Even before its most important tests, the Cicero-North Syracuse girls golf team proved that it could face adversity and conquer it, on a small scale.
The Northstars trailed Whitesboro at halftime of its Aug. 31 opener at Archie Hall Stadium, but still pulled out a 2-1 victory.
Whitesboro moved in front with Alyssa Dellaposta’s goal, but from there C-NS’s defense tightened, Olivia Haven and Chloe Gordon combining for five saves.
That work got rewarded when, in the second half, the Northstars twice broke through. Marissa Bukowski and Ashlyn Slate earned those goals, with Claire McNitt adding an assist.
Gaining confidence from that effort, C-NS hosted Chittenango last Tuesday and, with a well-balanced attack, proved too much for the Bears, prevailing 4-1.
Up 2-0 by halftime, the Northstars had Bukowski and Slate joined in the goal-scoring column by Taylor Howard and Madelyn Jackson. Sarah Martin netted Chittenango’s lone goal in the second half as Ava Dardaris had 12 saves.
C-NS continued its quick start on Friday, against Oneida, where it turned back the Indians 2-0, a goal in each half proving enough as Slate and Ashley Evans scored them, with Madelyn Jackson getting an assist.
As it happened, Liverpool played that same night against the same Whitesboro team C-NS had beaten, but it could not stage a comeback and lost to its fellow Warriors in another 2-1 decision.
Abby Brancato’s second-half goal got Liverpool on the board, yet it wasn’t enough. Whitesboro got goals in each half, one from Kayla Alsheimer and the other from Haylee Smith, and Hannah McCarthy stopped seven of eight shots as Megan Merrifield finished with eight saves of her own.
Now Liverpool needed any kind of good result, and got it Thursday against Watertown, working hard on both ends of the field and pushing past the Cyclones 1-0.
The Warriors’ defense limited Watertown to three shots and waited as Liverpool engaged in a relentless attack, forcing Cyclones goalie Kayla Meyer to make a string of big stops.
All told, Meyer made 15 saves, but the Warriors did solve her as Abby Haley, off a feed from Alex Rancier, netted the game’s lone goal in the second half.
