AUBURN – Going into 2022, the Baldwinsville ice hockey team are in prime form, having won seven games in a row, four of them shutouts.

Perhaps as important, the Bees have avoided COVID-19 shutdowns that affected its two main Division I rivals, West Genesee and Syracuse, both of whom were sidelined for two weeks at the end of 2021.

When the state Division I no. 4-ranked Bees stepped out of league play to face Auburn Tuesday at Casey Park, it used steady pressure and more dominant defense to topple the Maroons 3-0.

All told, B’ville took 40 shots, and while Auburn’s pair of goalies, Mason Jones and Jackson Sidall, combined for 37 saves, one goal was recorded in each period.

Two of those goals came from Sam Ciappa, with Reese Gilmore assisting on both tallies while also netting the other goal as Trevor Sutton and Fernando Moreno also earned assists.

Jon Schirmer turned away each of Auburn’s 14 shots and the Bees could look ahead to a big first week of the new year where it would host Rome Free Academy and then play in the Duke Schneider Memorial Tournament at Skaneateles.