CENTRAL NEW YORK – For all of its struggles this winter, there was still time for the Baldwinsville ice hockey team to find something close to the winning form it has traditionally shown.
The Bees had a breakout performance last Tuesday against visiting Ontario Bay, overcoming a slow start with a scoring blitz in the last two periods of a 10-0 win over the Storm.
It was only 1-0 going to the second, but B’ville then converted four times in that period and then doubled its 5-0 margin in the third led by Trevor Sutton, who recorded a three-goal hat trick.
Conner Bourque earned three assists as he, along with Ari Fusco, Miles Hughes, Casey Gilbert, Dylan Garcia, Brady Garcia and Tyler Michalek all found the net. Dom Derito, Michael Gregoire and Alessio McGrane had two assists apiece, single assists credited to Hughes, Brady Garcia and Rylan MacCollum. B’ville took 49 shots and only surrendered nine to the Storm.
A far tougher game loomed Thursday against Cicero-North Syracuse, but the Bees, newly confident from its recent victories, would shut down the Northstars and prevail by a 2-0 margin.
Fueled by a loud home crowd and the presence of B’ville’s well-regarded pep band, the Bees were both aggressive and patient, which paid off in the second period when it netted both of its goals.
McGrane and Bourque put in the goals, with Gregoire and Gilbert earning assists. C-NS could not answer it, with the Bees’ defense limiting the Northstars to 19 shots, all stopped by Nate Sotherden.
The shutouts of Ontario Bay and C-NS pushed the Bees to the .500 mark at 8-8, but to move above it B’ville would have to go on the road and knock off 13-1-1. state Division II no. 4-ranked New Hartford on Saturday afternoon.
It didn’t quite happen, the Bees falling 3-1 to the Spartans in a game where Gilbert’s first-period goal, assisted by McGrane, gave B’ville an early 1-0 advantage.
Gavin LaPolla turned it around, though, tying it for New Hartford in the second and then converting twice in the final period for the hat trick, negating a tremendous performance in the net by Zach Bice, who made 42 saves.
B’ville plays just once next week, going to Utica’s Nexus Center on Thursday night to face Mohawk Valley.
