No matter where they stood in the standings, or how they were playing, any time the Cicero-North Syracuse and Liverpool field hockey teams got together, there was always fierce competition to see which side was the best in the neighborhood.
When they reunited last Wednesday night at LHS Stadium, it marked the midway point of the regular season, and it also showed that the two sides were on fairly close terms, the Northstars needing to go to overtime to beat the Warriors 2-1.
They played through a scoreless first half, even though C-NS spent the majority of the time in Liverpool’s end, engaging in a series of attacks. Warriors goalie Abbie Bragan turned them back, and would continue to do so throughout the night, earning 19 saves overall.
When Katrina Bragan netted an unassisted goal in the second half, Liverpool had a chance to steal the victory. However, the Northstars also converted and then won it during the seven-on-seven OT period as Jamie Snyder and Allison Bartlett picked up those goals.
C-NS had played two nights earlier against East Syracuse Minoa, prevailing 3-0 with a steady, patient attack that produced a pair of first-half goals that helped to overcome 18 saves from Spartans goalie Cory Palmer. Snyder had two of those goals, with Bartlett earning the other. Ally Wagner stopped all five shots she faced.
Liverpool had to go from the disappointment of the C-NS game to a tough test at Cazenovia on Friday afternoon, and nearly pulled it out, only to have a Lakers spurt late in the first half lead to a 2-1 defeat.
It was still scoreless when, before the 10-minute mark of the first half, Olivia Hayden’s goal put Liverpool in front. That lead only lasted until Cazenovia’s Zoe Shephard (whose hat trick beat C-NS earlier this month) fed Betsy Chanatry for her first goal of the season with 4:25 left in the half.
Energized by that play, the Lakers attacked hard and, two minutes later, Brown took a pass from Whalen and pushed it past Bragan. That was all Bragan would allow in an 11-save effort, so it was up to the Lakers’ defense, who managed to nurse that slim lead throughout the second half, Shea Flannery recording six saves.
Meanwhile, C-NS was facing a far less stressful test against Canastota, and blanking the Raiders 4-0. It was close until the second half, when the Northstars found the net three times as Bartlett nabbed two goals, with Snyder and Jamie Wagner also converting. Julia McDonough and Bailey Lazore had one assist apiece.
This led C-NS to Wednesday’s game against Fayetteville-Manlius, while Liverpool must travel to unbeaten Baldwinsville on Thursday night before going to Rome Free Academy’s Tournament on the weekend.
