CENTRAL NEW YORK – Things had turned against the Baldwinsville field hockey team through much of the latter portion of the 2023 regular season.
Still, a solid performance Wednesday against defending champion Cicero-North Syracuse at Bragman Stadium offered a chance to turn it around before the Section III playoffs.
But while these teams had played a close, tense 1-0 game back in September at Pelcher-Arcaro Stadium, the Northstars did not let it happen here, taking charge with a big second quarter and prevailing by a 5-1 margin.
B’ville, like C-NS, entered this game off a bad run of play, including last Monday’s 3-0 defeat to Little Falls, and for a moment appeared ready to turn it around as Kelly Nadzan’s first-quarter goal helped forge a 1-1 tie.
That didn’t last, though, as the Northstars ran off three unanswered goals in that decisive second period. Gabby Wameling led that charge and finished with two goals and one assist, the other goals from Paige Pangaro, Maria Wozniczka and Avery Carinci as Nicole Conklin earned a pair of assists.
Back on Monday, Little Falls, proving that its 10-4 record was far from a fluke, scored twice in the first half and added another one in the late going.
Adriana Izzo led the way, twice getting goals off feeds from Avery McLaughlin, who had the other goal. Together, they overcame 11 saves by Bees goalie Chloe Butler, the same number she would have against C-NS.
Only on Saturday, in the regular-season finale against Auburn, did the Bees’ skid end as, after a slow start, it put things together in the late going to defeat the Maroons 3-1.
They were scoreless going into the third quarter when B’ville got out in front, adding two more in the final period to answer when Skyler Bishuk put Auburn on the board.
Ella Holtman, with her pair of assists, led the way as Abby Mantione, Mya Huntington and Ava Hettler put in the goals and the Bees improved to 6-10 overall.
Given the no. 5 seed for the Section III Class A playoffs, the Bees will face no. 4 seed Fayetteville-Manlius Wednesday at 5 p.m. The winner faces top seed Cicero-North Syracuse in the Oct. 24 semifinal at Vernon-Verona-Sherrill.
