As the host of its own tournament at the Twin Rinks, the Cicero-North Syracuse ice hockey team hoped it would provide a springboard to the rest of its season. The Northstars first met Burnt Hills in last Friday’s opening round and put together its most prolific offensive effort of the season, ripping past the Spartans 11-3. It didn’t take long for CNS to pull clear. All the Northstars did in the first period was register five unanswered goals, and it continued to produce in the second period, building its margin to 9-1 before cooling off. Brian Hamilton and Nick Hall each registered three-goal hat tricks, with Hamilton getting two assists and Hall earning one assist. Brad Monroe picked up a goal and two assists, while Nate Lerch, Matt Kennedy, Josh Studt and Sean Caza also scored. Cody Spadaro gained three assists, with Billy Temple and Kyle Siegle getting two assists apiece. Nick Schneid, Justin Tyler, Eric Hamilton and Evan Merulla joined Kennedy and Caza with single assists. Moving on to Saturday’s final, CNS encountered Penfield, who beat Cazenovia 6-3 in the other opening-round game. Despite an early lead, the Northstars lost to the Patriots 3-1. Monroe scored off a pass from Hamilton in the first period, but that 1-0 lead disappeared when Penfield found the net twice in the second period. In defeat, Zach Hall made 20 saves. For its first game of 2010, Liverpool went to Ithaca, where it again struggled to find offense in a 4-1 loss to the Little Red. Trailing 1-0, the Warriors did get on the board in the second period as Ryan Marino scored off a feed from Jeff Conese. But Ithaca countered with two goals, then pulled away late, negating the work of goalie Mike Sportelli, who had 24 saves. Back home at State Fair Coliseum Friday night to face Auburn, the Warriors would turn it around, fighting past the Maroons 4-3. The first period proved pivotal, as Liverpool bolted to a 2-0 lead. From that point forward, every time Auburn would convert, the Warriors would answer, and Sportelli’s 34 saves aided in the cause, too. On the offensive end, Matt McCaffrey led Liverpool with two goals, while Conese and Michael Bay each had one goal and one assist. Brad Capone added two assists, with A.J. LaMacchia getting a single assist.