ONONDAGA COUNTY – In order to stay on its perch atop the area Class A ranks, the Baldwinsville field hockey team will need something quite special.
An accomplished group of seniors, led by Sydney Huhtala (10 goals, 15 assists) graduated from that 18-1 squad that did not lose a game en route to the SCAC Metro division and Section III crowns.
Testing itself against traditional power Holland Patent in its Sept. 2 opener at Pelcher-Arcaro Stadium, the Bees used one quick storing burst to turn away the Golden Knights 2-1.
They were scoreless until the second quarter, when Erin Gee and Kelly Nadzan both produced goals and Bridget Roy picked up an assist.
HP moved within one in the fourth quarter, but the Bees held on, helped in no small part by goalie Caley Gee, who stopped seven of the eight shots she faced.
League play began last Wednesday, at Liverpool, where the Bees leaned on Abigail Mantone in the early stages and its defense in the latter stages to record a 2-0 victory over the Warriors.
Mantone struck twice in the first half, getting a goal by herself and assisting on Erin Gee’s tally, with Roy getting another assist when Mantone converted.
That two-goal margin was not added to, Liverpool able to blank the Bees in the second half, but with Caley Gee making five saves overall and the back line protecting her well, B’ville had another win.
Now it was time for the Huntington Breast Cancer Classic, B’ville’s annual fund-raiser named in honor of late coach Stacy Huntington.
The Bees romped through the opening round against Vernon-Verona-Sherrill, blanking the Red Devils 8-0 with an attack anchored by Mantone and Julia Schultz.
Mantone finished with three assists as Schultz converted twice for the hat trick. Erin Gee added two goals, with Skye Exware stepping up to earn a goal and two assists. Roy and Nadzan also earned goals.
B’ville would take on Camden in Saturday”s finals after the Blue Devils edged Cazenovia 2-1. This game would prove as lopsided as the previous one, though, as the Bees prevailed 6-0.
It was already 5-0 by halftime, Mantione at the forefront on her way to a three-goal hat trick. Anika Selover, Erin Gee and Cadence Harvard also picked up goals, with Nadzan and Roy picking up assists. VVS edged Cazenovia in the consolation game in another 2-1 decision.
All of this led up to Wednesday’s showdown at Pelcher-Arcaro with C-NS, who like B’ville was 4-0 after it held off Holland Patent 3-2 last Saturday in its toughest test so far.
