Emma Lamison had two chances to deliver the Liverpool field hockey team’s first Section III Class A championship since back-to-back titles in 2007 and ’08.
The first try, on her own stick, did not work. But Lamison’s pass did set up the winning goal in overtime, and the Warriors defeated Rome Free Academy 2-1 Saturday afternoon at Cicero-North Syracuse’s Bragman Stadium.
Late in regulation, Liverpool was tied, 1-1, with the Black Knights, following the pattern of the regular season as the two sides had tied, 2-2, in one of their meetings and the Warriors had won the other contest by a 2-1 margin.
With 2:52 left, Liverpool attacked hard and forced RFA to commit a foul within the penalty area. That meant a penalty stroke, a one-on-one chance for Lamison against Black Knights goalie Danielle Famolaro. Lamison took the shot, it went high – and Famolaro stopped it.
So now the drama went into overtime, where teams play seven-on-seven. With more room to work with the ball, the Warriors charged again and, this time, Lamison drew in the defense before passing it to Mary Fadden. Calmly, Fadden beat Famolaro for the goal that won the sectional title.
It had already been quite a week for Lamison. Just days after her father, Tim, endured a brain aneurysm that has kept him from attending games, Emma went out and got a three-goal hat trick in the Warriors’ 4-1 semifinal win over Cicero-North Syracuse.
Sporting a slogan, “Make My Dad Proud”, on her stick once more, Lamison set up the first goal of the final, too, as her 50-yard run and deft pass allowed Holly Clark to convert, putting Liverpool up 1-0. Lamison also nearly scored twice herself in the first half, one shot going off the left post.
Just after a disallowed goal in the second half nearly made it 2-0, Liverpool watched, instead, as RFA’s Samantha Grunder tied it with a goal off a nice feed from Kaysie Gregory. That set up the final act, where again Lamison would pull through.
The Warriors (17-0-1) come back to Bragman Stadium next Saturday and meet the West Regional champion in the state quarterfinals. A win here would get Liverpool to the state final four, also on the CNS turf, to be held Nov. 19 and 20.
