Though the turnover in its roster may have cost the Liverpool boys soccer team its perch among local large-school sides, it did not cost the position it had in its long rivalry with Cicero-North Syracuse – at least not yet, anyway.
Those two sides clashed again last Tuesday night at LHS Stadium and did not disappoint, engaging in a tight contest that dragged past regulation until the Warriors got the play it needed in overtime to beat the Northstars 2-1.
Neither side scored in the first half, the urgency of both sides in place since they had lost their previous games – Liverpool to Fayetteville-Manlius, C-NS to Rochester McQuaid in the finals of its Optimist Tournament.
Caution disappeared, though, during a free-flowing second half where Abe Haley found the net for the Warriors and John Kurlya, off a feed from Peter Civello, countered for the Northstars, so yet another rivalry battle would go to overtime.
Liverpool got the ball and worked it around until Arlind Ramadani, who had found a knack for hitting goals in big moments, sent a shot past Patrick Gazzillo for the game-winner. It rewarded the work of a tough Warriors defense led by Caleb Munski, Jack pento and Adrian Temelkovski as goalie Aaron Smith made seven saves.
Fuming at this result, yet encouraged by the way it played against Liverpool, C-NS returned home and beat Corcoran 3-0 on Thursday night, taking 18 shots overall and converting thanks to Bryant Perdomo and Ethan Doerschuk each getting one goal and one assist. Zack Williamson added a goal.
Back at Liverpool, things were not easy for the Warriors against visiting West Genesee until the second half, when it broke out of an early tie and used a pair of late scoring plays to put away the Wildcats 3-1.
Caleb Munski, one of the team’s senior leaders, netted one goal and assisted on another, with the other goals credited to Haley and Ben Root. Jordan Burlingame added an assist as Liverpool overcame a great effort from WG goalie David Wenner, who made 14 saves.
This all led to a Saturday-night showdown at Gillette as C-NS tried to avenge its Aug. 31 2-0 defeat to Fayetteville-Manlius at Swan Pond. And the Northstars were in position to at least think of an upset before a second-half Hornets surge led to yet another 2-0 loss.
Unlike that first meeting, where F-M netted both of its goals in the first 10 minutes, the first half went 0-0 here, C-NS defending well and seeing Gazzillo make five saves. However, the Hornets proved patient, ultimately breaking through thanks to Ryan Varley, whose passes set up decisive goals by Alex Bychkov and Ryan Burke.
C-NS would get a look at the other local state-ranked AA side, Baldwinsville, Friday night after the Bees’ showdown with F-M at Swan Pond three nights earlier. But the Northstars would meet Nottingham first on Monday night as Liverpool’s lone game this week comes Tuesday against Corcoran.
