Fortune favored the Cicero-North Syracuse ice hockey team in a big way, and did not look as kindly on its neighbors from Liverpool.
Though the Warriors had gone 11-9 in the regular season and the Northstars had gone 7-11-2, because C-NS was in the National Conference it finished second, and earned the right to a Section III Division I home playoff game against Fulton.
When it took place Friday afternoon at Cicero Twin Rinks, C-NS was ready for it, gradually asserting its will on the Red Raiders, especially in a third-period surge where a close game turned into a comfortable margin for the Northstars, who prevailed by a score of 6-2.
During a mostly quiet first period, C-NS netted the only goal. Then, led by Jacob Den Bleyker, the Nothstars doubled that margin to 3-1 before Fulton’s Austin Vashaw netted his second goal of the game early in the final period.
Clinging to that 3-2 lead, C-NS did not sit on that slim margin. Instead, it increased its pressure and found the net twice to all but put the game away before Den Bleyker returned for an empty-netter and completed a three-goal hat trick.
Logan Field earned a goal and two assists, with goals also credited to Zach Matysuk and Parker Lane. Noah Koenig gained two assists as Den Bleyker, Matyasik and Dante Iannotti had one assist apiece.
Now, having won three straight games, the Northstars could focus on Wednesday night’s sectional semifinal, where it would try to topple state no. 2-ranked West Genesee at Shove Park. C-NS lost, 5-0, to the Wildcats on Jan. 12 in Camillus.
Meanwhile, Liverpool had to settle for fourth place in the tougher American Conference and, as a result, had to travel to Meachem Rink for its sectional quarterfinal against 17-2-1, state no. 5-ranked Syracuse, who would defeat the Warriors 6-3.
Syracuse had not played for more than a week since its Feb. 9 win over Fayetteville-Manlius. Liverpool, who lost 6-3 at Meachem on Jan. 28, went in hoping that long break had caused some rust, but quickly found out otherwise as the Cougars poured through the Warriors’ defenses right from the opening faceoff.
It took just four minutes for Syracuse to get on the board with Andrew Hodgens’ goal, which only figured since Hodgens constantly won face-offs throughout the night, giving his team more possession time and more shots.
Matt Eccles then made it 2-0 with a breakaway goal late in the first period, and the margin grew to 3-0 before Liverpool got its lone tally from Nate Dombroski at the midway point of the second period, assisted by Tom Bianchi and Nick Northrup.
Jake Polacek allowed nothing more, though, finishing the game with 16 saves, and when Colby Skrupa beat Steven Kozikoski for a goal with 10 seconds left in the second period, Syracuse regained the momentum for good.
Bryan O’Mara and Casey Rogers gave the Cougars five different goal-scorers, with Matt Eccles earning two assists as O’Mara, Philip Zollo, Ryan Eccles, Matt Frye and Matt Goddard got one assist apiece. Only Kozikoski’s 52 saves kept it from a bigger margin.
Syracuse, by winning that game, would meet defending champion Baldwinsville in the sectional semifinal Tuesday night at Meachem, one night before C-NS traveled to Shove Park. The winners get to Sunday’s title game at 2:15 at Utica Memorial Auditorium.
