When the Liverpool and Cicero-North Syracuse ice hockey teams started their respective 2018-19 seasons, they did so knowing that the area Division I landscape had changed.
Due to alterations in how the New York State Public High School Athletic Association classified combined teams, Section III added three sides to Division I – CBA/Jamesville-DeWitt, Cazenovia and Ontario Bay.
Thus, there are now 13 teams in Division I, with the Warriors and Northstars only playing one game apiece against other league foes in a regular-season round-robin, with the playoff format changed, too.
Long before that, though, there were season openers to go through, and Liverpool had a tough one on Nov. 21 as it went to Casey Park and lost, 7-2, to Auburn.
As the defending sectional Division II champions and a state “Frozen Four” participant last season, the Maroons jumped out to a 3-1 first-period lead and then, after a quiet middle portion, scored four more times in the third period to get away.
All the Warriors could manage was goals by Anthony Benedetto and John Coggiola, with Pat Langlois getting an assist. James Welch made 19 saves as Auburn was led by Johnny Malandruccolo’s three goals and one assist.
It was the first of three straight road games to start the season as Liverpool traveled to Oswego last Tuesday and pulled out an exciting 5-5 tie with the Buccaneers.
A four-goal second period had helped the Warriors erase Oswego’s early 1-0 advantage. Then, in the third period, the Bucs went ahead with back-to-back goals, only to have Liverpool tie it with eight seconds left in regulation after it pulled the goalie.
Connor Boland was strong throughout the game, his three goals producing a hat trick to match that Oswego’s Ryan Wood as Marco Polumbo added one goal and one assist. Langlois also converted as Benedetto, Jack Irwin and Anthony Bentley got one assist apiece. Between them, goalies James Welch and Gavin Buza made 31 saves.
Then, after a scrimmage with Clinton, the Warriors faced Potsdam on Saturday and broke into the win column, prevailing 4-2 by overcoming the Sandstoners’ early 2-1 lead.
A goal in the second period and two more in the third period got Liverpool in front as Boland’s three-goal hat trick helped make the difference. The Warriors improved to 1-1-1.
C-NS waited until Thursday night to get underway, with a league game against CBA/J-D at Onondaga Nation Arena.
The Northstars led late in regulation, but after the Brothers pulled goaltender Manuel Pineda, it put in the tying goal and, after overtime resolved nothing, it ended in a 4-4 tie.
Four different C-NS players – Carter Wisely, Logan Ungelich, Holden Sarosy and Matt Cramer – earned the four goals, with Ungelich adding an assist. Josh Matyasik had two assists and Tyler Murray contributed a single assist.
Spencer Coon started in goal for the Northstars and managed 19 saves. Pineda countered with 31 saves as Bailey Doust was the lone CBA/J-D player to score twice.
C-NS would visit Casey Park Tuesday for its own game against Auburn as Liverpool would face its Lysander rivals from Baldwinsville.
