ONONDAGA COUNTY – Years on the calendar may change and rosters always change, but boys soccer games between Liverpool and Cicero-North Syracuse tend to follow the same theme.
Every battle between the Warriors and Northstars seems to be close and low-scoring, with plenty of defense, intensity and physical play decided by one or two key moments.
So it was again last Tuesday night at LHS Stadium, where Liverpool got an early tally, and it proved enough to earn a 1-0 victory in the first of two regular-season encounters.
Both sides worked hard in the first half, but it was the Warriors inching out in front when Edis Omerovic put a shot past Northstars goalie Wyatt Dupell.
In an evenly played contest, Dupell made six saves and blanked Liverpool the rest of the way. But none of C-NS’s seven shots got past Jacob McQuatters, who earned the shutout.
Of course, the Warriors’ defensive effort involved many players. Only one of them, Hop Brown, is a senior, but he, along with junior Patrick Ninemeh, sophomores Bobby McQuatters and Evan Belfield and freshman, Camden Farrell, combined to keep the Norhstars contained.
Moving ahead in the week, C-NS visited first-place Baldwinsville on Saturday afternoon, and while not able to give the Bees its first defeat of the season, the Northstars did mange to earn a 0-0 draw.
Through 100 minutes on a warm afternoon – 80 in regulation, 20 in overtime – every attempt to break the deadlock was turned away, with fine efforts in goal from Wyatt Dupell C-NS and Nick Hollingshead for B’ville, augmented by strong, consistent defense.
Liverpool also was shut out on Saturday when it took on reigning sectional Class AA champion Fayetteville-Manlius and was contained in a 2-0 defeat to the Hornets.
McQuatters picked up seven saves, yet F-M was able to convert once in each half, seeing Evan Terreri and Sam Duncanson pick up goals.
Before this, C-NS fell to Nottingham Thursday in another 1-0 decision where the Northstars had all kinds of chances to get on the board.
Somehow, all 14 of C-NS’s shots were taken by Bulldogs goalie Kipling Korba-Davis, and a single tally put up by Felix Loselose held up.
By contrast, Liverpool beat Corcortan 3-1, a pair of first-half goals proving enough as Antonio Wilson netted a goal and assist, with Omerovic converting again and Albin Buja earning an assist.
