So nothing got settled when the Baldwinsville and Liverpool girls soccer teams met for the first time in 2011 on a sun-splashed Tuesday afternoon at Pelcher-Arcaro Stadium to make up their rained-out Sept. 7 showdown.
After 100 minutes of tough, physical play, the Warriors and Bees finished in a 0-0 draw, both sides remaining undefeated – but paying a heavy price for it.
All looked in B’ville’s favor. The Bees had not played since last Thursday, while Liverpool had just visited Cicero-North Syracuse the night before, winning a 2-0 decision.
Perhaps the toll of facing two major rivals in a span of less than 24 hours cost the Warriors, for in the first half Kim Murphy, arguably the team’s best all-around player, went to the sidelines with a knee injury and would not return, junior Breanna Sharpe replacing her.
Then, early in the second half, Chelsea Bowers, a top defender for the Warriors, suffered an ankle injury and was on crutches by game’s end. B’ville had its own injury issue when Claire Monnat got banged up early in the second half and left the game for good.
Erika Napolitano filled in for Bowers as she, along with Danielle Sheehan, Kayla Case and Kayla Whalen, did a superb job breaking up B’ville’s attack, especially trailing sisters Jackie and Emma Firenze.
And when that didn’t work, Liverpool goalie Tori Corsaro stepped in, ultimately finishing with 17 saves. None were better than the diving stop she made on Emma Firenze’s low shot with 8:45 left in regulation, which kept the game scoreless.
Through the pair of 10-minute overtime periods, neither side could get on the board. B’ville goalie Stephanie Lynch had to make her best stop in the second OT, stepping in front of Nikki Carfi’s deft pass from the side before a Warrior player could poke it in the net.
This was just the first of two regular-season meetings between the rivals, who also met in last year’s Section III Class AA semifinals, which B’ville won. They will gather again Oct. 1 on the turf at LHS Stadium.
