CENTRAL NEW YORK – It hasn’t taken long to figure out that the Cicero-North Syracuse girls lacrosse team is quite good – and the heights to which it could reach seem more reasonable with every impressive victory.
Routs of strong opponents like South Jefferson and West Genesee helped the Northstars climb all the way to no. 2 in the first state Class A rankings of the spring, best among public-school teams and behind only St. Anthony’s from the Catholic Association.
Right after this came out, C-NS made the short trip to face rival Liverpool last Tuesday night at LHS Stadium and gave another demonstration of its all-around excellence in a 20-7 victory over the Warriors.
Even though it sat at no. 20 in that same state Class A poll, Liverpool found it difficult to keep up with the Northstars, who not only were potent, but really spread things around.
Seven different C-NS players had multiple goals, but none had more than three as Mackenzie Prentice, Sophia Nesci and Miabella Gates all finished with hat tricks.
Close behind them, Brooke Molchanoff and Gabby Putman scored twice and got two assists, with Putman also winning nine draw controls. Natalie Wilson and Elizabeth Smith also had two-goal outings.
Single goals went to Kaelyn Reid, Marissa Doty and Gabby Pauline, with Reid joing Ella Grotto in the assist column, while the Northstars’ defense made sure no Liverpool player could get comfortable.
Though well-balanced, the Warriors did not have a single player score more than once. Those goals went to Mia Berthoff, Gianna Carbone, Maura Woods, Emma Esposito, Caitlyn Guilfoil, Lilia Hertweck and Lauren Sacco, with Berthoff getting two assists.
As C-NS prepared for a weekend trip to Washington, D.C., Liverpool had to turn around and, 24 hours later, face state Class C no. 13-ranked Fulton, which turned into quite a battle.
The Warriors built an 8-5 advantage by halftime and maintained that lead through most of the second half before the Red Dragons, down 13-9, erupted for four unanswered goals late in the second half.
Then Mya Carroll’s goal broke the tie, and from there Fulton held on to prevail 14-13, its offense nearly carried by the duo of Carroll, who had six goals, and Carleigh Patterson, who got five goals and two assists.
Hertweck’s career-best total of five goala and two assits helped lead Liverpool. Berthoff had four assists as she and Carbone scored twice, with single goals going to Guilfoil, Esposito, Sacco and Addyson Graham. Between them, goalies Gianna Tantalo and Ava Eicholzer earned eight saves.
Liverpool recovered Saturday to beat Rome Free Academy 11-2, Tantalo and Eicholzer stopping seven of the Black Knights’ nine shots to make sure the opposition never got any momentum.
Sacco joined Carbone with three-goal hat tricks. Wood had two goals and one assist, with Graham getting a goal and two assists. Berthoff and Hertweck also had two assists as Cali Brancato and Addison Sullivan found the net, too.
By the time Liverpool was done with Fayetteville-Manlius, Baldwinsville and West Genesee this week, it will have played seven games in 15 days. C-NS, meanwhile, had its trip to Washington, D.C., for a pair of games against local opponents last weekend before a much shorter venture to F-M on Thursday night.
