ONONDAGA COUNTY – From all that it learned the first time around, the Liverpool boys lacrosse team nearly managed to catch Baldwinsville in their rematch last Tuesday night at LHS Stadium.
And though the Bees pulled it out, 10-9, the closeness of the outcome added new suspense to the rest of the season as Liverpool proved that it could snare the sectional Class A title from the reigning state champions.
Having lost 17-7 at B’ville on April 13, Liverpool, who had won five in a row since that game, found, in the rematch, a bit more success against the Bees’ defense. More importantly, it did a far better job of containment.
Owen Salanger, with his 10 saves, turned back half the direct shots he faced and kept many of the Bees’ top players quiet.
However, five goals from Keegan Lynch and four goals from Brady Garcia, plus a tally by Carson Dyl, overcame Liverpool’s more balanced effort.
Dom Osbeck scored three times, with Joe Sacco getting two goals and three assists. Aaron Clouthier also had three assists as he, along with Owen Michaud, Bradley Cole and Gavin Kenna, had single goals.
Two nights later, with a chance on its home turf to pull off a season sweep of West Genesee, Liverpool could not pull it off, outscored by the Wildcats in an 18-12 decision.
During an exciting, back-and-forth first half, Liverpool forged a 10-9 advantage led by Osbeck, who eventually finished with five goals to pass the 100-career point mark. Clouthier added three goals, with Sacco and Owen Michaud combining for five assists to go with their lone tallies.
WG took control, though, with a 7-2 push through the third quarter and blanked Liverpool in the final period, with Liam Burns proving unstoppable thanks to his seven goals and six assists that overcame Salanger’s 14 saves.
Cicero-North Syracuse would face B’ville on Thursday, still reeling a week later from the fact that its main scoring threat, Mason Ciciarelli, had torn his ACL during a seven-goal effort against West Genesee.
Here, the Northstars would not get on the board in a 13-0 defeat as three Bees goalies – Nick Cary, Trevor Sutton and Brandon Dusky – combined to stop all 12 of C-NS’s shots.
It was 10-0 by halftime, the Bees ultimately seeing Brady Garcia leading the attack, backing up his pair of goals with three assists as Garrett Sutton found the net four times and Carson Dyl had three goals and one assist.
All of this followed the Northstars’ struggles in last Tuesday’s 12-4 defeat to Fayetteville-Manlius, a team it beat 13-12 at Bragman Stadium back in April.
But without Ciciarrelli, C-NS went through plenty of long droughts and, aside from Elijah Martin’s hat trick, got a single goal from Ian Leahey as Emmit Porter and Tyler Milewski got assists.
F-M, who had seen its own star forward (T.J. Conley) get lost for the season in April, had adjusted. John Angelicola, with three goals, led a well-balanced attack as Sean Kellish, Robert Madden and Kyle Freyer each scored twice and added an assist.
After the shutout from B’ville, C-NS lost Saturday to East Syracuse Minoa 11-8, with the Spartans outscoring the Northstars 6-3 in the second and third quarters. Cayden Claflin and Evan deBerjeois led ESM with three goals apiece.
