Through seven games, the Liverpool boys soccer team managed to turn back all kinds of challenges and win seven times, rising as high as no. 5 in the state Class AA rankings along the way.
But that undefeated, untied streak came to an end on Sept. 26 at the Gillette Road complex, when Cameron Houser’s second-half goal was enough to push Cicero-North Syracuse past the Warriors 1-0.
That didn’t hurt Liverpool too much in the state rankings, as it dropped just two spots to no. 7. But the Warriors faced another tough test last Tuesday night, at Nottingham, where it battled through the rain and settled for a 1-1 draw with the Bulldogs.
Unlike the Warriors, Nottingham was still undefeated, and though its 7-0-3 mark included some draws, it also featured quality wins like a 2-1, come-from-behind overtime win over Fayetteville-Manlius on Sept. 21.
The Bulldogs were not state-ranked, though, and perhaps rankled by that, it held Liverpool without a goal in the first half and took a 1-0 lead when Patrick Mugisha, taking a feed from Abdi Maalo, put one past Warriors goalie Ben Bowers.
Then, just like it did against Baldwinsville on Sept. 15, Liverpool got even with Nottingham in the second half, with A.J. Sinclair getting that tying goal and Bryce Everts earning the assist.
Unlike that OT win over the Bees, though, neither side would convert in 20 tense minutes of overtime, the Warriors getting most of the chances, but thwarted by Bulldogs goalie Patrick Mugisha, who made 10 saves, twice Bowers’ total.
Back home Thursday night to face Corcoran, the Warriors didn’t capitalize on all of its chances, but still shut out the Cougars 2-0. One goal in each half proved enough as Mike Fensken and Caleb Munski converted, Ben Root and Jeff Meyers earning the assists, and Liverpool held Corcoran without a single direct shot at the net.
Liverpool then visited Utica Proctor on Saturday, exactly a week after the Raiders squandered a two-goal lead in a 3-2 overtime defeat to F-M. Here, Proctor would again get to overtime – and again take a defeat, the Warriors pulling out a 1-0 decision.
All through regulation, the Warriors gave itself chances to move out in front, but could not do so, affording to stay patient because the defense again was first-rate, limiting Proctor to three shots.
So they were still 0-0 going into OT, and in the first extra period Meyers, again proving his ability to perform in the clutch, put home the game’s only goal.
Now sitting at 9-1-1, Liverpool would face a huge test Tuesday at Swan Pond against Fayetteville-Manlius, right after C-NS, who rested through all of last week with its 5-3-3 mark, met Nottingham on Monday night.
Tough back-to-back games against Henninger and Fulton greet the Warriors on the weekend as the Northstars would take its own shot at Proctor Friday after a Thursday game against Corcoran.
