ONONDAGA COUNTY – Past history, and present situations, clashed for the Baldwinsville girls lacrosse team early last week, with plenty of ramifications.
News broke that Doug Rowe, the coach who built the B’ville program into a powerhouse and won a state Class A championship in 2000 before going to Rome Free Academy, was retiring at season’s end.
This happened just before the current Bees took the field for Tuesday’s key early-season test against Cicero-North Syracuse at Bragman Stadium, a rivalry that meant plenty early in Rowe’s tenure but had lost some importance in recent years.
It all roared back on this night, though, with B’ville, led by Emma Gebhardt, making several different comebacks, but never once taking the lead and ultimately falling in overtime 11-10 to the Northstars.
They went back and forth in the first half, the Northstars four times going out in front only to have the Bees answer each time, leaving the two sides even at 4-4 going to the break.
Fran Tortora pushed C-NS back in front with three of her six assists, the passes going to the sister tandem of Molly and Brooke Molchanoff, who accounted for most of the Northstars’ goals in regulation – Molly with five goals, Brooke with two.
When Jenna Pickard converted with 7:01 to play, C-NS led 10-7, its largest advantage of the night, but B’ville again fought back, led as it was most of the night by senior Emma Gebhardt.
Already with five goals, Gebhardt converted again with 5:11 left after Tiffany Natoli cut it to 10-8. Then, after the Bees forced a turnover when C-NS tried to run out the clock, Gebhardt drew the defense to her and then passed to Mia Kuzdzal, who tied it with 33.3 seconds to play in regulation.
But it was Tortora winning the crucial OT draw over B’ville’s Hannah Mimas. Then Tortora got the ball in back of the net and, with the Bees’ defenders expecting her to pass to a cutting teammate, instead took it herself and flung it past Samantha Tanguay for the game-winner.
All game long, C-NS goalie Nicole Mirra stood out, finishing with 10 saves. Jaedyn Frink had two assists for B’ville as single goals went to Sophia Muscolino and Sophia Ianno.
Just as it did after the loss to West Genesee, B’ville wasted little time returning to the win column, knocking off Liverpool 14-9 two nights later at Pelcher-Arcaro Stadium.
Much of this was due to a first half where the Bees sprinted out in front 9-1, enough of a cushion to withstand Liverpool’s late charge led by Kendra Hall (three goals) and Caroline Stevens (two goals).
Gebhardt, constantly the focus of the Warriors’ defense, dished out four assists as Olivia Muscolino and Grace Hollenbeck both scored three times. Natoli had two goals and one assist, while Sophia Muscolino, Farrah Zalla and Sara Hutner joined Gebhardt with one goal apiece.
Now the 5-2 Bees get a bit of a respite, with just one game in a 12-day span as it hosts Christian Brothers Academy next Tuesday before two more showdowns with C-NS in the last week of May.
