CICERO – Two games between the Liverpool and Cicero-North Syracuse field hockey teams in the 2023 regular season have settled nothing so far.
Both games were close, tense, physical and emotional. Both ended in 2-1 scores, with the road team prevailing on each occasion and the Warriors getting even Wednesday night at Bragman Stadium for its Sept. 11 defeat to the Northstars.
And it happened in overtime, a seven-on-seven format altered when, early in the extra period, one of the C-NS players was sent off the field for a card.
Thus, just before the four-minute mark of the first extra period, the Warriors stopped a Northstars fast break and, off a long pass from Joelle Wike, two Liverpool players found their way around Northstars defenders and gave themselves a solo breakway.
Caitlyn Guilfoil held the ball, waited until goalie Olivia Planty went out to meet her, then passed it to Alexis McGregor, who put home the game-winner into the open net.
It all reinforced what the Warriors knew from its first meeting – that it could stay right with the reigning Section III Class A champions for 60 minutes – or beyond, as it turned out on this night.
Coming off its first loss of the season (2-0 to Pittsford Mendon on Sept. 29), C-NS again found its attack frustrated in the early going, constantly possessing but running into a wave of Liverpool defenders led by Wike, Emma Esposito, Katia Flavin and Gabby Jondle.
And when the Northstars got penalty corners (nine of them by game’s end), they were constantly turned away, goalie Jenna Hayes ultimately finishing the night with nine saves.
Inspired by this, the Warriors picked up its transition game and, midway through the second quarter, took a 1-0 lead when Gianna Carbone put home the rebound of a shot from Mia Berthoff.
Just before halftime, though, C-NS finally converted one of those penalty corners, Ayvah Romano getting the goal to make it 1-1, where it would stay through the entire half.
Again, the Northstars had most of the opportunities and, again, Hayes and Liverpool turned them back, leading to the OT drama – and ultimately moving Liverpool’s overall record to 10-1-1.
After all this, Liverpool found itself challenged Saturday by defending sectional Class B champion Holland Patent Saturday in chilly, wet conditions.
A second-quarter goal by Gabriel Way held up as the Golden Knights beat the Warriors 1-0. HP, aside from that goal, was in defensive mode most of the time, but saw Ava Larry stop all eight Liverpool shots she faced.
This leads to a final week of the regular season where Liverpool twice will face Fayetteville-Manlius and, in between, travel Tuesday night to Rome Free Academy, a big game in terms of possible Class A playoff seeding. Meanwhile, C-NS is home to face Baldwinsville next Wednesday and Canastota two nights later.
