CENTRAL NEW YORK – For at least the 2025 regular season, the balance of power in area high school lacrosse shows Cicero-North Syracuse in control and Liverpool trying to catch up.
These sides met for the second time in the regular season Thursday night and the results were the same as when they first played on April 15.
The boys game at LHS Stadium was a 10-6 decision in the Northstars’ favor, something C-NS needed after taking losses to West Genesee and Fayetteville-Manlius the week before in the wake of a 6-0 start to the season.
Having lost 11-4 in that first meeting, Liverpool tried, in vain, to improve on that total, but with its defense the Warriors kept the game close and, trailing 5-2 at halftime, moved a bit closer in the third period.
Only in the final minutes did the Northstars get clear, overcoming the 17 saves put up by Trevor Smith as Karsen Pritchard and Quinn Empey both scored three times, single goals going to Adrian Sweeney, Emmit Porter, Jack Putman and Blake Fefee.
In defeat, Liverpool had Chris Matott and Tyler Donohue each score twice, with Danny Dunn getting one goal and one assist. Brady Michaud was held to one goal and Jake Berthoff had an assist, but little got past C-NS goalie Noah Samphier, who made 10 saves.
As this went on, at Bragman Stadium the reigning state Class A girls lacrosse champions from C-NS again proved too much for Liverpool in the course of a 21-9 Northstars victory.
Matching its total from a 21-4 decision in the first meeting, C-NS was again led by Gabby Putman, who won 14 draws and then set a season mark with five goals to go with an assist.
Sophia Nesci notched four assists as she and Miabella Gates both had four goals. Elizabeth Smith and Kaelyn Reid scored twice as Katy Harbold, Sophia Graham and Ella Grotto had single goals and Addie Esce got one goal and one assist.
Liverpool did improve its output in the rematch thanks to three-goal efforts from Gianna Carbone and Maya Michaud, with single goals going to Maura Beckwith, Lana Alampi and Maura Woods. Carbone, Beckwith and Alampi added assists.
Two days later C-NS faced another big test going north to take on state Class D no. 2-ranked South Jefferson who had roared to a 7-0 start, every single win by double digits.
Yet the Northstars were able to beat the Spartans 10-7, the difference in the net as Jilly Howell made eight saves, three more than South Jefferson counterpart Emma Vespa.
Nesci had a part in more than half of C-NS’s scoring plays with three goals and three assists. Putman was close behind with three goals and two assists, Natalie Wilson scoring twice as Graham and Gates had the other goals.
That same day Liverpool dropped a wild 19-18 decision to Marcellus, a game where Beckwith’s seven goals set a career mark to go with a pair of assists.
Alampi had four goals and four assists, with Carbone scoring three times. Woods and Lyric Noel had two goals apiece as the Mustangs got nine goals from Cece Powell and seven goals from Sophia Pilon to go with three assists.
Busy also on Saturday, the C-NS boys rolled past South Jefferson 16-3, Chaney getting four goals as Sweeney and Empey each netted three goals. Jack Putman got three assists, with Fefee earning two goals and one assist.
Playing later that night, Liverpool took another setback, falling 10-7 to Christian Brothers Academy to see its overall record fall to 4-7 ahead of having to face West Genesee and Fayetteville-Manlius this week as the Northstars battle the Wildcats Thursday night looking to avenge a 12-6 defeat in late April.
