ONONDAGA COUNTY – Two unbeaten field hockey rivals went at it Thursday night at Bragman Stadium when Cicero-North Syracuse hosted Liverpool, and plenty was learned along the way.
For while the Warriors have improved the last couple of years, it still finds itself looking up at the Northstars, who steadily and relentlessly worked its way to a 4-0 victory.
There was not a single surge in this game. Instead, C-NS patiently worked its attack and, once in each quarter, proved successful, often with Addie Esce at the center of it.
By the time she was done, Esce had recorded a three-goal hat trick, helped out by a pair of assists from Isabel Normanly along with single assists from Avery Carinci and Selena Moreno.
The other goal went to Nicole Conklin, with the Northstars’ defense in prime form limiting a potent Liverpool lineup to three direct shots, all stopped by Olivia Planty.
Both of these sides had defeated Baldwinsville in the previous week, but while C-NS had a more conventional 3-1 decision on Sept. 13, Liverpool needed to go to overtime last Monday at Pelcher-Arcaro Stadium to get past the Bees 3-2.
After Liverpool went up 2-1 in the first quarter, B’ville’s defense settled down and pitched a shutout for the rest of regulation, rarely letting the Warriors get in a good shot.
Patient at the other end, the Bees were able to get even, 2-2, in the fourth quarter before the seven-on-seven OT that resulted in Liverpool’s game-winner, by which point Isabella Ames, Zoe Noyes and Chloe Youker had scored, with Gianna Carbone joining Noyes in the assist column.
Liverpool goes to East Syracuse Minoa Monday and then waits for a non-league test Sept. 28 at Holland Patent as C-NS, at 4-0, goes for five wins in a row Monday at Fayeteville-Manlius.
