ONONDAGA COUNTY –
Everything the Baldwinsville ice hockey team had accomplished so far in 2021 served as a prelude to what it attempted to do last Friday night – namely, end an epochal unbeaten run by the Skaneateles.
Having not lost a game in 54 outings, the reigning state Division II champion Lakers brought a 13-0 record to Three Rivers Athletic Complex Friday night, but left having to settle for a 1-1 tie with the Bees.
When these same teams met Feb. 18 at Allyn Arena, B’ville lost 5-0, and just like in that first game the only tally in the first period came from Skaneateles as Garrett Krieger, Section III’s leading point-earner, scored off feeds from Charlie Major and Henry Major.
From there, though, B’ville’s defense put together a superb effort, with back-line players and forwards alike getting in front of shots when they weren’t targeted at goaltender Jon Schirmer.
Yet when he was challenged, Schirmer was up to it, stopping 43 of the 44 shots Skaneateles sent to him and seeing the Bees tie it when Brayden Penafeather-Stevenson scored in the seecond period, assisted by Garrett Lynch.
All through the third period and overtime, it remained even. Though it had to defend most of the time, B’ville also had enough chances to win but were turned back as Skaneateles goalie Adam Casper made 20 saves.
So ended an eventful week that had started with the renewal of B’ville’s rivalry with West Genesee, games that over the years always carried a particular intensity.
So it was again when the Bees and Wildcats gathered last Monday night at Shove Park in Camillus, where things were close and tense most of the way before WG got away late, handing B’ville a 3-0 defeat.
Part of the Bees’ problem was timing. The Wildcats were still fuming after its five-game win streak was upended Feb. 25 in a 4-3 overtime defeat to Fayettevile-Manlius at Cicero Twin Rinks.
Determined not to let that happen again, WG tightened up on defense and, throughout the game’s opening stages, frustrated B’ville any time the Bees had the puck.
At the same time, though, B’ville was playing strong defense, too, and deep into the second period it remained 0-0, both sides knowing the first goal could prove decisive.
As it turned out, when Jeremy Keyes scored midway through the second, he netted the game-winner, but even more important was the goal he recorded off a rebound a mere 14 seconds into the third period.
Now trailing 2-0, B’ville kept looking for a breakthrough, but none of its 21 shots got past Wildcats goalie David Myers as Ryan Stratton added an empty-net goal with 1:24 left.
Back home two nights later, the Bees faced Auburn, and again it proved low-scoring but in this case it was B’ville providing the resistance in a 2-0 shutout of the Maroons.
Both sides battled each other through the early stages and it was scoreless until Penafeather-Stevenson put in the go-ahead goal in the second period.
Protecting that 1-0 advantage, B’ville’s defense limited Auburn to 13 shots, all stopped by Leo Legault. Penafeather-Stevenson then added a third-period insurance goal as Lynch, Luke Hoskin and Garrett Sutton each earned assists.
The tie with Skaneateles left the Bees at 6-4-1 with one week left and games against F-M, Ontario Bay and Fulton on the remaining schedule.
