Even as area ice hockey teams navigate through an abbreviated 2021 season, they do so with not just new rosters, but new surroundings – even if they are familiar to long-time fans.
Liverpool, after several seasons of home games at Three Rivers Athletic Complex, has returned to the Coliseum at the New York State Fairgrounds, where it once called home before its move to Lysander.
The first home game for the Warriors at the Coliseum is Feb. 22 against West Genesee. Before that, though, it would play four times on the road.
Ironically, the first of those games was at Lysander, where Baldwinsville would keep the Warriors quiet last Thursday night during a 7-0 defeat.
Brayden Penafeather-Stevenson put the Bees on the board with the lone goal of the first period. Then B’ville added three more goals in the second period from Penafeather-Stevenson, Sam Ciappa and Braden Lynch.
More followed in the third period, Luke Hoskins, Reece Gilmore and Fernando Moreno each finding the net, and only the work of Liverpool goaltender James Welch, who had 43 saves, kept the Bees from further production.
Back on Friday night to face Auburn, the Warriors finally got on the scoreboard, but only did so once in a 4-1 defeat to the Maroons at Casey Park.
It was Cole Broughton netting Liverpool’s first goal of the season in the second period, assisted by Brayden Cheevers.
Still, Auburn scored twice in that frame to build upon an early 1-0 edge and overcame Walsh’s 29 saves as Jack Chapman (one goal, one assist) and Jack Pineau (two assists) led a well-balanced Maroons attack.
On the same night as Liverpool’s opener, Cicero-North Syracuse opened at the Twin Rinks against Syracuse, the reigning two-time Section III Division I champions.
The Cougars defeated the Northsars 6-2, taking over with a pair of unanswered goals in the second period after the two sides played to a 1-1 draw through the opening frame.
Tanner Long and Tyler Murray earned the goals for C-NS, while Braden Porter, Logan Bucher and Noah Degan got assists. Jordan Miller recorded 31 saves. Jameson Bucktooth led Syracuse with a three-goal hat trick.
