When the Baldwinsville ice hockey team fell at home to Syracuse 5-1 on Dec. 12 in the rematch of last winter’s Section III Division I title game, it was a reminder of how much work remained for the Bees to climb to the top of the local ranks.
Things did not get better on the weekend, when B’ville traveled to Cornell University’s Lynah Rink and, against Ithaca High School, lost a 2-1 decision to the Little Red.
Defensively, the Bees were just fine, Brad O’Neill recording 27 saves, and it only trailed 1-0 going to the third period, where Mark Monaco scored off a feed from Cam Sweeney, but Ithaca matched it and held on to win.
Coming off back-to-back defeats, B’ville was back at Lysander Arena Tuesday night to face CBA/Jamesville-DeWitt, one of the three newcomers in Division I this winter along with Cazenovia and Ontario Bay.
This also was a low-scoring affair, but the Bees’ defense blanked the Brothers after the first period and did enough on the other end to snare a 3-1 victory.
Simon Lessor had CBA/J-D’s lone goal in the opening frame, B’ville matching it and then breaking out of a 1-1 tie in the second period before tacking on a late insurance tally.
Mike Marsallo, with two assists, anchored the attack as goals went to Monaco, Braden Lynch and Jamey Natoli. Luke Hoskin, Alex Pompo and Parker Schroeder had one assist apiece as Tommy Blais, back in the net, stopped 27 of the Brothers’ 28 shots.
B’ville then went north to face Ontario Bay on Thursday night and got a respite from the close, low-scoring contests as it got to double digits and shut out the Storm 12-0.
All of those 12 goals came in the first two periods, and were spread around, too, as four different B’ville players – Monaco, Lynch, Mike Carni and Quinn Sweeney – scored twice.
Natoli and Pompo anchored the attack, Natoli earning four assists and Pompo adding three assists as Schroeder got a goal and two assists. Monaco also had two assists as Hoskin and Ryan Muscatello contributed goals, too.
B’ville plays once during the holiday break, hosting reigning Division II sectional champion Auburn next Friday at Lysander Arena. The Maroons are led by Johnny Malandruccolo, who just passed the 200-point mark for his career, a rare high school feat.
