At least for 2019, the verdict in area boys soccer is that Cicero-North Syracuse is in front of Liverpool – but not by much.
Two games between the two rivals both proved close, with last Tuesday’s rematch at LHS Stadium venturing into overtime before the Northstars topped the Warriors 2-1.
If that score looked familiar, that was because C-NS beat Liverpool by that exact score when they first played Sept. 17 on the grass at the Gillette Road complex. Exactly three weeks later, they would end up in the same spot
C-NS got the jump with a first-half goal, and maintained that 1-0 margin until intermission. Regrouping, the Warriors surged and, late in the second half, Adam Ritter, off a feed from Faisal Samim, converted to pull Liverpool even.
Regulation ended 1-1, but in the first OT period, the Northstars earned the game-winner, having overcome 11 saves by Liverpool goalkeeper Dan Schaeber.
The Northstars’ goals were earned by Joe Barraco and Jawadshah Kasimi, with assists credited to Tyler Murray and Will Darko. In the net, Wyatt Dupell recorded seven saves.
But when they went in their separate directions and had to face the two Class AA front-runners last Thursday night, both C-NS and Liverpool got overwhelmed.
The Northstars fell 6-1 to state no. 10-ranked Fayetteville-Manlius, falling behind 3-0 before Kasimi earned his team’s lone goal, and that didn’t stop the Hornets from further adding to its margin.
As they had done all season, the duo of Ziad Abdul-Malak and Cheech Pagano led the F-M push, Abdul-Malak getting three goals and one assist as Pagano scored twice and Ryan Pollard had the other goal.
For a brief moment, Liverpool found equality with state no. 7-ranked Baldwinsville, that moment arriving in the first half when, trailing 1-0, the Warriors’ Jack Pento put it past Bees goalkeeper Andrew Taylor.
But it didn’t stay tied for long. B’ville scored twice before halftime and went on to defeat Liverpool 4-1, led by two goals from Evan Smith as Nathan Palmer and Marcus Ayotte also converted.
Now Liverpool had to travel to West Genesee on Saturday to make up the Oct. 1 weather postponement, and with one of its finest all-around efforts of the season, the Warriors shut out the Wildcats 3-0.
Each of C-NS’s last three regular-season games are on the road, from the makeup of a postponed Oct. 1 match with Nottingham to trips to Corcoran and West Genesee. Liverpool also plays Nottingham at home before traveling to Henninger.
