ONONDAGA COUNTY – Humbled once by Cicero-North Syracuse, the Baldwinsville field hockey team was in no mood to let that happen again.
These two rivals for area Class A supremacy met again last Wednesday night at Bragman Stadium, a mere 15 days since the Northstars had gone to B’ville and humbled the Bees 6-1 the first time they met.
This game proved far different – and far more supenseful, B’ville in the fight all the way to the final whistle and feeling much better about itself even though it lost again, this time by a 2-1 margin.
When the Northstars got the jump with a first-quarter goal, B’ville’s main task was to make sure it didn’t get away.
Sure enough, for the next two-plus quarters the Bees’ defense, having learned from its first meeting, shut down the open lanes C-NS once feasted on, assuring a tight contest.
Even more important was the goal by Bridget Roy in the second quarter that created a 1-1 halftime tie, one which endured through a scoreless third period as the tension grew.
Keeping its poise, C-NS, still without a loss or tie this season, inched back in front during the final period and hung on, largely by maintaining possession and not letting the Bees attack.
Again, Chrissy Wagner was at the forefront, netting one goal and assisting on the other by Shannon Brown as she built on the three-goal hat trick she earned in the first meeting. B’ville goalie Caley Gee finished with eight saves.
B’ville did enter the game having recorded three consecutive shutouts, the last of them a 3-0 victory over Liverpool that was more lopsided than its 2-0 win over the Warriors later in the month.
Following a scoreless first half, the Bees struck for all of its goals in the third quarter, Julia Schultz leading the way with her goal and assist.
Bridget Roy scored, as did Ella Holtman, with defender Skye Exwaare picking up an assist as B’ville held Liverpool to just three shots all night, overcoming 11 saves by Warriors goalie Arilanna Webber.
As a follow-up to the C-NS rematch, B’ville met Fayetteville-Manlius on Saturday, making up the weather-postponed game from Sept. 19, and the Bees would edge the Hornets 1-0.
They were scoreless when, in the second quarter, Abby Mantione put a shot past F-M goalie Kaleigh Hamilton, all that Hamilton would allow as she finished with nine saves.
But B’ville’s defense never let the Hornets answer in the second half, with Gee picking up seven saves. The Bees improved to 8-3 overall and would face Holland Patent Monday before a Saturday game against Cortland.
