When the Cicero-North Syracuse and Liverpool and girls soccer teams met up last Thursday night at Archie Hall Stadium, it was at a delicate point in the season for both of these rivals.
Sporting young rosters and enduring plenty of setbacks, their head-to-head match would reveal that, at least on this occasion, the Northstars were further along, defeating the Warriors 3-0.
Going out in front for good, C-NS gained a 2-0 advantage in the game’s first 30 minutes, and then did an effective job protecting that lead with a defense that held Liverpool to just three shots all night.
Pacing the Northstars’ attack, sophomore Juliana Marullo scored twice, with senior defender Taylor Howard adding a goal. Victoria Ianotti got credit for an assist as C-NS overcame 10 saves by Liverpool goalkeeper Brittany Burns.
Liverpool was still winless when it began a stretch of four games in six nights at Skaneateles last Monday, but it was here that head coach Nicole Murphy got her victory as the Warriors edged the Lakers 2-1.
A first-half goal made the difference, Liverpool up 1-0 at the break and then answering Maeve McNeil’s second-half goal for Skaneateles. Jailyn Parrotte and Caroline Stevens had the Warriors’ tallies, with Alexandra Rancier earning an assist as each of Burns’ four saves proved important.
Just 24 hours before playing C-NS, Liverpool hosted Bishop Grimes and earned its second win of the season, finding the net three times in each half on the way to shutting out the Cobras 6-0.
This night mostly belonged to Stevens, whose three goals produced her first varsity hat trick as she added an assist. Erin McCarthy and Anne Gullo each had one goal and one assist as Molly Ryan also had a goal. Assists went to Abby Brancato and Kaitlyn Blanch.
After the C-NS loss, the Warriors were at it again Saturday, against visiting Carthage, but were able to break out with its attack in the course of a 7-0 romp over the Cougars.
Already up 3-0 by halftime, Liverpool kept going as Rancier not only scored twice, but dished out three assists. Stevens added two goals and one assist, with single tallies going to Ryan, McCarthy and Julianna Colavita, who joined Blanch in the assist column.
C-NS, who was 1-4 going into the Liverpool match, had just taken a 4-1 defeat to West Genesee two nights earlier.
The Wildcats jumped out 2-0 by halftime and then added to the margin despite a second-half goal by Grace Engle. Sarah Petrus had two of WG’s four goals, with Northstars goalie Avery Byrnes and Ava Field getting 10 saves between them.
This made the win over Liverpool more impressive, and C-NS did not have a letdown, either, playing again a day later against Christian Brothers Academy and using a late surge to shut out the Brothers 2-0.
Thwarted throughout the early going by CBA goalie Emily Jones, who finished with nine saves, the Northstars broke through in the second half as Iannotti and Madelyn Jackson both scored, with Marullo picking up an assist.
C-NS would now take a two-game win streak into its trip to Fayetteville-Manlius on Wednesday before Saturday’s non-league game at Chittenango and a Sunday match against Athens (Pennsylvania) at Bragman Stadium.
Just as busy this week, Liverpool plays three times, hosting Baldwinsville Thursday in between trips Tuesday to F-M and Saturday afternoon to CBA.
