No matter the records or the stakes, every ice hockey game between Baldwinsville and West Genesee is an intense, physical affair, and more often than not produces a memorable conclusion.
So it was again when the two rivals gathered last Tuesday night for their lone regular-season meeting at Lysander Arena, the Bees battling to stay in the Division I regular-season title race and the Wildcats aiming to do the same.
It proved another tough, low-scoring affair, but just when it looked like it would get to overtime, WG moved out in front and eventually prevailed by a 3-1 margin.
Having routed Cazenovia 8-1 in its last outing Jan. 31, B’ville had some confidence, and it played a fine all-around first period, keeping the Wildcats off the board and taking a 1-0 lead with Luke Hoskin’s backhand shot.
They stayed that way until Joe McLaughlin tied it in the second period for WG, and deep into the third period it was 1-1, both sides working hard to break the tie.
With two minutes left in regulation, the Wildcats’ Billy Fisher broke free and put one past Brad O’Neill, which proved the game-winner as Andrew Schneid tacked on an empty-net goal in the final minute.
The loss dropped B’ville to fifth place in the Division I standings as Fayetteville-Manlius and Fulton moved ahead of them with victories.
It just so happened that the Bees were expected to visit Fulton Thursday night before school closed at Fulton and caused a postponement. That game will get made up this Friday at 6 p.m.
B’ville gets two more chances to alter its playoff position when it faces Fayetteville-Manlius Tuesday at Cicero Twin Rinks and then takes on Syracuse Thursday at Meachem Rink, more than three months since it beat the Cougars 3-2 in the Dec. 7 final of the Bobby Conklin Tournament.
