Recent events at Lysander Ice Arena have meant that Liverpool must play on the same rink as Baldwinsville, unlike seasons past where they had home games on two different rinks at the facility.
Also, they would go head-to-head, doing so last Tuesday night in a game where the Warriors were unable to produce much against a stingy Bees defense in a 4-1 defeat.
They had seen each other Dec. 6 and 7 during the Bobby Conklin Tournament, where Liverpool endured two long, hard-fought games that went to shootouts, losing to Syracuse but then defeating Fulton.
Here, the Warriors were kept off the board until the second period, when Marco Palumbo scored off a feed from Xavier Springer.
Yet that could not keep B’ville from grabbing a 3-1 advantage. James Welch did all he could, recording 37 saves, but the Bees won as Matt Speelman had two goals and one assist, with Luke Hoskin adding a goal and two assists.
It was Liverpool’s first regulation defeat of the season, and it looked to bounce back Friday at Clinton, but could not do so as that other group of Warriors prevailed 3-1.
Goals by Corbin Melie in the first two periods had Clinton in front 2-0, and despite Matt Gagnon taking a pass from Connor Boland and finding the net in the third period, Liverpool could not catch up.
Melie tacked on a third goal to complete his hat trick. Otherwise, Gavin Buza, in the net to give Welch a breather, made 47 saves to keep the game close most of the way.
On that same Friday night, Cicero-North Syracuse looked to break a three-game skid against Auburn – and did so, edging past the Maroons 3-2 at the Twin Rinks.
Holden Sarosy’s pair of goals, along with a goal from Tyler Murray, proved enough for the Northstars, Carter Wisely and Devin Kellogg getting assists. Kaii Van Iuven made 19 saves.
And now C-NS would get set to challenge Liverpool on Friday night, this after the Warriors hosted Fulton Tuesday and the Northstars went to Shove Park Wednesday to face West Genesee.
