A compact, tough and exhausting regular season neared an end for the Cicero-North Syracuse and Liverpool girls lacrosse teams, with a chance at some rest close at hand before the Section III Class A playoffs.
C-NS had to deal with a string of late-season defeats after it beat Liverpool on May 1. First, it lost to West Genesee and CBA, and then it hosted Fayetteville-Manlius last Tuesday at Bragman Stadium and lost, 12-9, to the Hornets.
F-M, no. 4 in the latest state Class B rankings, had beaten C-NS 14-9 a month earlier. Determined to do better in the rematch, the Northstars kept the pace where it liked early and only trailed by one, 6-5, at the break.
Yet the Hornets still got away late, despite five goals by C-NS’s Jessica Meneilly as Brenna Duffy and Megan Tryniski both had a goal and three assists. Makena Scarlata and Molly Malchanoff had the other goals.
Kaitlyn Lippert did a fine job in the net, earning 10 saves. For F-M, Jessica Cramer led the way with four goals and one assist, while Kiera Shanley and Gemma Addonizio each found the net twice, Katie Shanley adding a goal and two assists.
All of this was made more tolerable by what happened two nights later, when the Northstars went to Pelcher-Arcaro Stadium and broke its brief skid in a big way, edging Baldwinsville 8-7.
They had played a close one April 23 and B’ville won on C-NS’s turf, 9-7, but in the second encounter it was the Northstars’ defense that stood out, especially in the second half.
Having fought its way to a slim 6-5 halftime advantage, the Northstars would spend much of the rest of the game fending off the Bees’ charges. Delaney Sarah Klein, Jessica Foley and the rest of the back line protected so well that Lippert only had to make two saves.
Again, Meneilly proved tough to stop, with her second straight five-goal outing rewarded. Duffy had a goal and two assists, while Scarlata and Olivia Massena also converted, with Malchanoff, Tryniski and Foley getting assists.
Liverpool, meanwhile, had to pay a visit to West Genesee on Thursday night, and played a strong second half, but only after getting overwhelmed early in a 10-5 defeat to the Wildcats.
It was 3-0 before the Warriors got on the board as Matisyn Schaut, Adrianna Nojaim and Sam Detor each netted goals. And all that the Warriors’ goal seemed to do was provoke a decisive Wildcats run.
Mackenzie Meager’s tally was the first of five in a row, with Emily Stratton, Pheobe Nelson, and Julia Williams each finding the net before Schaut’s second goal made it 8-1 at the break.
Liverpool did make a late push, seeing Brittany Halpin net four of its five goals, the other going to Kate Salanger. But Stratton and Mackenzie Winn scored, too, to make sure things didn’t get too close. Combined, goalies Abby Cole and Megan Bradley made nine saves.
To fill out its regular-season schedule, Liverpool will take on state Class D no. 2-ranked South Jefferson Wednesday night at LHS Stadium after it meets Baldwinsville on Tuesday.
This came after last Saturday’s 23-5 victory over Jordan-Elbridge, where the Warriors had 12 different goal-scorers, led by Halpin and Bella Brancato, who had four goals apiece as Halpin got two assists.
Maia Henry gained a three-goal hat trick as Abby Hope had two goals and two assists. Jenna Irwin and Emily Salanger also scored twice as Kristin Rankin got a goal and two assists. Single tallies also went to Lauren Caldwell, Maddie Crooke, Delaney Guard and Hannah Ladouceur.
