ONONDAGA COUNTY – Though it still might not have caught up to Class AA heavyweights Fayetteville-Manlius and Baldwinsville, the Cicero-North Syracuse boys soccer team has taken control of its most important rivalry.
Hosting Liverpool last Tuesday night at the Gillette Road complex, the Northstars once again got the beset of Liverpool and patiently worked its way to a 2-0 victory over the Warriors.
These sides had met Sept. 14 at LHS Stadium and it had gone 2-1 in C-NS’s favor, but in the rematch Liverpool could not get on the scoreboard.
All through the game, the Warriors made a series of threats, but the Norhstars’ defense repelled them, Wyatt Dupell recording seven saves for the shutout.
On the other end, Gagan Adhikari made his impact on this rivarly, not only netting a goal for C-NS, but assisting on Mike Rockwell’s first goal of the season.
Now the Northstars ventured to Pelcher-Arcaro Stadium on Thursday, looking to avenge its earlier 1-0 defeat to Baldwinsville, but ending up falling to the Bees by that exact same score.
Like so many games between these two familiar rivals, the defenses were in control, working through nearly 64 minutes without either side able to convert.
C-NS, in particular, had a host of opportunities, only to get turned away as B’ville goalie Emmett Bauer made nine saves. And with16:08 left, Evan Smith, who had netted all three goals in the second half against West Genesee earlier in the week, put one past Dupell, with Greg Ramin getting the assist.
Liverpool, meanwhile, had to try and face undefeated, state Class AA no. 2-ranked Fayetteville-Manlius last Thursday night, unable to contain the Hornets in a 4-0 defeat.
What was a 0-0 game started to change once F-M got on the board early in the second half, led once again by Nino Pagano, whose pair of goals gave him 24 for the season.
Pagano also had an assist as Tyler Goodman and Stephen Probst also put in goals, with Goodman, Riley Warren-Nichols and Evan Terreri in the assist column.
When Liverpool took its own turn against Baldwinsville on Saturday, it lost, 4-0, to the Bees, who had goals from four different players – Smith, Miles Spiegel, Jack Higman and Keagan Hayes.
