Sometimes, as a season progresses, what happens when two teams face each other the first time does not repeat itself if there’s a rematch.
Yet that wasn’t the case for Cicero-North Syracuse’s field hockey Northstars against Fayetteville-Manlius, for the 2-0 victory C-NS earned last Wednesday night at Bragman Stadium exactly matched the 2-0 margin of the first meeting back on Sept. 9.
Less than three weeks had passed between those two games, and the flow of play in the sequel did not favor either side. The difference was that the Northstars’ defense never let the Hornets get on the board, Ally Wagner stopping all seven shots she faced.
Still, some offense was required, and C-NS provided it, one goal in each half. Julia McDonough and Bailey Lazore earned those tallies to overcome five saves by F-M goalie Catherine Barr.
Liverpool would pay a visit to Pelcher-Arcaro Stadium to face undefeated Baldwinsville last Thursday night, and would hang close for much of the game before taking a 2-0 defeat to the Bees.
Back on Sept. 8 at LHS Stadium, B’ville had to pull out a 1-0 decision over Liverpool, and the rematch would prove just as tense. Each half proved the same, with the Warriors playing tremendous defense and seeing goalie Abbie Bragan dazzle with her multiple point-blank stops.
But it couldn’t relieve the pressure, either, and Amanda Strenk’s goal with three minutes left in the first half gave B’ville a 1-0 edge. And it continued into the second half, with Liverpool rarely able to clear it out, but the Bees unable to put the game away, either.
Not until Strenk, off a feed from Emma Brushingham, slipped a shot past Bragan with 10:15 left did B’ville gain its final cushion. Bragan finished the night with 19 saves.
Liverpool took on Greene (Section IV) on Friday, and lost a 6-0 decision, C-NS would test itself Tuesday against B’ville before visiting East Syracuse Minoa Thursday night – the same ESM side Liverpool would take on Tuesday before hosting F-M one night later.
