It took 10 games and involved all kinds of close calls, but the Cicero-North Syracuse girls lacrosse team finally had to absorb a defeat.
The Northstars took a 9-0 mark and a state Class A no. 8 ranking to Fayetteville-Manlius last Tuesday night, and while it endured another rough start, this time it could not fully recover, C-NS taking a 13-9 defeat to the Hornets.
Under first-year coaches Kelly Tormey and Kristen Taylor, F-M already owned wins over West Genesee (its first in 11 years) and Marcellus, and it won’t have to worry about the likes of C-NS in the post-season since it got moved down to Class B, where it is also no. 8 in the state rankings.
During a low-scoring first half, C-NS played solid defense, yet found itself trailing 5-3 at intermission. It got decided early in the second half, when the Hornets put up four unanswered goals to extend its margin to 9-3, something that the Northstars could not quite overcome.
Olivia Massena had two goals and one assist, with Jessica Meneilly and Megan Tryniski also scoring twice. Brenna Duffy had two assists as single goals went to Julia Alberici and Olivia Africa.
F-M overcame eight saves by C-NS goalie Lauren Gilbert with a well-balanced attack. Annie Steigerwald, Amanda Cramer and Kiera Shanley each netted three goals, with Steigerwald and Cramer adding assists as Gemma Addonizio got two goals and three assists.
All of this put C-NS in a bad mood going into Thursday’s game against visiting Baldwinsville, who had a five-game win streak snapped at West Genesee earlier in the week. The Northstars proceeded to make things more miserable for the Bees, prevailing by a 13-7 margin.
Steadily, C-NS got a 7-4 lead by halftime, and added to that margin. Other than Peyton Fleming and Sara Goodwin, who had three goals apiece, only Katie Pascale earned a goal on the Bees’ side as Hannah Johnson tacked on an assist.
Brenna Duffy led the Northstars, piling up six assists to go with her pair of goals, her passes often going to Meneilly, who had five goals and one assist, or Tryniski, who scored three times. Alberici also had two goals as Africa and Makena Scarlata also found the net.
That respite was temporary, though, for C-NS would get hit hard at home as it lost, 13-3, to state Class A no. 6-ranked Pittsford. Unable to win many draws, the Northstars saw the Panthers pull away, especially in the second half when it got outscored 9-1. Duffy, Tryniski and Massena had the goals, with Alberici and Meneilly held to one assist apiece.
On the same night that C-NS beat B’ville, Liverpool returned to action and visited West Genesee, but got overwhelmed in a 17-4 defeat to the Wildcats, who netted 11 straight goals after an early exchange to take control.
The four Warriors goals came from four different players – Brittany Halpin, Maia Henry, Veronica Brancato and Megan Fitzpatrick. Halpin, Krystyna Sterio and Drew Patterson had one assist apiece. Mackenzie Baker paced WG with four goals and three assists.
And while C-NS took its lopsided defeat to Pittsford on Saturday, Liverpool got one of its best wins of the season, topping state Class B no. 10-ranked Fulton 12-9. Much of the damage was done early, with the Warriors building a 9-3 lead by halftime, enough to withstand the Red Raiders’ late push.
Abby Hope, shut out against West Genesee, responded with four goals and one assist in this game as Brancato scored three times. Halpin had two goals and two assists and Henry contributed two goals and one assist.
Colleen Tifft added one goal and one assist as Fitzpatrick nabbed an assist, too. Marissa Madonna played in the net and earned 10 saves, overcoming four-goal efforts from Fulton teammates McKenna Chesbro and Mallori Kitts.
