MaxPreps is pleased to announce that the
Baker (Baldwinsville, N.Y.) Bees have officially been named to the 13th Annual MaxPreps Soccer Tour of Champions presented by the Army National Guard, which is in its seventh year honoring girls soccer.
This is one of the most prestigious team awards in all of high school sports and it is an exclusive honor reserved for 100 of the top teams nationwide. In order to be eligible, a team must win a state championship and be highly ranked in the MaxPreps National Rankings. For soccer, only 20 of the country's best are invited and with nearly 34,000 competing varsity teams, this puts the Bees ahead of 99.9 percent of their opponents!
In order to be eligible, the team not only had to be nationally ranked, but also had to win a state championship. Beating Massapequa 2-0 on Sunday, Nov. 12 in the
NYSPHSAA Class 2A state championship contest marked the completion of an incredible 18-2 season — and earned Baker an invitation to the Tour of Champions.
According to a story in the Eagle News, former Baker girls soccer coach Lisa Deil recently joined Kathy Morse's Bees staff and, besides bringing her experience and expertise, brought a little bit of superstition. Deil sported a bracelet just like the one she handed out after her 2002 Baker squad won its first state title. It worked!
Instead of relying on luck, though, Katie Pascale put her skill to work when she took a corner kick from Kelsey Delola and stuck it in the net with about 16-minutes left in the first half. Hannah Mimas then added a second half insurance goal to secure victory for the Bees, who are now the proud owners of two state titles.
After receiving a first round bye, Baker edged Shenendehowa 2-1 to kick the door open to the semifinals. The Bees then dispatched Monroe-Woodbury 3-2 to set up the championship bout with Massapequa.
The Bees upended Saratoga Springs 2-1 to open the season and ran their record to 5-0 before falling to Islip 4-2. Five matches later, Liverpool edged the state champions 2-1, but Baker did not lose again. Morse's club outscored its opposition 58-14 on the year, and posted 11 shutouts. Only three Baker foes managed to score more than one goal in a contest.
Having won nine straight contests to end the year, the Bees set themselves up for some rather high rankings come season's end. Not only does Baker sit atop the MaxPreps
New York Section 3 Class 2A rankings, the Bees are the No. 1 team in
Section 3 and in the entire state of
New York. Baker is ranked No. 14 in
MaxPreps' National Rankings!
These incredible season achievements have earned the Baker Bees an invitation to the 13th Annual Tour of Champions.
Please join us in the gymnasium as we celebrate with the girls soccer team, coaching staff, students and fans on Friday, Jan. 26 at 2 p.m. for a pep rally.
For more information about the Tour of Champions, please visit the
MaxPreps Tour of Champions site.
