As the decisive month of May dawned, the boys lacrosse programs at Baldwinsville, Liverpool and Cicero-North Syracuse would all cross paths within a 48-hour span, their seasons pivoting on what happened in these local rivalries.
Liverpool was the focal point, because it would host both the Northstars and Bees at LHS Stadium, and for different reasons those games would prove memorable.
First, it was C-NS against Liverpool, and looking for some payback, the Warriors got it, though it would have to wait all the way until the final horn to exhale following an 8-7 victory over the Northstars.
A key part to C-NS’s early-season success was knocking off Liverpool 11-7 on April 11 at Bragman Stadium. Less than three weeks later, the rematch was one of extremes.
All through the first half, the Warriors, by controlling face-offs, kept C-NS frustrated, and mostly off the board. Not until the second quarter did the Northstars get on the board, but it didn’t seem to matter much as Liverpool led 6-1 at the break.
They stayed that way until the fourth quarter, when C-NS, down 7-2, charged. Joel Firth, who finished with four goals, led a furious comeback that slashed the Warriors’ margin to one.
Were it not for Liam O’Neil, who stopped 18 of the 25 shots he faced, the Warriors may have fallen apart, but it held on, breaking a skid that dated back to defeats to West Genesee and LaFayette the week before.
Ryan McGowan had a goal and four assists. Kyle Caves, Cade Clouthier and Brendan Mancuso each scored twice, Caves adding two assists as Devin Dewane got a goal. Ian Conroy and Jacob Fahey contributed assists.
Other than Firth, Josh Pickard got two goals and one assist for C-NS, with Justin Griffith adding one goal and one assist. Anthony Cimino had two assists as Joe Bartolo made six saves.
Now, though, Liverpool had to turn to Baldwinsville, who was seeking its own kind of payback for the 14-13 defeat it took to the Warriors a few weeks earlier.
And the Bees got it, prevailing 12-8 in a game where the first quarter proved decisive. With its attack in top form, B’ville raced out to a 6-3 edge in those first 12 minutes.
For the rest of the game, the Warriors found itself in a chase where it didn’t let the Bees move away from them, yet could not string together the run it needed to make things tense late.
Spencer Wirtheim augmented his pair of goals with five assists, leading a well-balanced B’ville attack. Brendan Wilcox got three goals, with Austin Bolton, Mike Tangredi and Adam Davis getting two goals apiece. Connor Steria had the other goal.
Dan Stehle made 11 saves, frustrating the Warriors, who had McGowan land five assists as Caves got three goals and two assists. Brendan Mancuso had two goals as Dewane and Clouthier also scored, O’Neil finishing with 15 saves.
C-NS went on from its defeat to Liverpool to a game Thursday at West Genesee, where it was trying to make up for a 17-5 defeat it took to the Wildcats in April.
A strong first half saw the Northstars lead for long stretches and take a 5-5 tie to the break, but WG went on a 5-1 run during the third quarter, from which C-NS could not recover as it lost, 13-7.
Firth netted three goals, with Conner Lynch converting twice. Cimino had two assists as Pickard and Matt Cramer earned single goals. Max Rosa (four goals, one assist) and Ryan Sheehan (one goal, five assists) led the WG push.
