ONONDAGA COUNTY – When the Baldwinsville boys soccer team made its way to Fayetteville-Manlius last Tuesday night, it did so off an opening week where, in defeats to Liverpool and Corning, it managed just a single goal.
The reigning sectional Class AAA champion Bees needed a spark – and got it from the likes of Tamer Abraham, who helped spark a come-from-behind 3-2 win over the Hornets.
B’ville was familiar with F-M Stadium beyond the annual regular-season encounters, having won the 2023 AAA regional final over Shaker in overtime on that same turf.
F-M was 1-0-1 after beating Henninger and drawing Skaneateles in its first two games and went out in front 2-1 here, getting goals from Tom Helmer and Antonie Aombe as Owen Pipes and Keshav Gangireddy earned assists.
Trailing 2-1 at the break, B’ville both caught up and went ahead, and Abraham would end up with two of his team’s three goals, the other earned by Michael Sacco as Aidan Holcomb got two assists. Owen Daly and Jonah McMullen also had assists.
Back on Sept. 7, in the game at Corning it was junior Jagger Rademacher scoring his team’s first goal of the season, assisted by Will Stevens, which helped forge a 1-1 halftime tie.
However, Corning moved in front in the second half, the Hawks overcoming Enzo Falso’s four saves to prevail 3-1 and leave B’ville with a bit more urgency going to F-M – which it would ultimately display.
Then the Bees were off until Saturday’s game against Canisius, from Buffalo, where it nearly made another memorable comeback before falling to the Crusaders in another 3-2 decision.
Canisius, who played Liverpool to a 2-2 draw the day before, bolted out in this game 2-0, but early in the second half B’ville roared back, converting twice thanks to goals by Holcomb and Will Stevens as Jack Dutter added an assist.
Still, the Crusaders hit on a late game-winner and dropped the Bees’ overall record to 1-3 as it goes on the road this week for games against West Genesee and Cicero-North Syracuse.
