CORTLAND – An overwhelming force all spring long, the Cicero-North Syracuse girls lacrosse team wasn’t about to stop with the Section III Class A championship within its sights.
And the presence of Liverpool as an opponent in Tuesday night’s sectional final at SUNY-Cortland only gave the Northstars more motivation, which it quickly turned into impressive action that resulted in a 15-5 victory over the Warriors.
Quite unlike C-NS’s last sectional title in 2021 earned in an epic overtime win over Baldwinsville, this game had little real suspense, the Northstars doing well in all phases and boasting six different players with multiple goals.
Liverpool’s task was a big one, trying to turn around 20-7 and 16-8 regular-season defeats, and it did make a series of stops in the early going. It took nearly six minutes for the Northstars to get on the board with Elizabeth Smith’s free-position goal.
Less than a minute later, though, Sophia Nesci one-timed a Brooke Molchanoff pass home to make it 2-0, and C-NS took over, with goals from Gabby Pauline and Natalie Wilson following in quick succession and Mackenzie Prentice scoring in the last seconds of the period.
Marissa Doty struck midway through the second period off a feed from Gabby Putman after Mia Berthoff put the Warriors on the board. Then Prentice and Nesci converted 12 seconds apart, followed by goals from Prentice and Wilson that helped the Northstars go to the break in front 10-3.
All the while, Gabby Putman continued her season-long excellence in the draw circle, ultimately claiming 18 draws that gave her team plenty of extra possession time to move the ball around and wear out Liverpool’s reisstance.
Putman joined in the scoring parade less than a minute into the third quarter, and C-NS kept adding on from there, Miabella Gates also finding the net to become the Northstars’ eighth different goal-scorer.
It was a near-perfect balance, with only Prentice getting a hat trick but Putman, Gates, Nesci, Smith and Wilson all converting twice. What’s more, Molchanoff, Putman and Pauline had two assists apiece, with Kaelyn Reid adding an assist.
All of the drama had come for Liverpool in the May 23 semifinal against no. 3 seed Baldwinsville at Central Square, a game that spilled into overtime before the Warriors were able to edge the Bees 10-9.
Despite two regular-season wins (by 11-8 and 14-6 margins) and B’ville’s struggles through a 1-15 regular season, Liverpool would find the Bees toughest in their playoff encounter.
Controlling the tempo most of the way, the Bees also diversified its attack, something the Warriors found it difficult to do as it leaned heavily on Mia Berthoff, who had three goals and three assists, and Maura Woods, who scored three times.
By contrast, B’ville got a three-goal hat trick from Jaya Madigan, but also two goals from Raegan Ratliff and Peyton Dyl, while Lea Otts had a goal and two assists and Olivia Bartlett also found the net.
Despite leading most of the way – 4-2 after one period and 6-5 at halftime – the Warriors found it difficult to get clear and, in the fourth quarter, were shut out as the Bees pulled even, 9-9, with three minutes left in regulation.
But Isabelle Akely got the OT draw, giving Liverpool possession, and the ball went to Berthoff. Drawing in the Bees’ defenders, Berthoff fed it to Emma Esposito, who netted the game-winner.
This followed an opening semifinal where C-NS, facing no. 4 seed Rome Free Academy, had its way with the Black Knights, roaring to a 23-2 victory.
Putman won 17 draws to set the tone, and everybody else followed, with 11 different players earning goals by game’s end.
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Molchanoff led with four goals and an assist. Nesci scored three times and got three assists, Putman adding three goals and two assists. Prentice and Smith each had two goals and two assists, with Doty and Ella Grotto also converting twice. Single goals went to Gates, Wilson, Meghan McGrath and Sophia Graham.
With the sectional title in hand, C-NS can turn its attention to winning a state championship, meeting the Section IV champions in the Class A regional final Saturday at West Genesee’s Mike Messere Field.
