A real possibility existed that the Liverpool and Cicero-North Syracuse ice hockey teams could meet up in the opening round of the Section III playoffs.

For that to happen, the Warriors would have to overtake Fulton for third place in the Division I American Conference, and the Northstars would have to hang on to second place in the National Conference.

Then the match-up would take place – but at Cicero Twin Rinks, because the Northstars had a higher finish in its division, despite an inferior regular-season record than the Warriors.

Playoff machinations aside, Liverpool, who had lost to Baldwinsville and Syracuse in recent weeks, regained its top form during last Tuesday’s game against Mohawk Valley at Lysander Arena, especially in the second period of an 8-2 romp over the Raiders.

It was Teacher Appreciation Night, and those mentors had to like what they saw. Liverpool already had a 2-0 lead through one period when, in the ensuing 15 minutes, it ran over Mohawk Valley, scoring five times to amass a 7-0 lead.

In particular, Bobby Welch broke out, notching a three-goal hat trick and adding a pair of assists for his highest point total of the season.

Richie Hart notched three assists, with Tom Bianchi and Jeff Gentile both gaining a goal and two assists, Gentile quickly becoming a key part of the offense, having not even earned a goal until Dec. 23 in the first match-up with Mohawk Valley. John Coggiola and Nick Northrup earned the other goals.

Now, the Warriors had to go to Shove Park Friday night to face state no. 2-ranked West Genesee. On the same night, and in the same Lysander venue, as the Warriors’ rout of Mohawk Valley, the Wildcats had blown a third-period lead to defending sectional champion Baldwinsville and settled for a 2-2 tie.

Liverpool had lost, 4-1, to the Wildcats when they had first met on Dec. 16, and now, given what had happened earlier in the week, WG was angry, and took it out on the Warriors, especially in the third period of a 7-2 decision.

Thanks to Kozikoski and his 28 saves, Liverpool only trailed 1-0 through one period, and it was still 2-1 before WG notched a goal near the end of the second period.

That seemed to dim the Warriors’ spirits, as the Wildcats tacked on four more goals in the final period, negating Welch’s pair of tallies as Gentile and Kyle Terzini earned assists. WG had Matt McDonald lead the way with a goal and four assists as Jeff Kopek and Ryan McDonald had two goals apiece.

C-NS, meanwhile, met its Twin Rink co-tenants, Fayetteville-Manlius, last Wednesday night in the annual “Pink the Rink” game to benefit breast cancer research, and it turned into a thriller, with the Northstars rallying late to pull out a 3-3 tie with the Hornets.

They had first played Dec. 18, and that game had gone to overtime, too, but C-NS won it, 4-3, and it nearly got an identical result in the rematch.

Momentum swung back and forth all night long. The Northstars trailed, 1-0, after one period, only to pull even, 2-2, by the end of the second period. Then the Hornets reclaimed the lead in the third period but, again, C-NS rallied, netting the tying goal with less than two minutes left in regulation.

Another OT session between the Northstars and Hornets followed, but here it ended without resolution. Zach Matyasik, Josh Ludden and Brendan Villnave picked up C-NS’s goals, with Logan Field and Robert Mitchell joining Matyasik in the assist column as Jack Doren was sensational in the net, stopping 35 of the 38 shots he faced.

Karl Farber, Trevor Pokines and Will Healy picked up F-M’s goals. Pokines also had an assist, joined in that column by Tommy Ryu, Ben Hammond and Garrett Zogby. Hornets goalie James Kaffenberger had 23 saves.

Going to Kennedy Arena Friday night, C-NS faced Rome Free Academy and again went to overtime – but this time lost, 4-3, this happening despite Field earning a hat trick with a goal in the second period and two more in the third period that erased the Black Knights’ 2-1 second-period edge.

Parker Lane and Noah Koenig assisted on Field’s goals, while Doren recorded 26 saves, only to give up RFA’s game-winner in OT. Derrick Miller carried the Black Knights’ attack, scoring twice and assisting on the other two goals, by Phil Castronovo and Marco Pasqualetti.

C-NS still has two more games early this week, visiting Lysander Arena to take on Baldwinsville Monday before hosting Ithaca Tuesday night. Liverpool hosts Whitesboro Tuesday and then close its regular season Friday at Watertown IHC.