ONONDAGA COUNTY – From where they started, the ice hockey teams of Cicero-North Syracuse and Liverpool appeared headed in vastly different lanes, only to switch by the time they were in December.
The Northstars were primed to go when it traveled to Ithaca for last Tuesday’s season opener at Cass Park. Reaching double digits on the scoreboard, C-NS pounded the Little Red 10-3.
A five-goal first period set the tone and the Northstars rarely let up, seeing Emmit Porter lead the way as he amassed four assists to go with his pair of goals. Braden Porter picked up three assists.
Tanner Long scored twice and got two assists, with Tyler Milewski also getting two goals. Andrew Davis had one goal and one assist as Drew Matyasik, Hayden Scott and Nick Tangretti also found the net. Single assists went to Noah Degan and William Madely.
It was far different up north, where Liverpool took on Ontario Bay that same night and was kept off the board in a 5-0 defeat to the Storm.
James Welch, under attack all night, finished with 38 saves, but Ontario Bay got two goals from Zach Belvins and two assists from Owen Newton. Each of the Warriors’ 16 shots was stopped by Collin Bennett.
Back at State Fair Coliseum on Friday, Liverpool faced Mohawk Valley and turned it around, prevailing 2-1 over the Raiders.
Goals by Cole Broughton in each of the first two periods produced a 2-0 edge as Matt Markusz assisted on those goals and Brayden Cheevers also had an assist. Despite a third-period goal by MV’s Trevor Dziedzic, the Warriors held on, Welch stopping 24 of 25 shots.
C-NS, meanwhile, met Auburn at Casey Park on Thursday night and lost, 6-3, to the Maroons. After falling behind 2-0, the Northstars scored twice in the second period to move within a goal, 3-2, only to have Auburn pull away late.
