Now that the Liverpool and Cicero-North Syracuse girls soccer teams make annual championship runs, every meeting between the long-time rivals gains extra importance. So it was again on Wednesday night, when the Warriors and Northstars met on the new LHS turf field. And it was Liverpool coming out on top, leading from start to finish in a 3-1 decision. In the first month of the regular season, both Liverpool and CNS had distinguished themselves through solid all-around games and attacks that could strike at any moment. No doubt, it helped the Warriors that, on this night, it was playing on the brand-new LHS turf field, with which it had become quite familiar, while it took a bit longer for the Northstars to get used to the faster surface. And by the time it did, Liverpool had a 2-0 lead. The Warriors carefully built up pressure until, in the 25th minute, Kim Murphy fired a cross from the left side that Alexis Kline pushed into the net with her body. Eight minutes later, the Warriors doubled the margin when Kayla Whalen found space in the middle and, from 20 yards out, ripped a straight shot home. Liverpool’s control briefly subsided when, just 7.1 seconds before halftime, Rachel Bowles took a long pass from the right, ran up the middle past the Warrior defenders and beat Tori Corsaro, cutting the margin to 2-1 at the break. That didn’t rattle the Warriors, though, as it resumed its attack in the second half, staying patient. It paid off in the 63rd minute when, off a series of good passes, Kline passed from the right side and Nikki Carfi flung it past Miranda Tanner into the left side of the net. CNS arrived at Liverpool in the midst of its toughest stretch of the season, which included three road tests in six days. At least the Northstars passed the first examination last Monday night, going to Swan Pond and relying on a near-flawless defensive effort to beat Fayetteville-Manlius 1-0. Barely 90 seconds into the game, two CNS attackers charged in on the Hornets’ net, uncontested. F-M goalie Nina Quigley made that stop – but 5:52 into the contest, Stephanie Liberati went in on a solo charge, and her low shot beat Quigley to put the Northstars in front. Despite many different opportunities, CNS could not add to that slim edge, but it hardly mattered because its back line was doing a sensational job shutting down F-M’s potent front line. Erika Falinski, Alyssa Elwood and Jill Goettel patrolled the back, always stepping in front of the Hornets’ forwards to force turnovers. And though she didn’t get tested until the late going, Miranda Tanner made some clutch saves, including two point-blank stops on F-M freshman Alexis Muraco. Liverpool, meanwhile, shut out Oswego 3-0, controlling the flow of play from start to finish at it registered 21 shots to the Buccaneers’ three. Up 2-0 by halftime, the Warriors saw Kim Murphy and Nikki Carfi each finish with one goal and one assist. Julia Heberger also scored. Without any rest after beating CNS, the Warriors went to Nottingham on Thursday and again came out on top, beating the Bulldogs 7-0. As it bolted out to a 5-0 halftime lead, Liverpool saw Murphy find the net twice, part of a balanced attack where Whalen, Julia Heberger, Courtney Szczesniak, Kayla Case and Chelsea Bowers each took turns getting goals, too. Kline, Corinne Lawler, Amanda Heberger and Ally Zywicki joined Case and Szczesniak in the assist column.
It proved to be a rough Saturday for both CNS and Liverpool, as the Northstars played to a 0-0 draw with West Genesee and the Warriors lost to Vestal 2-1. CNS never got moving against the defensive-minded Wildcats, only taking four direct shots in 80 minutes of regulation and 20 minutes of overtime. At the same time, though, the Northstars kept WG from moving ahead thanks to Tanner’s eight saves. When Liverpool played Vestal (no. 6 in the latest state Class AA rankings), Murphy scored in the first half to help forge a 1-1 ties as Heberger earned the assist. But the Golden Bears moved ahead in the late going as Stephanie Patterson netted the eventual game-winner. As CNS meets Auburn and Central Square this week, all the Liverpool attention will be given to Friday’s first-place CNY Counties League National division showdown with 11-0 Baldwinsville, who is no. 2 in the latest state Class AA rankings. The Warriors lost a narrow 2-1 decision to the Bees back on Sept. 16.