ONONDAGA COUNTY – While they both tried to recover from slow starts, the Cicero-North Syracuse and Liverpool ice hockey teams had to go up against many of the traditional Division I powers.
In Liverpool’s case, it hosteed West Genesee last Monday night at State Fair Coliseum, putting together its best defensive effort of the season even as, once again, it was kept off the scoreboard in a 3-0 defeat.
This was, above anything else, a showcase for Warriors goaltender James Welch. Under constant, relentless pressure, Welch somehow kept the game close by stopping 75 of 78 shots he faced.
And Welch capped this performance with a third-period shutout, having only allowed two goals to WG’s Jeremy Keyes and another goal to Will Schneid. Liverpool got little relief, only taking eight shots all night.
Wednesday’s game with Fayetteville-Manlius gave the Warriors a legitimate chance to break its five-game skid, and in the second period Cole Broughton, off a feed from Cole Bradley, scored to break up a long scoring drought.
Only trailing by one, 2-1, going to the final period, Liverpool was stymied again, and F-M prevailed 3-1. Welch finished with 36 saves this time as Jack Kent led the Hornets’ attack, assisting on all three of his team’s goals.
This was after F-M had faced C-NS the night before. Battling for bragging rights at the Twin Rinks they both use as a home venue, the Northstars got close, but were denied its first win of the season in a 4-3 defeat to the Hornets.
Kaii Van Iuven earned 37 saves and nearly was rewarded by his C-NS teammates as Braylen Tuff, Tyler Murray and Hayden Scott picked up goals, while Andrew Davis, Tanner Long and Braden Porter gained assists.
However, everything else got turned away as F-M goalie Konrrad Walburger recorded 30 saves and a well-balanced attack was led by Jackson Denton and John Manzi, who each had a goal and two assists.
Meanwhile, C-NS was providing its own challenge to West Genesee at Shove Park, not surrendering as many opportunities, but twice the goals as it lost to the Wildcats 6-0.
Between them, Jordan Miller and Ethan McKenzie had 23 saves, yet WG scored twice in each period as Keyes again led the way with two goals and one assist and goalie David Myers stopped all 17 of the Northstars’ attempts.
C-NS did get on the board first in last Friday’s game against Baldwinsville, but still fell 3-1 to the Bees.
Emmit Porter’s first-period goal, assisted by Long and Braden Porter, gave the Northstars that 1-0 edge, which B’ville erased in the second period.
Van Iuven had 31 saves,but the Bees were able to take the lead in the third period and hang on as Alex Pompo, Sam Ciappa and Cole Schuyler earned B’ville’s goals, with Keegan Lynch and Matt Carner each getting a pair of assists.
Meanwhile, Liverpool lost 8-1 to Syracuse, spared from a shutout by Broughton’s second-period goal. Welch had 53 saves, with Luke Dwyer and Liam Mahar getting two goals apiece to lead the Cougars.
