CENTRAL NEW YORK – Sit around for a week, and anyone would get a bit antsy.
The Baldwinsville field hockey had an especially good reason to get going again, having seen its fast start dissipate in a pair of mid-September losses – one lopsided to Cicero-North Syracuse, then a close one at Rome Free Academy.
Making things worse, the Bees’ attempt to play Fayetteville-Manlius last Monday at Pelcher-Arcarto Stadium was abandoned by heavy rain and thunderstorms, to get made up early this week.
At last, B’ville was on the field again last Friday, facing East Syracuse Minoa, and despite the Spartans’ recent good play (it had gone 3-1-1 in its last five games), it had no chance against a raging Bees attack.
Finding the net twice in three of the four quarters, B’ville blanked ESM 7-0, and what made it so encouraging was the way the wealth was spread around.
True, Bridget Roy stood out again, with two goals and two assists, but Erin Gee and Julia Schultz also had two goal outings, Gee contributing an assist.
Abby Mantone’s goal filled out the sheet, and only Mollie Comstock’s eight saves kept B’ville from further damage.
Far more critical was how B’ville did the very next afternoon on the road as it traveled west to play Section V’s Fairport.
Here, the Bees edged the Red Raiders 1-0, the first three quarters going scoreless until a final-period push led to Mantione putting in the game-winning goal, assisted by Schultz. Caley Gee stopped all seven of Fairport’s shots.
A chance at payback against C-NS takes place Wednesday at Bragman Stadium in between B’ville games with Liverpool on Monday and at Holland Patent on Friday.
