For the second time in less than a month, the Cicero-North Syracuse field hockey team took aim at Baldwinsville, having prevailed in overtime in their first encounter Sept. 3 at Bragman Stadium.
Now, the scene had shifted to the Bees’ home at Pelcher-Arcaro Stadium, but even in a different venue the Northstars got the best of this fight, riding an early goal to a 1-0 victory over the Bees.
That was the same score as the first meeting between C-NS and B’ville, only then it had required an overtime goal for the Northstars and, in this edition, it didn’t wait as long.
A first-half push led to C-NS freshman forward Christina Wagner taking a pass from junior Emily Colgiovanni and directing a shot past Bees goalie Claire Vredenburg.
From there, B’ville kept the Northstars quiet and had plenty of its own opportunities to get in front. However, C-NS’s defense turned them all away and Ally Wagner stopped all nine shots she faced.
C-NS didn’t have much rest, having only played the night before against East Syracuse Minoa and doing just enough to earn a 1-0 victory over the Spartans.
Hannah Boyle earned the goal, assisted by Katie Thies, in the first half that proved the difference. Just like it would against B’ville, C-NS would protect that one-goal margin the rest of the way, its defense limiting ESM to just four shots.
Liverpool would challenge undefeated Fayetteville-Manlius last Wednesday night, and could not get on the board in a 2-0 defeat to the Hornets, who improved its record to 9-0-1.
These teams had met three weeks earlier, on Sept. 4. F-M won that game 1-0 in overtime, but here only 60 minutes of regulation was required.
Patience paid off for F-M as goals by Lucy Fowler and Stephanie Drapas put the Hornets in front. Amanda Hibbard and Avery Moses earned assists.
In Saturday’s game at Rome Free Academy, Liverpool again played an opponent close and, again, found itself on the wrong end of the decision, falling to the Black Knights 2-1.
C-NS had its own chance to take out F-M on Wednesday night at Bragman Stadium after going to Cortland on Monday. Liverpool would visit B’ville on Monday before a Wednesday trip to ESM.
