ONONDAGA COUNTY – Defeats and setbacks were quite rare when the Baldwinsville boys lacrosse team was charging toward back-to-back state Class A championships in 2022 and 2023.
But 2024 has proven quite different.
When the Bees begin sectional play late next, it does so humbled and challenged by a 7-9 regular season that, while featuring some high-quality wins, has also included some turnarounds against long-time rivals.
Liverpool, for example, twice got the best of B’ville in the regular season, first in a tense 8-7 decision on April 25 at LHS Stadium, then again Tuesday night when the Bees fell 12-7 to the Warriors at Pelcher-Arcaro Stadium.
Essentially, the first quarter was decisive. Hot out of the gate, Liverpool grabbed a 4-1 advantage and would spend the game’s middle stages deftly answering every B’ville charge and leaning heavily on goalie Owen Salanger, who stopped 15 of the 22 shots he faced.
Fired up by Salanger’s work, the Warriors pulled further away in the final period, led on offense by Dom Osbeck, who poured in five goals and added an assist, along with Brady Michaud (three goals, one assist) and Owen Michaud (one goal, four assists).
Ont he Bees’ side, Iggy LoMedico, with four goals, accounted for more than half his team’s production. Brady Garcia scored twice and got an assist, the other goal going to Alessia McGrane as Tieman Lynch picked up an assist.
Now B’ville would try, on Thursday night, to knock off a Cicero-North Syracuse side that ended a 15-year drought against the Bees back in April.
The Northstars wouldn’t wait as long to beat B’ville again, doing so 13-10 this time around keyed by scoring flurries in both the first and third quarters – one that produced a 4-3 advantage, the other extending that margin to 11-8.
Mostly, the Bees were done in by three players, C-NS getting five goals from Adrian Sweeney and three goals apiece from Donovan Chaney and Karsen Pritchard as Cy Liberman added four assists and Leyton Sullivan made 13 saves.
A long, tough spring for the Baldwinsville girls lacrosse team continued Tuesday with a 14-6 loss to Liverpool.
No Bees players could consistently put a scare into the Warriors’ defense as Lea Otts earned a goal and two assists, with Peyton Dyl, Raegan Ratliff, Olivia Bartlett and Jaya Madigan also finding the net.
Most of B’ville’s shots were turned away, Liverpool goalie Gianna Tantalo making 10 saves as, pacing the attack, Gianna Carbone (five goals, three assists) and Mia Berthoff (three goals, five assists) had matching point totals.
Then, running into C-NS on Thursday night, the Bees lost 19-4 to the Northstars, who got six goals from Marissa Doty and four goals and three assists from Gabby Putman.
Dyl led B’ville with one goal and one assist, the other goals going to Ratliff, Bartlett and Kelsey Dwyer. Makenna Polky and Bella Gebhardt combined to make eight saves.
