It didn’t take long for the Baldwinsville boys soccer team to realize that its greatest challenge in 2020 would be attempting to slow down Fayetteville-Manlius.
When the two undefeated rivals squared off last Monday afternoon at Swan Pond, the Bees did a terrific job of containment most of the way, yet still took a 3-1 defeat.
The result gave F-M’s long-time head coach, Jeff Hammond, his 500th career win, but the game was big enough even without that milestone as a backdrop.
Off to a 4-0 start, the Hornets scored a total of 23 goals in those wins, while B’ville was 3-0 having claimed tough wins over West Genesee (in overtime), Liverpool and Jamesville-DeWitt.
It was clear from the outset that the Bees’ defense was the toughest the Hornets had faced yet. Sound and disciplined, B’ville’s back line, led by Jack Branigan, Logan Hayes and Miles Spiegel, mostly kept F-M’s potent attack quiet during a scoreless first half.
Twice, the Hornets had great chances to get in front, first when Cheech Pagano got around goalkeeper Owen Tracy only to have Geoffrey Tse save it off the goal line, and again when Tracy stopped Tyler Goodman with a leaping save at the near post.
They were still 0-0 until right after the mandated mask break midway through the second half, B’ville having only received random opportunities, including a free kick that Griffin Seeber sent wide.
With 18:02 left, F-M had an indirect free kick from the left side. Nino Pagano floated it to the far post and, with Tracy unable to touch it until another player did so, Cheech Pagano headed it into the net.
Not rattled by this, B’ville put up a series of attacks and, with 8:05 to play, tied it 1-1 as Tse, pouncing on a rebounded free kick, converted from the point.
But just 37 seconds later, F-M swarmed to the Bees’ net and Ziad Abdul-Malak put his team back in front 2-1. Then the Hornets forced a turnover and a long pass by Goodman freed Cheech Pagano to break in solo and net his second goal of the day and 10th of the season.
With its win streak snapped and a rematch against F-M not until Oct. 30, B’ville returned home Friday to face Cicero-North Syracuse, and this wasn’t easy, either, but the Bees did enough to beat the Northstars 2-1.
Having surrendered a goal to C-NS’s William Darko, the Bees required Evan Smith and Chase Hornsey to convert, and then leaned on its defense, who would make enough key stops as Tracy finished with five saves.
A rematch with the West Genesee team it beat 2-1 in overtime in the Oct. 2 opener takes place Tuesday, prior to a busy weekend where the Bees face Liverpool and Oswego on back-to-back days.
