ONONDAGA COUNTY – Despite a late start to its regular season, the Liverpool girls soccer team had not let the rust affect it too much, winning 2-0 over Rome Free Academy in its Sept. 9 opener.
But when league play got underway last Tuesday at rain-soaked Fayetteville-Manlius, the Warriors were overwhelmed by the reigning Section III Class AA champion Hornets in a 4-2 defeat.
F-M saw Morgan Goodman nab two more goals and an assist, but get some help from Elyssa Barnhart and Una Vlasak, each of whom also found the net. Ashley Seidberg added an assist.
Back at LHS Stadium Thursday night, Liverpool faced Baldwinsville, who was eager to bounce back, too, after getting routed at home 5-0 by West Genesee two nights earlier.
For 80 minutes of regulation and 10 minutes of overtime, neither side could get on the board. Finally, in the second OT, it was the Warriors unable to keep Kelsey Dwyer from putting in the game-winner.
The 1-0 defeat left Liverpool at 1-2 going into Saturday’s game against West Genesee, who had emerged as the main Class AA challenger to F-M thanks to its 4-0-2 start.
And the Wildcats stayed unbeaten, blanking the Warriors 2-0 as Anna Nelson netted one goal and assisted on the other, by Jami Tessler, overcoming 12 saves from Liverpool goalie Grace Sleeth .
This week’s games for Liverpool includes a Tuesday visit to Bragman Stadium to face Cicero-North Syracuse, who had its own game with West Genesee Thursday night in Camillus.
The Northstars were strong on defense, yet could not break through on the other end against the Wildcats. So it ended as a 0-0 draw, the Northstars absorbing nine shots from WG’s attack but seeing Natalie LaPoint and Meghan McGrath stop all of them.
None of this compared to what C-NS went through Saturday, beaten 7-0 by an East Syracuse Minoa side that had it to 5-0 by halftime and saw its star forward, Leah Rehm, pile up four goals, with sister Bailey Rehm getting three assists.
Aside from the Liverpool game, C-NS also travels to Baldwinsville Thursday and then visits Oneonta’s Wright National Soccer Complex for weekend tournament games against Oneonta and Elmira.
