Once in serious trouble, the Cicero-North Syracuse field hockey team is now quickly asserting itself as, perhaps, the team to beat for both CNY Counties League and Section III Class A honors.
In the first of two regular-season showdowns with archrival Liverpool Wednesday night at LHS Stadium, the Northstars showed just how much it had improved in the span of less than a month, controlling matters more than the 2-0 final score would indicate.
Barely getting the ball out of its own end, the Warriors quickly found itself in a defensive mode. C-NS kept charging and, 8:20 into the game, seized a 1-0 lead when Megan Caveny flicked a shot past Liverpool goalie Megan Evangelista.
After taking a time-out, the Warriors did play better the rest of the half, but rarely got a chance to put genuine pressure, not even earning a penalty corner until past the midway point of the second half – which C-NS quickly turned away.
By then, the Northstars had an insurance goal, again courtesy of Caveny, who took a pass from Allie Bartlett and doubled C-NS’s margin. And the defense would easily preserve that lead, protecting goalie Julia Lantry, who only had to make five saves, two less than Evangelista.
The Northstars came into this encounter riding a four-game win streak, leaving its 0-4 start far behind as it got revenge against Baldwinsville last Monday afternoon in a 2-1 victory.
They had first played Sept. 5, with B’ville getting a 1-0 overtime victory on Jade Earle’s goal in the extra period. And the rematch would also take place on the Bees’ home grass since the turf at Bragman Stadium, C-NS’s home field, was not yet ready.
But the Northstars were a far more confident unit now. That showed when Megan Caveny’s goal put C-NS in front, 1-0, and was the lone tally of the first half.
B’ville responded, and again Earle was involved, assisting on Amanda Strenk’s second-half goal. But that was one of just three shots the Bees managed on this day, and when Caveny found the net again, C-NS had all the offense it needed.
Once that was done, C-NS would win at Liverpool, knowing that a rematch Oct. 6 on the brand-new Field Turf at Bragman Stadium still lay ahead.
