ROME – When they both got moved up to the newly-created Class AAA division, the Liverpool and Cicero-North Syracuse boys soccer teams were quite aware that a championship might depend on one rival beating the other in the Section III playoffs.
And sure enough, that reality has hit. It’s the top-seeded Warriors and no. 5 seed Northstars meeting next Tuesday at Fayetteville-Manlius to see who gets to go to Fulton Oct. 28 to face Baldwinsville or Utica Proctor in the 2:30 title game.
In a seven-team AAA bracket, Liverpool had a bye straight into the semifinals and a chance to relax and regroup during the week while everyone else, C-NS included, had to win quarterfinal games on Thursday.
For the Northstars, that meant traveling east for a clash with no. 4 seed Rome Free Academy. Leaning on the experience of its 2022 Class AA title run and putting up a fine all-around performance, C-NS blanked the Black Knights 2-0.
As it always seems to do, the Northstars brought a stellar defense that quickly stifled most of RFA’s runs, and was further boosted when, near the midway point of the first half, Jackson Petzoldt emerged as a force.
During a free kick taken by defender Hunter Laweless, Petzoldt rose above the Black Knights defenders and headed it past Max Hildebrant into the net, establishing a lead C-NS would not relinquish.
RFA had opportunities, yet kept getting redirected by Lawless, Vinny Edwards, Adam Bonnier, Jefferson Cazimir and the rest of the back line, and, when it wasn’t, Niko Servider was there to intercede, his nine saves producing a clean sheet.
Petzoldt returned to get an insurance goal in the 56th minute, taking full advantage when Hildebrant couldn’t gather in a long ball from the middle of the field by Nick Marullo and tapped it home.
Meanwhile, Baldwinsville handled Corcoran/ITC 5-0 and Utica Proctor pulled away from Henninger 5-1, setting up the other semifinal at F-M, which follows the third C-NS-Liverpool clash. The Northstars and Warriors drew 0-0 Sept. 12 and Liverpool prevailed 1-0 on Oct. 10.
In girls Class AAA, both C-NS, as the top seed, and Liverpool, the no. 2 seed, rested this week, with byes straight into semifinals next Wednesday night at Chittenango – the Northstars against Syracuse United, the Warriors against B’ville. The winners get to the Oct. 28 title game at SUNY-Cortland at 6 p.m.
