Almost from the moment the Liverpool girls soccer team’s 3-0 defeat to Baldwinsville concluded on Sept. 13, the Warriors were getting ready for the rematch that would take place barely two weeks later at Pelcher-Arcaro Stadium.

Knowing that the first meeting was altered by an early red card that left it a player down, Liverpool is convinced that an 11-on-11 game would, at the very least, prove more competitive.

Of course, the Warriors didn’t forget any of the games beforehand, including a tense visit to New Hartford last Thursday night where the 2016 Section III Class A finalists didn’t go away and Liverpool was glad to pick up a 2-1 victory.

Brianna Kovarik’s first-half goal put Liverpool in front, 1-0. That still wasn’t enough, though, since Kovarik had to return later and, following a deep run down the left side where she flew past two New Hartford defenders, fed Lynsey Roth at the far post, from where Roth was able to convert.

It was needed because Micaela Honsinger put the Spartans on the board in the second half, assisted by Christina D’Ambro. Also, New Hartford goalies Gabby Hobika and Abby Buchholz made 11 total saves, and the Warriors needed every one of Megan Merrifield’s nine stops to hang on.

Prior to that, Liverpool ventured to Swan Pond last Tuesday afternoon and put away Fayetteville-Manlius 4-1. Even with the Hornets having a down year, the Warriors didn’t take the task lightly, giving itself all kinds of scoring chances throughout the game.

Many of those chances missed, but Liverpool still built a 3-0 halftime lead and cruised from there, Bri Kovarik scoring a pair of goals as Carli Kovarik and Lynsey Roth also scored. Megan Merrifield, Abeba Haley and Leigha Johnson had one assist apiece. Cady Barns accounted for F-M’s lone goal in the second half.

To start its week, Cicero-North Syracuse, still reeling from the 5-0 defeat it took at Liverpool the week before, hosted West Genesee last Tuesday night and again got shut out in a 2-0 loss to the Wildcats.

WG, whose lone defeat came to Jamesville-DeWitt in its previous outing on Sept. 18, would take control early, getting both of its goals in the first half as Olivia Price and Megan Delia converted those goals and Erin Mills made an assist.

The Northstars would improve on defense the rest of the way, rarely giving the Wildcats more opportunities, but it didn’t generate much, either, against a stifling WG defense that held them to five shots.

What made things worse was when C-NS took its shot at F-M last Thursday night at Archie Hall Stadium and lost, 2-1, to the Hornets, who prevailed thanks to goals by Anna Hartzheim and Mirren Galway. The Northstars  (3-4-1) would take on B’ville Tuesday before games against Utica Proctor and Bishop Ludden (who is off to an 11-0-1 start) later in the week.