Safe to say, the Cicero-North Syracuse girls soccer team wishes that it didn’t have to wait until 2021 to see if it could attain post-season glory.
The Northstars closed its abbreviated 2020 campaign with seven victories in a row, including its Nov. 6 game at Skaneateles, a patient affair where C-NS sweated out a 1-0 victory.
Keeping possession most of the way, the Northstars were constantly turned back by Lakers goalkeeper Bridget Carroll, who finished the night with nine saves.
However, Maddie Jackson did break through with a goal assisted by Bri Dorrance, and with a stingy C-NS defense limiting Skanetaeles to a single second-half shot, it was enough.
Liverpool also was showing improvement by season’s end, first evidenced by its Nov. 4 game against West Genesee that ended in a 1-1 draw.
The Warriors would not play again until last Thursday’s game with Auburn, where it inched past the Maroons 1-0 and moved its final mark to 3-8-3.
Moving to boys soccer, C-NS and Liverpool both had cause to celebrate when they met last Tuesday night at Bragman Stadium, having
made it through an abbreviated, pandemic-altered season with minimal interruptions, and had fit in full schedules.
As to the “Star Wars” rivalry bragging rights, though, they belonged to C-NS, who got even for an earlier defeat to Liverpool and prevailed this time by a 2-0 margin.
When they first played Oct. 8 at LHS Stadium, Uttam Bhattarai’s lone goal held up in a 1-0 Warriors victory. Here, though, Liverpool would not get on the board.
Under relatively consistent pressure, the Northstars’ defense held up, with goalkeeper Wyatt Dupell turning away all nine shots he faced.
The help came from Tyler Murray’s goal and another one where William Darko Jr. took a long pass, poked it home for the goal and then celebrated with a back flip. Jacob Dietter and Sean Graves earned the assists.
As C-NS concluded its season at 5-7, Liverpool still had some games left, taking on Central Square Thursday and prevailing 3-1 over the Redhawks.
‘Faisal Saimin spearheaded the Warriors’ attack, getting one goal and assisting on the other two, by Jaiden Reynolds and Edis Omerovic. Evan Buda played in goal and recorded four saves as Liverpool improved to 4-6 overall.
