What the Liverpool boys soccer team claimed as its own in 2016 – namely, the Section III Class AA championship – was something Cicero-North Syracuse had claimed the year before.
Now it’s 2017, though, and both sides would play against main challenger Fayetteville-Manlius in the opening weeks of the season, the Northstars going first Aug. 31 at Swan Pond and then the Warriors facing the Hornets last Saturday at LHS Stadium.
Neither would win, with C-NS falling 2-0 and Liverpool taking a 4-1 defeat in a game where the Hornets scored twice in 61 seconds early in the first half, Cole Teelin scoring one goal and assisting on the other. Teelin added a second-half tally and assist as Jack Pento’s goal in the waning minutes kept the Warriors from getting shut out.
Back in its Sept. 1 season opener, Liverpool was kept off the board in a 1-0 defeat to PSLA-Fowler. The Warriors did rebound from this to beat CBA 3-1 a day later.
Up 1-0 at halftime against CBA, the Warriors saw Tommy Daviau tie it for CBA, but in the last five minutes Liverpool scored twice to win it. Abe Haley had a pair of goals, helped by a tally from Jake Zona. Matt Buck kept things close by making 12 saves. In the other game on Sept. 2, Nottingham beat PSLA-Fowler in another 2-1 decision.
Then it was Liverpool facing Nottingham head-to-head last Tuesday night, a game that turned in the waning moments of the first half as a well-timed goal propelled the Warriors to an eventual 3-0 shutout of the Bulldogs.
The game was 0-0 through much of the 40 minutes, but just one second before the horn, Arlind Ramadani pushed home the go-ahead goal. Energized by that late strike, the Warriors pulled away as Ramadani scored a second time and Zona converted, too. Assists went to Haley, Bryce Everts and Caleb Munski. Aaron Smith recorded four saves.
Another tough game against a city opponent followed on Thursday, but Liverpool edged Henninger 2-1.
Munski’s early goal matched one by the Black Knights’ Michel Mbuto, and then Munski converted again in the second half to put the Warriors in front. Henninger had all kinds of chances, but the Warriors’ defense turned them back, Smith stopping 11 of the 12 shots he faced.
Back on Aug. 31, C-NS absorbed a 2-0 defeat to F-M. Before it could even settle into the game, the Northstars found itself trailing by two. Grant Olick-Sutphen scored off a feed from Alex Bychkov and put the Hornets in front. Just 93 seconds later, F-M converted again, this time with Bychkov finding the net and Teelin earning the assist.
More than 70 minutes remained, but while F-M didn’t convert again, it did not have to, either, since its defense would turn back every C-NS attempt to catch up, goalie Tim Kaiser recording eight saves. Northstars keeper Pat Gazzillo recovered from the rough start to make 11 saves.
The Northstars would then win its SCAC Metro opener at West Genesee last Tuesday night, battling from behind and requiring overtime to subdue the Wildcats 2-1.
Drawing a foul inside the 18-yard box, WG went up 1-0 in the first half when Ricky Francisco converted a penalty kick. But C-NS tied it in the 25th minute with Anthony Esce’s goal, and they stayed tied through the rest of regulation.
Despite a rash of chances to go in front, the Northstars constantly got foiled by Wenner, who made 13 saves. However, in the first OT period, Bryant Perdomo pushed one past Wenner to give C-NS the win. Brady Engle got credit for an assist.
Now the Northstars hosted its own Optimist Tournament, and in Friday night’s opening round met CBA. C-NS beat the Brothers 3-0, with Peter Civello leading the way as he scored one goal and assisted on another, with Britton Scorzelli and Zack Williamson getting the other goals. Max Euceda earned an assist.
The final pitted C-NS against Rochester McQuaid, who beat Utica Proctor 6-0 in its first-round match. It was close and low-scoring, but the Northstars lost, 1-0, to the Knights, despite a tremendous defensive effort and 11 saves from Gazzillo.
