ONONDAGA COUNTY – One healthy sign of area high school boys soccer is seeing rivals Cicero-North Syracuse and Liverpool battle one another twice.
In the first of these encounters last Tuesday night at LHS Stadium, the Warriors got the jump, but it was the Northstars managing the final surge and prevailing by a score of 2-1.
Though it was C-NS entering the night with a 2-1-1 record, it was Liverpool taking a 1-0 lead before halftime, only to put itself in a defensive mode to protect that margin.
Sensing this, the Northstars picked up its pressure and saw Gourav Adhikari and Hunter Lawless both put in second-half goals, the lead holding up thanks to eight saves from goalie Wyatt Dupell.
Two nights later, C-NS hosted Baldwinsville, the last team to win a Section III Class AA title in 2019. Again, it was close, but this time the Northstars were on the wrong end of a 1-0 decision.
They played through a scoreless first half, with the Northstars’ defense again in top form. But the Bees moved out in front when Tyler Williams converted off a feed from Aidan Stan, and it held up the rest of the way.
Prior to the C-NS game, Liverpool was coming off back-to-back games against city foes the week before, the Warriors having lost 2-1 to Nottingham on Sept. 8 before edging Henninger 1-0 a night later.
Then the Warriors challenged itself against Fayetteville-Manlius last Saturday and, amid an active second half, got on the board, but still fell to the Hornets 2-1.
A Liverpool goal did not prove enough because Nino Pagano, whose overtime goal beat C-NS a week earlier, twice found the net after intermission to put F-M in front.
Home all this week, the Warriors welcome Corcoran, West Genesee and Baldwinsville within a five-day span as C-NS would also play Corcoran after hosting Nottingham and going to Henninger.
