champion Weedsport, but rains forced a postponement until Friday afternoon.
That did little to stop the Bees, though, as it beat the Warriors by the same 3-0 margin by which it lost to C-NS, maintaining pressure on Weedsport until it scored all of its goals in the second half.
Emma Brushingham, with one goal and one assist, led that charge, while Mackenzie Wodka and Kendall Carni also earned goals. Angel Cooper got credit for an assist. In defeat, Warriors goalie Mariah Quigley made 15 saves.
This improved B’ville’s record to 10-3-1 heading into a key game Wednesday against Fayetteville-Manlius. A win would assure, at worst, a share of the Salt City Athletic Conference regular-season title since it came into the week 3-1-1 in league play, the same as C-NS. The Bees then finish the regular season Saturday, hosting Moravia.
