Even with all that it accomplished a season ago – especially ending West Genesee’s six-year Section III Class A championship reign – the Cicero-North Syracuse girls lacrosse team did not get the ending it wanted.
The Northstars’ defeat to Baldwinsville in the ensuing sectional final after the conquest of the Wildcats meant that, in 2014, the only aim would be to go all the way to the top.
C-NS saw its March 26 season opener with Marcellus postponed. Exactly one week later, the Northstars did play, against Auburn, and did whatever it wanted in the course of a 22-0 shutout of the Maroons.
Out to a 12-0 halftime lead by halftime, C-NS maintained that pace despite a running clock the rest of the way as Tiffany Ryan, with five goals and one assist, and Meghan Duffy, with three goals and three assists, led the way.
Samantha Tortora, fresh off leading the C-NS girls basketball team to the state Class AA title game, had three goals and one assist. Hanna Haven, Courtney Kenny and Mallory Eymer each scored twice.
Miriam Ghabarou and Megan Caveny both finished with one goal and one assist. Caitlyn Morris, Stephanie Liberati and Morgan Silfer found the net, too, as Jenna Lippert and Christie Hahn got single assists.
Two nights later, C-NS did a similar number on Oswego, smashing the Buccaneers 18-4 as it got close to matching its Auburn effort with a 12-1 first half, although things slowed up a bit from there.
Ryan got to double digits in points thanks to eight goals and two assists. Duffy wasn’t far behind, getting five goals and three assists, while Kenny scored three times. Haven and Lippert had the other goals as Tortora got two assists. Morris and Christie Hahn got one assist apiece.
Liverpool, on the other hand, still had plenty of things to prove as it hosted defending Class A champion Baldwinsville last Friday night, but found itself shut down much of the way in an 8-2 defeat to the Bees.
All through the first half, the Warriors saw its chances thwarted, and B’ville took full advantage, bolting to a 6-0 lead. Kasi Cabrey and Natalie Parkins would break up the shutout with second-half goals, while Megan Evangelista worked in the net and finished with eight saves, but it wasn’t enough as Hailey Couchman led the Bees with four goals and one assist.
That followed the Warriors’ first win of the season, achieved last Tuesday at Oswego as a big first half pushed Liverpool past the Buccaneers 8-5.
Led by Kasi Cabrey and Julia Sardella, the Warriors threatened to run away in the first 25 minutes, roaring out to a 7-1 lead, but Oswego makes its own charge after the break, pulling close, but not able to quite catch up.
Cabrey finished with three goals, while Sardella scored twice and added an assist. Rachel Kline and Taylor Fahey manage the other goals as Jen Kershner contributed an assist.
Liverpool will meet C-NS Saturday at Bragman Stadium – after the Warriors took on West Genesee Monday night and the Northstars had, on Tuesday night, the rematch of its 2013 sectional final against Baldwinsville.
