About the only real problem in the Liverpool ice hockey team’s fine 2015-16 season is its struggles against Division I opponents.
Outside of league play, the Warriors were 4-1 going into the week, but it was 2-3 within the league, meaning that it was still in fourth place in the American Conference and trying to move up in the standings.
What happened in last Tuesday’s game against visiting Fayetteville-Manlius at Lysander Arena offered some help. Liverpool spread around its attack and led through most of the game’s late stages, defeating the Hornets 4-2.
They were tied, 1-1, through one period, but the Warriors inched in front by notching the only goal of the second period and then getting away late, the attack anchored by Kyle Terzini, who finished with a pair of assists.
Four different players – Bobby Welch, Tom Bianchi, Nick Northrup and Riley Thompson – earned those four goals. Richie Hart, Jeff Gentile and Rocco Leone earned single assists, while Steven Kozikoski made 21 saves in the net, only allowing goals to F-M’s duo of Trevor Pokines and Zack Wisby.
On Friday night, the Warriors went to Kennedy Arena to face Rome Free Academy, looking for its fifth win in a row – and getting it, too, though it took until the third period to put the game away in a 3-0 shutout of the Black Knights.
All game long, Liverpool camped out in RFA’s end, but managed just one goal in the first two periods, constantly thwarted by Black Knights netminder Ethan Siderine, who would finish the night with 33 saves.
Finally, the Warriors got the pair of insurance tallies it craved, seeing Bianchi, Leone and Carson Ferguson net one goal apiece as Terzini, Northrup and Nate Dombroski earned assists. Kozikoski didn’t have to do a lot of work, but still stopped all eight shots he faced.
Cicero-North Syracuse, when it made its trip to Shove Park to face West Genesee last Tuesday night, had to hope that, perhaps, the Wildcats were looking ahead to its showdown with unbeaten, state Division I top-ranked Syracuse at Meachem Rink two nights later.
But those hopes were quickly dashed as WG blanked the Northstars 5-0, steadily pulling away by scoring twice in each of the last two periods as it put relentless pressure on the C-NS defense.
Somehow, Jack Doren managed to earn 44 saves, his highest total of the season. Jay Considine paced WG’s relentless attack, scoring twice and adding a pair of assists, while Ryan McDonald finished with two goals and one assist.
Returning to the Twin Rinks Friday night, C-NS rolled past Mohawk Valley 6-2, putting together its most impressive all-around effort of the season and taking over in the third period, netting three straight goals to break open a close contest.
Logan Field, in particular, was unstoppable, scoring three times for a hat trick and adding a pair of assists. Noah Koenig added two goals as Robert Mitchell also found the net. Josh Ludden, Parker Lane, Josh Matyasik and Zach Matyasik had one assist apiece.
The win improved C-NS’s record to 4-8-1 as it faced a brutal week of games against two state-ranked powers, Baldwinsville and Syracuse, while Liverpool hosted Watertown IHC Tuesday before taking its own shot at B’ville Friday at Lysander Arena after it lost, 4-3, to the Bees on the first day of December.
