When the Cicero-North Syracuse field hockey team made it to the Oct. 1 final of the Rome Free Academy ‘Knight Time’ Tournament, a scheduling quirk bubbled up that did not work in the Northstars’ favor.
Now, C-NS would have to face undefeated Baldwinsville twice in three days, first at RFA, and then on the Bees’ new home turf at Pelcher-Arcaro Stadium – all before a Wednesday-night visit from another team, Cazenovia, that it could not beat earlier this season.
In the case of B’ville, both games had a similar outcome. At RFA, the Bees pulled away in the second half to prevail 3-1. Then, at Pelcher-Arcaro last Monday night, the Bees grabbed early control and never let C-NS into the argument as the Northstars took a 4-1 defeat.
True, C-NS had given B’ville its closest call of the season when they first met Sept. 9, but that 3-2 decision was something the Bees remembered, so in each of those ensuing two matches it jumped out in front early and counted on its defense to protect that lead.
At B’ville, the Northstars trailed, 2-0, at halftime, and all it could manage in response was Katie Thies’ second-half goal, assisted by Jessica Snyder. Nothing else got past Bees goalie Abbey Timmins, who frustrated C-NS by stopping 12 of the 13 shots she faced.
For her part, Northstars goalie Nina Trenca had nine saves, but couldn’t keep everything out, B’ville getting two goals from Amanda Strenk and one each from Chloe Lynch and Talia Scarafino. Shylea Dukat and Lauren Brushingham had one assist apiece.
At 6-4-1, C-NS had lost three of those games to B’ville. The other defeat was a 1-0 decision to Cazenovia Sept. 19 at Burton Street Elementary, and now they met again at Bragman Stadium.
And while the Northstars didn’t get shut out this time around, the Lakers still prevailed 3-1, with all of the goals coming in the second half. Thies broke through with an unassisted goal, but Cazenovia answered as Zoe Shephard scored twice and Molly LaHart also found the net. Nina Trenca had a strong game in goal, recording 12 saves.
As if all this wasn’t difficult enough, the Northstars, with a chance to halt this skid Friday night against visiting Fayetteville-Manlius, but could not hold on as the Hornets rallied and handed the Northstars a 3-2 defeat.
Goals by Bailey Lazore and Jamie Wagner, with Nessa McKie and Julia McDonough picking up assists, had C-NS out in front 2-1 at halftime. F-M would catch up, and get the lead as Sophie Craig, Paige Freyer and Lindsey Kilpatrick all scored for the Hornets.
Liverpool, who had gone through its share of struggles with Baldwisnville, was finding it difficult against other opponents, too, as evidenced by last Tuesday’s 1-0 defeat to the same F-M side that would trip up C-NS three days later.
For most of the night, the Warriors’ defense did a solid job of containing the Hornets. But this came after Sophie Craig scored in the first half, assisted by Liz Truman, and no matter what Liverpool tried, its attack could not get close to the F-M net often enough, only taking two directs shots all night.
Having fallen to 2-6-1, Liverpool looked for some respite against East Syracuse Minoa Friday night, and found it in a 1-0 victory over the same Spartans side it beat 2-1 a couple of weeks earlier.
Here, Hayley Vivenzo’s goal, assisted by Bri Socker, proved enough, though the Warriors could have found the net many more times were it not for the brilliant work of ESM goalie Kory Palmer, who stopped 17 of the 18 shots she faced. By contrast, Brittany Cussen only had to make five saves for the shutout.
And this all guides Liverpool back to C-NS, as the rivals will square off once more in the regular season Thursday night at Bragman Stadium, but only after the Warriors have another shot at Cazenovia on Tuesday at Burton Street Elementary as the Northstars (6-6-1) host Cortland.