CENTRAL NEW YORK – Though it was still early in the season, Monday night’s field hockey showdown between Cicero-North Syracuse and Liverpool at LHS Stadium carried more weight than before.
The Northstars had got off to a good start in 2023 – but so had the Warriors, racking up 20 goal in its first three games and trying to position itself as the main challenger to C-NS’s throne.
About the only thing that went wrong for Liverpool was that its scheduled game at Baldwinsville last Thursday at Pelcher-Arcaro Stadium got postponed by a heavy thunderstorm that struck just as the game was to start. That game will get made up this Saturday at noon.
Meanwhile, after a narrow Aug. 30 win over Fayetteville-Manlius, C-NS had an easier time of it a day later, building up a 5-0 lead on Clinton through three quarters, which allowed it to absorb a defensive lapse and still win 7-3.
Leading a well-balanced attack, Nicole Conklin scored twice and got a pair of assists. Gabby Wameling had two goals and one assist, with Maria Wozniczka also converting twice. Eva Farone equaled Conklin’s two assists and Ayvah Romano had the other goal.
That same day, Liverpool again put up big numbers, handling Camden 6-1 and displaying more balance in its attack than it did when it beat Little Falls 7-3 two days earlier.
Jane Razza, who had four goals against the Mounties, scored just once this time, but had plenty of company as six different Warriors found the net by game’s end.
Only Gianna Carbone converted twice, with Katia Flavin, Zoe Noyes and Caitlyn Guilfoil joining Razza with single goals. Mia Berthoff, Emily Nestor and Cheyla Hill had one assist apiece.
Up against Canastota last Tuesday night, Liverpool continued its torrid start, taking apart the Raiders’ defense in the course of a 7-0 shutout.
It was 5-0 by halftime, largely because Canastota had little idea who to defend. Just like it did against Little Falls, the Warriors had six different players put shots in the net, with only Berthoff scoring twice.
Carbone had one goal and one assist, with Noyes, Alexis McGregor, Sophia Puccia and Chloe Youker taking turns earning goals and assists credited to Razza and Cheyla Hill.
This followed C-NS’s 5-0 win over Canastota on Sept.2, a game where Nikki Conklin would convert twice as Wameling and Paige Pangaro both earned one goal and one assist.
Then the Northstars earned an impressive 4-0 win over Section V’s Pittsford, getting all of its goals against the Panthers in the second and third quarters.
Wameling, Conklin, Addie Esce, Ayvah Romano and Isabel Normanly all helped in the scoring plays, with goalie Olivia Planty stopping all four shots she faced.
Following the B’ville postponement, Liverpool did take on Vernon-Verona-Sherrill on Saturday and had, by far, its closest call so far, edging the Red Devils 1-0.
Getting most of the game’s chances, the Warriors saw VVS goalie Margaret Gracey make nine saves, only surrendering Berthoff’s first-quarter goal. However, that single tally held up, Liverpool limiting the Red Devils to just two shots all afternoon.
