FULTON – Whether it was expected attrition from graduation or unexpected adversity of injuries to several key players, it looked for a long time like the Baldwinsville boys lacrosse team would meekly surrender the Section III and state Class A crowns it held for two years.
Yet when the sectional Class A title game took place Wednesday night at Fulton, the Bees were there, quite eager to win it again and turn back Liverpool’s challenge for the third year in a row.
In many ways, B’ville did what it had to, playing solid, consistent defense and generating a series of attacks. But a strong Liverpool resistance anchored by goalie Owen Salanger put an end to the Bees’ title run in a 7-5 defeat.
What happened early in the game set the night’s tone. B’ville took more shots, but Salanger kept turning them away and was rewarded when Chris Mattot scored in the waning seconds of the first quarter to break a 1-1 tie and put the Warriors ahead for good.
The Bees’ deficit grew to 6-2 early in the third period, but it would not let Liverpool get away, getting goals from Judson Ferris and Zach Bice to keep it within range going to the fourth quarter.
With 8:46 left and his team down 7-4, Brady Garcia made a spectacular play, falling twice while possessing the ball yet still firing from the point and putting it past Salanger.
Yet that was B’ville’s final goal. Despite a rash of opportunities, Salanger kept making big stops, working his total to 15 saves, while defenders Braden Seymour, Joe Gravante and Jake Berthoff forced the Bees into costly turnovers.
Finishing its season with a 9-10 record, B’ville will see several key seniors depart, from goalie Trevor Sutton to face-off specialist Josh Armpriester, along with Ferris, Greg Marinelli, Trevor Valenti and Anthony Nicolucci, but return five of its six leading goal-scorers -Bice, Brady Garcia, Dylan Garcia, Iggy Lomedico and Tiernan Lynch. Adding strong defenders to that group should make the Bees a championship contender in 2025.
