ONONDAGA COUNTY – When the Baldwinsville girls lacrosse team left SUNY-Cortland in June 2019 having fallen just short of earning the second state championship in the program’s history, all eyes turned toward future opportunities.
What the Bees could not have imagined, or foreseen, was that for the next two years all hopes for getting that elusive state title would disappear, wiped out by a pandemic.
COVID-19 kept the entire 2020 season from happening, but at least the situation improved enough so that not only could 2021 take place, but that there would be a Section III tournament in mid-June.
All this served as a backdrop for B’ville’s long-awaited return to action, capped last Saturday at Pelcher-Arcaro Stadium by a key showdown against its main Class A challenger, West Genesee, with both teams having jumped out to 2-0 starts.
When things were settled, B’ville, led by Olivia Muscolino, had put away the Wildcats 14-8, though the two sides would face each other again three nights later in Camillus.
WG got the jump with an early 3-1 advantage, but the Bees countered with five straight goals late in the first half and took a 6-4 lead to the break.
Sophia Scialdone’s goal put the Wildcats within one early in the second half, but it got no closer, B’ville steadily pulling away as Muscolino, in particular, kept finding the net, nearly matching WG by herself and finishing with seven goals.
Emma Gebhardt scored three times, adding a pair of assists. Carlie Desimone got two goals as Hannah Mimas and Sophia Muscolino both had one goal and one assist. Tiffany Natoli added an assist.
The Bees’ season began last Tuesday, at Liverpool, and though far from smooth and consistent, it was able to do enough throughout the game to hold off the Warriors and prevail 9-6.
B’ville’s defense held Liverpool to just two goals in the first half, and even when the Warriors sprung to life late, the Bees deftly answered those charges.
Gebhardt led with four goals and one assist. Sophia Muscolino scored twice, adding an assist as Desimone, Sophia Ianno and Jayden Frink also scored, Frink and Olivia Muscolino adding assists.
Then, challenging reigning sectional Class C champion Jamesville-DeWitt on Thursday night, the Bees got a superb performance from Natoli that centered a 15-9 victory over the Red Rams.
Nine different B’ville players netted goals, with Natoli a big reason for it as she earned five assists to go with her pair of goals.
Only Olivia Muscolino scored three times, with Frink, Sophia Muscolino and Emma Hollenbeck joining Natoli in earning two goals. Gebhardt had a goal and two assists, with Ianno, Desimone and Mia Kudzial also converting.
B’ville’s rematch with West Genesee would be followed Wednesday by a trip to Fayetteville-Manlius, the reigning sectional Class B champions who started last week 1-2.
