ONONDAGA COUNTY – At least when it comes to the Baldwinsville girls lacrosse team and its expected challenge from West Genesee for local large-school bragging rights, the battle is on exactly even terms.
Contrasting the Bees’ 14-8 win when they first met May 1 at Pelcher-Arcaro Stadium, the Wildcats parlayed a second-half shutout into a 10-4 victory in last Tuesday’s rematch at Mike Messere Field in Camillus.
Mainly, the focus was on what WG’s defense accomplished – namely, a second-half shutout of a potent Bees attack which had averaged better than 13 goals a game while zooming to a 3-0 start.
WG’s back line kept B’ville’s Olivia Muscolino without a goal, a real accomplishment since she had netted seven in their first meeting.
Also, the Wildcats didn’t get frustrated when three different first-half leads vanished, leaving the teams tied 4-4 going into the break.
Instead, the defense cranked up, WG claimed most of the draws and, once Gabby Meager scored in the second half to put her team in front, didn’t get caught.
Meager added a second goal in the homestretch, as did Grace Detor, Sophia Scialdone, Ally Major and Halen Saroney, with all except Saroney having netted first-half goals to go with Olivia Blanding’s pair. The Bees’ early goals came from Sophia Muscolino, Hannah Mimas and Emma Gebhardt as Samantha Tanguay finished with eight saves.
When B’ville returned to Pelcher-Arcaro to face Fayetteville-Manlius two nights later, it reclaimed its potent attack and jumped all over the Hornets on the way to a 17-11 victory.
F-M is the reigning sectional Class B champions who, like B’ville, reached the state final in 2019, but had struggled to a 1-3 start, which the Bees made worse.
In its best first half of the season, B’ville steadily built an 11-5 advantage, and by game’s end would see four different players notch hat tricks.
Gebhardt, with three goals and four assists, was the focal point. Olivia Muscolino scored four times, with Tiffany Natoli and Jaedyn Frink both stepping up and matching Gebhardt’s three-goal output.
Carlie Desimone also got productive, with two goals and two assists, while Farrah Zalla and Mia Kuzdzal netted single goals. Mimas and Grace Hollenbeck had one assist apiece as Ava Angello paced F-M with five goals.
B’ville would have the first of three encounters with Cicero-North Syracuse on Tuesday before drawing Liverpool for a second time on Thursday night.
