ONONDAGA COUNTY – Undefeated in its first seven matches in 2022, the Baldwinsville boys soccer team suddenly found itself in a mid-season slump caused by a trio of close defeats.
First there was a 1-0 loss to Fayetteville-Manlius and a 2-1 loss to East Syracuse Minoa. Then, in last Tuesday night’s rain-soaked rematch with Cicero-North Syracuse, the Bees were again kept off the board and fell 1-0 to the Northstars.
These sides had played to a 0-0 draw on Sept. 17. Now, on the turf at Bragman Stadium, B’ville again found the C-NS defense to be formidable, managing just four shots all night.
It stayed scoreless until the second half, when the Northstars made a push and Sean Graves, taking a pass from Adam Bonnier, put a shot past Nick Hollingshead. That single goal held up, Hollingshead earning six saves.
Off until Saturday, B’ville then went to Liverpool, whom it tied 2-2 in the Sept. 1 season opener and had just knocked off first-place Fayetteville-Manlius on the same night the Bees fell to C-NS.
Just when it needed to break out of its slump, B’ville could not do so, again kept off the board and again taking a 1-0 defeat.
Even as the Bees applied some pressure, Liverpool converted in the first half when Dominic Paolini, who had not scored all season, put it in the net off a feed from Christian Hope.
Though B’ville’s defense made sure the Warriors didn’t add to that margin, all of its attempts to catch up, especially in a tense second half, were turned back as Liverpool goalie Jacob McQuatters made eight saves.
What was now a four-game skid, all of them by a single goal, was something the Bees hoped it would shed at home this week against Nottingham or West Genesee before its rematch with F-M on Saturday afternoon.
