ONONDAGA COUNTY – Is this the year where the Cicero-North Syracuse ice hockey team truly establishes its place as a championship contender?
The first signs were quite encouraging as, in last Wednesday night’s season opener against Auburn at the Twin Rinks, the Northstars put up one of its biggest totals in program history while routing the Maroons 11-1.
Three goals in the first and third periods bookended a five-goal second-period outburst, with Braden Porter and Emmit Porter at the forefront.
All Braden Porter did was score four times and contribute a pair of assists, and Auburn’s defense couldn’t key on him since Emmit Porter picked up five assists to go with his pair of goals.
Andrew Davis converted twice, with single goals going to Logan Bucher, Noah Degan and Cam Walker as Bucher added a pair of assists. David Cooley, Sam Richardson and Tyler Milewski picked up single assists.
Liverpool would open its season by welcoming Section II opponents to State Fair Coliseum, including last Friday’s game against Albany CBA, where the Warriors were able to push past the Brothers 3-1.
Again, it proved a showcase for Liverpool goaltender James Welch, who withstood a game-long Albany CBA barrage that included 52 shots, with Welch stopping 51 of them.
Buoyed by this, the Warriors netted a goal in each period, including the first goals for Liverpool by Alex Kirkby and Reilly Bizgia, who joined Evan Haskins in converting. Four others – Cole Broughton, Cole Bradley, Dylan Ling and Andrew Gabor – came up with assists.
A day later, against Bethlehem, the Warriors lost by that same 3-1 margin. Cole Broughton’s first-period goal, assisted by Alex Kirkby and Calen Brown, produced a 1-0 first-period advantage, but the Spartans tied it in the second and won it with a pair of late tallies, overcoming 42 saves by Liverpool goalie Trevor Smith.
