FULTON – Sticks, gloves and helmets were not the only things left on the turf at Fulton Wednesday night when the clock hit zero and the Liverpool boys lacrosse team celebrated its 7-5 win over Baldwinsville in the Section III Class A championship game.
Also cast aside was the frustration these same Warriors felt for years, whether it was winning just three games in 2021 or reaching the sectional final in 2022 and 2023, only to get turned back by these same Bees that went on to back-to-back state titles.
Even this season, a tough schedule that dealt the Warriors nine defeats raised more questions and doubts, all of which have now gone away.
“There’s a lot of emotion right now,” said head coach Mike Felice. “We went through some tough competition this year. Our record might not show it, but we’re a very scary team.”
And a great deal of that self-confidence for Liverpool stems from its defense, which carried much of the burden in this sectional final, especially in the early and late stages when the outcome was most in doubt.
Senior goalie Owen Salanger led the unit. He turned back 15 of the Bees’ 20 shots, making a series of stops in the first quarter that kept B’ville from moving out in front, then was even more clutch in the fourth quarter with point-blank saves that rescued the Warriors when the attack stalled.
“Owen played out of his mind,” said Felice. “He gives us a spark in everything we do.”
But as Salanger pointed out, “I trust my guys around me”, and he had reason to do so.
The starting back line of seniors Braden Seymour and Joe Gravante and sophomore Jake Berthoff each did their part frustrating the Bees’ forwards and forcing them outside, often causing turnovers and taking plenty of pressure off Salanger.
“There’s a tight connection between all of us,” said Salanger. “We found the right pieces and came together.”
Against a B’ville side it beat 8-7 and 12-7 when they met in the regular season, Liverpool took the lead for good when freshman Chris Mattot scored in the waning seconds of the first quarter to break a 1-1 tie before Mason Gridley hit on back-to-back goals in the second period.
Another big play came from midfielder Danny Dunn, who after a defensive stop in the last minute of the half cleared it out of the zone, sprinted deep into the Bees’ end and passed it to Brady Michaud, who quickly found Owen Michaud for a one-timer that made it 5-2, where it stood a the break.
After Dom Osbeck found the net with 2:12 left in the third quarter to make it 7-3, the Warriors did not score again, but it did not have to. Seymour, Gravante and Berthoff continued to do fine work, and blanked the Bees over the game’s final eight-plus minutes to end B’ville’s stay at the top – and begin one for Liverpool, who will go into the state tournament Saturday where it faces Section IV champion Corning in the regional final at Vestal.
