ONONDAGA COUNTY – No one can question the vast progress the Liverpool and Cicero-North Syracuse boys lacrosse teams have made in the first half of the 2022 regular season.
Only against the best and most established foes have both of these sides faced some struggles, as was the case when they each lost high-profile games on the same chilly Tuesday evening.
At Pelcher-Arcaro Stadium, Liverpool challenged undefeated Baldwinsville for first place in the SCAC Metro division and played on even terms for a while, only to see it get away in a 15-10 loss to the Bees.
Back at Bragman Stadium, C-NS, in the first of two regular-season encounters with West Genesee, found itself chasing the Wildcats throughout the evening and taking an 11-7 defeat.
In Liverpool’s case, its 7-1 record had included a lone April 21 defeat to West Genesee, but it had recovered two days later to beat Essex (Vermont) 13-3 as Dom Osbeck picked up four goals, with three others – Aaron Clouthier, Joe Sacco and Jalen Graham – each had two goals and one assist.
B’ville provided a far greater challenge, yet for two quarters Liverpool matched whatever the Bees threw at them, ultimately reaching the half in a 7-7 tie.
What made the difference was the way B’ville’s defense adjusted, making several key stops as, on the other end, the Bees remained consistent in converting its opportunities.
Graham and Michaud accounted for most of Liverpool’s production, each netting four goals as single goals went to Sacco, who had four assists, and Osbeck. For B’ville, Keegan Lynch got four goals and two assists as Trey Ordway and Ryan Hollenbeck each scored three times.
C-NS was back home, confronting a West Genesee side that was getting into gear following a 3-3 start under its own first-year head coach, Eric Burns.
Once it fell behind 3-1 by the end of the first period, the Northstars found itself doing well in the second quarters, only to have the Wildcats match it and still have a 7-5 edge going to the break.
Then, similar to Liverpool, C-NS was kept quiet for large portions of the second half. What was more, only three different players scored.
Ian Leahey got four goals, Mason Blakeman scored twice and Mason Ciciarelli had one goal. Elijah Martin had two assists. Liam Burns paced WG with three goals as Ryan Mahoney, Jack Mellen and Teshale Kelly had two goals apiece.
Liverpool would rebound from the WG defeat in a big way by going to Fayetteville-Manlius Thursday and, by a 14-7 margin, complete a regular-season sweep of the Hornets.
Unlike their April 12 encounter at LHS Stadium (a 9-8 win), the Warriors had control from the outset, speeding to a 5-1 lead by the end of the first quarter and pulling further away early in the second half.
Sacco had four goals and one assist, with Clouthier getting three goals and two assists. Michaud and Graham each converted twice, Michaud adding two assists as Osbeck got a goal and two assists. Furr and Gavin Kenna tacked on single goals.
C-NS took its own shot at B’ville Friday at Bragman Stadium and lost, 12-4, to the Bees, only getting one goal in each quarter as Ciciarelli had two of them, the others going to Leahey and Carter. Blakeman had a pair of assists.
In Saturday’s game at Watertown, Liverpool handled the Cyclones 16-6. with Furr netting four goals as Sacco and Osbeck both had three goals and three assists. Graham and Michaud had matching totals of two goals and two assists as Gavin Kenna had two goals and one assist.
