When last week started, much of the attention on the Liverpool boys soccer team was supposed to take place on Friday when it traveled to Baldwinsville for a clash of state-ranked sides atop the Salt City Athletic Conference Metro division.
Except that Cicero-North Syracuse cared little for these plans.
On the first night of October, the Northstars went to LHS Stadium and, for more than 80 minutes, stayed right with the Warriors until making the breakthrough in overtime to pull off a 2-1 victory.
This was, by far, C-NS’s biggest win of the fall. Not only had it got even for a 2-0 defeat to Liverpool at the Gillette Road complex on Sept. 15, it also put an end to the Warriors’ 10-game win streak while improving its own mark to 6-3-2.
A scoreless first half gave the Northstars some confidence, and it didn’t flinch, either, when Jake Zona scored in the second half, instead continuing to put relentless pressure on a Liverpool defense accustomed to protecting its net.
Ben White was forced to make 12 saves, but C-NS solved him for both a second-half goal and one in the first OT period to win it as Joe Barraco and Max Euceda found the net. Ethan Doerschuk finished with seven saves.
This result had a carryover effect, too, for on Wednesday C-NS maintained its good form, rallying past Nottingham in another 2-1 thriller, while Liverpool took its second straight defeat at Henninger, falling 1-0 to the Black Knights.
At the Gillette Road complex, the Northstars fell behind Nottingham 1-0, only to catch up in the second half and then win it in OT helped by goals from Carter Jackson and Anthony Cimino, with Barraco getting an assist to overcome Bulldogs goalie Hal Ashby’s nine saves.
Over at Sunnycrest Field, Liverpool got shut down by a Henninger side that, after an 0-6 start, had recovered to win four of five, the last three in a row.
And now it was four straight as a first-half goal by Tite Botame, assisted by See Mo Hai, got the Black Knights in front, and as so often happens in soccer, though one team had most of the possession and chances, the other prevailed.
Liverpool took 18 shots, all of them stopped by Henninger goalie Lubenda Echeni, and in a matter of days the Warriors had tumbled out of first place in the Salt City Athletic Conference Metro division.
Now it was Baldwinsville on top, even though Liverpool had beaten them 1-0 in mid-September. Now they would have the rematch Friday night at Pelcher-Arcaro Stadium, with the top seed in the Section III playoffs likely at stake.
The Bees, eager to avenge that Sept. 13 defeat to the Warriors, did so in a 3-0 decision where, again, defense mattered plenty.
B’ville’s back line of Teklu Habtesion, Jack Branigan, Alex Charest and Jared Kantak made several key stops while goalie Hanna recorded nine saves.
On the other end, the Warrior, even with Ben White recording nine saves, could not keep B’ville’s Josh Price from a special evening.
Helping B’ville go in front 1-0 by halftime, Price led the getaway late, too, not letting up until he had scored twice and assisted on Brennan Walsh’s goal. Jacob Way and Ben Rabe also had assists.
This was a total contrast to how C-NS was faring that same night against West Genesee, with the Northstars roaring to a 4-1 victory over the Wildcats.
Quiet early, C-NS broke out during the second half, constantly burning WG’s defense as Boracco, Euceda, Jawad Kasimi and Elyas Ayad each put in a goal and Ayad contributed an assist.
Now C-NS would get its own chance to topple Baldwinsville on Tuesday before going to Henninger on Thursday night. Liverpool still has games left against Fayetteville-Manlius and Corcoran.
