ONONDAGA COUNTY – Having seen each other during the Optimist Tournament in the waning days of 2021, the Cicero-North Syracuse and Liverpool ice hockey teams would go head-to-head in the first days of 2022.
Their showdown last Tuesday night at State Fair Coliseum was decided early, with the Northstars tearing apart the Warriors’ defense in the first two periods on the way to a 7-1 victory.
From the opening face-off, C-NS attacked hard, and saw those efforts pay off when it zoomed to a 4-0 advantage by the end of the first period.
Fifteen minutes later, it was 7-0, the Northstars having seen Tanner Long score twice and get a pair of assists to lead a deep, well-balanced offense.
Braden Porter, Emmit Porter and Kyle Debejian each got a goal and two assists, with Devin Freeman and Brayden McAllister also finding the net. Hayden Scott, Logan Bucher and Braylen Tuff got single assists.
Only in the third period did Liverpool get on the board with Erol Abadazic’s goal, assisted by Ellie Grinnals. James Welch and Trevor Smith combined for 42 saves as 20 of the Warriors’ 21 shots were stopped by Northstars goaltender Leyton Sullivan.
And all of this followed a game Jan. 2 where C-NS went up to Oswego and found its defense overwhelmed in a 10-2 defeat to the Buccaneers.
Long and Emmit Porter got goals, with Freeman adding an assist. Yet Oswego built a 5-2 lead through two periods and then doubled its total in the final period as Ian Cady put in five goals and added an assist to lead the Bucs.
Having lost to C-NS, Liverpool was humbled again Thursday in a 10-1 defeat to state Division I no. 2-ranked West Genesee.
Here, Chris Zimmer scored in the first period and the Warriors were tied 1-1 at intermission, but nine unanswered goals followed in the next two periods by the Wildcats, who saw Ryan Stratton, Will Schneid, Jeremy Keyes and Jared Jaeger each convert twice, Stratton adding three assists. Smith picked up 44 saves.
That same West Genesee team would turn around 24 hours later and handle C-NS 9-2, this time not waiting to go in front as it led 3-0 through one period and 7-1 through two periods.
Just as they did against Oswego, Long and Emmit Porter converted to keep the Northstars from a shutout. Scott added an assist, with Miller and Kaii Van Iuven making 41 saves between them. Leading WG, Keyes amassed three goals and two assists.
