CENTRAL NEW YORK – As it turned out, the Liverpool field hockey team’s 2022 season peaked when it knocked Cicero-North Syracuse from the unbeaten ranks on Oct. 12.
Having worked so hard just to qualify for the Section III Class A playoffs, the Warriors could not replicate that magic in last Wednesday’s opening-round game at Fayetteville-Manlius, falling 3-0 to the Hornets.
In a six-team sectional bracket, C-NS still held the top seed despite its late-season losses to Liverpool and Canastota, but the Northstars had to be concerned.
This was because Liverpool entered as the no. 5 seed and, armed with the momentum of a 4-1 finish to the regular season, tried to turn around its luck against no. 4 seed F-M.
But the Hornets were well-prepared, carrying over what had happened in mid-September when, four days apart, it recorded 1-0 and 2-0 shutouts of the Warriors.
On the attack most of the way, F-M went out in front and stayed there led by Ella Herber, who notched two of her team’s goals. Carlye Bryant had the other goal, with Carine Smith getting an assist.
Stopping everything else, Liverpool goalie Lana Webber had six saves, but a solid Hornets defense contained the Warriors and held it to three shots, all stopped by Kaleigh Hamilton.
So in Sunday’s sectional semifinal at VVS it would be C-NS against F-M, the winner advancing to the title game exactly one week later against Rome Free Academy, who took out defending champion Baldwinsville 2-1 in the first semifinal.
Emerging from its late-season clump, the well-rested Northstars used timely goals and solid, consistent defense to put away F-M 3-1.
Most of the first half proved scoreless, but with three minutes left in the second quarter Gabby Wameling put one past Hornets goalie Kaleigh Hamilton to put the Northstars in front.
Wameling returned to assist on Maria Woznicka’s goal in the third quarter, only to have the Hornets answer when Carlye Bryant converted off a penalty corner just before the period ended.
Despite this, and despite Hamilton’s sensational 17-save effort, C-NS put the game away when Wameling netted her second goal with 1:20 to play. Chrissy Wagner, the focal point of the Hornets’ defense, still managed to earn an assist.
