Even though the venue shifted, and the course of events changed, what remains true, at least for the moment, is that the Liverpool field hockey team is ahead of Cicero-North Syracuse — and everyone else in the Class A ranks, too.
Moving to the brink of an undefeated regular season, the Warriors made it 14 wins in a row Monday night at Coyne Field, knocking off the Northstars for the second time this season in a 4-2 decision that did not require last-second heroics or overtime.
Both those elements were in play for the first Liverpool-CNS meeting Sept. 16 at Bragman Stadium. Down by one, the Warriors somehow put in a goal with one second left in regulation, then won it in overtime 4-3.
Despite some other close calls this fall (including 1-0 road wins over Fayetteville-Manlius and Baldwinsville), Liverpool had maintained its perfect mark. Also, CNS hadn’t lost, building an 11-1-1 mark before its rematch with the Warriors.
Since it was Senior Night for Warrior players Jennifer VanderMeulen, Mikey Meagher, Alyssa Renk, Lindsay Rossi, Michelle Magdzuik and Rachel Grannell, there were plenty of pre-game festivities. As always, the question lingered as to whether those events would lead to a slow start once the teams faced off.
Liverpool fans need not have worried, though. Just 3:45 into the game, the Warriors went up 1-0 when Madison Buckley deflected Beth Lamison’s long hit from the left side into the net.
Thus began a general domination of the first half on the Warriors’ part. It spent most of the time attacking and setting up penalty corners, keeping CNS pinned back.
Once in a while, the Northstars would push, and got a penalty corner late in the first half. With Meagher out of position, eighth-grader Emma Lamison had to slap away a potential game-tying shot.
That was just part of a splendid defensive effort by the Warriors that lasted most of the night. Lamison, along with Renk, Magdzuik, Alyssa Mills and Morgan Beatty, constantly slapped away Northstar attacks, especially when CNS made a concentrated push early in the second half.
So it was still 1-0 when, with 13:11 to play, a shot got caught in CNS goalie Nicole Gillette’s pads, leading to a penalty stroke. Beth Lamison took it, and her high shot eluded Gillette, making it 2-0.
Just 44 seconds later, Kayla DeAngelis streaked down the right side, moved up the middle and beat Gilette on a fast break to make it 3-0, only to see Lucia Meola put CNS on the board 20 seconds after that play.
VanderMeulen then made her big move, a fast break from midfield all the way to the goal line and an unassisted goal with 10:11 left. In all, Liverpool had scored three times in a span of exactly three minutes.
Meola would add a second tally off a penalty corner with 5:45 left, but CNS would get no closer. Gillette, in defeat, made nine saves.
