A week after its season may have hit a low point with a Jan. 14 defeat to Ithaca, the Baldwinsville ice hockey team had a far different look to them.
When the Bees dismantled Cicero-North Syracuse 7-0 last Tuesday at Lysander Arena, it moved into third place in the Division I standings, with games still left against the top two, Syracuse and West Genesee.
Against C-NS, B’ville seized control with a pair of first-period goals as Luke Hoskin assisted on Matt Speelman’s tally and then got one unasssisted.
After a modest second-period effort made it 3-0, B’ville dashed to the finish line with four goals in the final period, Hoskin eventually earning three assists to go with his early tally.
Speelman tacked on a second goal and Cooper Foote scored twice, with Matt Carner and Tyler Derito each getting one goal. Braden Lynch, Keegan Lynch and Garrett Sutton had one assist apiece.
All of this set up a big test on Saturday, B’ville hosting state Division I no. 4-ranked Fairport, and it started well for the Bees as it gained a 1-0 lead through one period.
But then the Red Raiders erupted for four goals in the second period, the deciding factor as it defeated B’ville 5-3.
Twice, Alex Pompo earned assists as Carner, Hoskin and Brett Collier picked up the Bees’ goals. Brad O’Neill was solid in the net, finishing with 26 saves.
Having fallen to 7-5-2 overall, B’ville maintained a 5-0-1 league record and still had games left against the top two teams, Syracuse and West Genesee, ahead of them after it met Rome Free Academy and Cazenovia this week.
