MANLIUS – For most of the fall, the Baldwinsville field hockey team found itself in a mad search for consistency, occasionally reaching a higher level but not staying there.
Yet the Bees were patient – and when it went to Fayetteville-Manlius for Wednesday night’s opening-round game in the Section III Class A playoffs, it delivered a clinic in both ends on the way to defeating the Hornets 3-0.
They played twice in the regular season, each side winning once by a 1-0 margin. Now, for the third and most important encounter, no. 5 seed B’ville was on no. 4 seed F-M’s home turf.
Given the close nature of the first two meetings, he opening goal, whenever it came, would matter plenty. And Ella Holtman got it for the Bees in the first quarter, establishing a lead it would not relinquish.
B’ville maintained that slim 1-0 edge through the game’s middle stages, giving F-M’s attack few opportunities to pull even as it held the Hornets to just three shots.
Despite F-M goalie Emma Dobrovech’s nine saves, the Bees got away in the fourth quarter, Abigail Mantione and Kelly Nadzan converting as Holtman earned an assist, as did Raegyn Wells.
The win means that B’ville has an opportunity to knock off top seed and defending champion Cicero-North Syracuse in Tuesdays sectional semifinal at Vernon-Verona-Sherrill, the winner to return to VVS Sunday for the title game against Rome Free Academy or Liverpool. The Bees lost to the Northstars by 1-0 and 4-1 margins in the regular season.
