A rainy Tuesday night yielded vastly different challenges for the Cicero-North Syracuse and Liverpool girls lacrosse teams on their respective home fields, a week ahead of the first head-to-head meeting.
At Bragman Stadium, the Northstars were pushed to the wire by Westhill, never trailing, but needing stout defense, especially down the stretch, to edge the Warriors 6-5.
Contrast that with the easy time Liverpool had with Cazenovia at LHS Stadium, racing out to a big early lead and not letting up until it had recorded a 17-5 victory over the Lakers.
Having already lost on its home field to South Jefferson a week earlier, C-NS was bent on avoiding that fate again, and raced out to a 3-0 edge on Westhill thanks to goals by Makena Scarlata, Jessica Meneilly and Olivia Massena.
Westhill did not take a shot until more than 13 minutes had elapsed, yet still pulled within 3-2 by halftime on goals by Rebecca Gilhooley and remarkable work in the net by goalie Morgan Elmer, who would finish with 10 saves.
Though Katelyn Karleski tied it 3-3 early in the second half, C-NS regained the lead thanks to Scarlata and Meneilly scoring again, only to have Westhill again rally.
But after Karleski’s third goal made it 5-5 with 7:03 left, Massena answered less than 90 seconds later, and the Northstars possessed the ball most of the waning minutes before its defense kept Westhill from a good tying shot as time ran out.
For Liverpool, who routed Carthage 20-6 in its March 29 opener, the high-flying attack was again in great form against Cazenovia, steadily building a 10-2 lead by halftime.
Bella Brancato, Brittany Halpin and Abby Hope each scored four times, Brancato adding three assists as Halpin and Hope earned single assists. Maia Henry and Colleen Tifft had two goals apiece, with Emily Salanger also finding the net and Jenna Irwin earning an assist.
Looking to move to 3-0, Liverpool traveled to Whitesboro Thursday and earned another lopsided victory, prevailing 18-3 as it abused those other Warriors throughout an 11-0 first-half shutout.
Hope and Henry both got four goals, with Halpin and Tifft each notching three goals and Halpin earning two assists. Irwin scored twice as Brancato amassed four assists and Emily Salanger two assists. Kate Salanger got one goal and one assist.
Then, facing the combined Bishop Ludden/Bishop Grimes/Onondaga side on Saturday, Liverpool rolled to a 17-4 victory as Hope had four goals and two assists, with Halpin getting three goals and two assists.
Emily Salanger stepped up with three goals and two assists as Irwin score twice, adding an assist. Brancato had a goal and three assists, with Tifft and Kate Salanger each getting one goal and one assist. Kendra Hall and Kristin Rankin also netted goals.
If Liverpool gets past Rome Free Academy on Tuesday, it will go into Thursday’s match against C-NS at Bragman Stadium with a 5-0 record.
