SIDNEY – Just two victories now stand between the Cicero-North Syracuse field hockey team and the program’s first-ever state championship.
With a courageous all-around effort in Saturday’s Class A regional final at Sidney High School the Northstars defeated Section IV champion Greene 2-0 and advanced to next weekend’s state final four.
Two factors helped C-NS on this day. First, it had nearly a week to regroup after its dramatic Section III final win over Rome Free Academy where it won 3-2 after trailing 2-0 deep into the second half.
More important, though, was the way the game began, because against Greene the Northstars never had to worry about a deficit.
Just two minutes had passed before C-NS got possession of the ball. Chrissy Wagner took over from there, the UMass-Lowell-bound senior weaving through several Greene defenders before banging a hard shot into the net.
As the first half wore on, the Northstars found itself settling into a defensive shell, largely depending on its back line to turn away a series of Trojans opportunities and keep the game 1-0 going into the break.
That trend continued into the third period, C-NS finding it difficult to get the ball out of its own end. Greene earned a series of penalty corners but could not convert any of them.
Early in the fourth quarter, the Trojans nearly tied it, the Northstars needing a last-second deflection to keep Emma Rice from tying it, and another close call came midway through the period further strained the C-NS nerves.
But the Northstars maintained its poise and, with two minutes left, finally earned its first penalty corner. Wagner passed it to the middle, and Gabby Wameling slammed home the clinching goal.
Now it’s off to Long Island’s Centerreach High School, where next Saturday at 9:30 a.m. it will face Section VI champion Clarence in the state Class A semifinal, looking to advance to the 10 a.m. title game a day later.
