ONONDAGA COUNTY – Now it was a chance for the Baldwinsville boys lacrosse team to breathe before a busy late-season stretch.
For five days the Bees rested and practiced, awaiting a big showdown Friday night with undefeated, state Class A no. 4-ranked West Genesee where it looked to avenge a narrow April 15 defeat to the Wildcats.
Like that initial meeting, it proved close – and like that game it would also go in WG’s favor as, despite tremendous efforts from Zach Bice and Brady Garcia, B’ville lost by a slim 15-14 margin.
Going into the game at 9-0 and no. 6 in the state Class A rankings, WG had endured plenty of close calls this spring including one from B’ville in an 18-16 decision when they first played.
It was apparent that the rematch would follow a similar course when the Bees, trailing early, nearly caught up in the second quarter and only trailed 6-5 at the break.
From there both attacks would strike often, B’ville leaning heavily on Bice, who set a career mark with seven goals, and Garcia, who scored five times.
Beyond them, though, the Bees only had two goals, one each by Iggy LoMedico and Matt Niedzialek, while Tieman Lynch picked up three assists.
What ultimately helped the Wildcats hang on was that it had a little more production outside of star senior Charlie Lockwood, who matched Bice scoring seven times to run his season total to 44 along with earning a pair of assists.
Jake McMahon got three goals, with Nash Oudemool and Jack Wenham each scoring twice. Chace Cogan got a goal and two assists as Jon Shoults was quite busy in goal, recording 18 saves.
B’ville’s girls lacrosse team had already faced West Genesee twice and lost on both occasions, including a 16-9 decision Thursday at Pelcher-Arcaro Stadium.
Having fallen to the Wildcats 15-7 in their April encounter in Camillus, the Bees tried hard to close the gap but could not do so against a WG side which had just lost to Fayetteville-Manlius the night before.
Peyton Dyl did pick up a three-goal hat trick as Lea Otts and Jaya Madigan both scored twice. Bella Seabast and Bella Brewster had the other goals and Makenna Polky did manage to make 14 saves.
At Fulton two days later, B’ville turned it around in a big way, bolting out to a 12-3 lead on the Red Dragons by halftime and going on to win by a score of 20-8.
Otts set a career mark amassing eight assists to go with her lone goal, the passes often going to Gisella Trouesdale, who more than doubled her previous best total with six goals, or Ratliff, who also had six goals to tie her season high.
Right behind them, Madigan scored four times and added a pair of assists. Dyl earned two goals, with Annina Trouesdale also getting a goal.
Back at the .500 mark (5-5), B’ville’s girls face Fayetteville-Manlius, Jamesville-DeWitt and Irondequoit within a five-day span next week as the boys Bees had its own tough tests with F-M and J-D back-to-back and then faces Christian Brothers Academy next Saturday at 10 a.m.
