Usually, as the fall sports season winds down, the weather gets colder, but less dangerous so there’s fewer postponements or a need to reschedule games.
That wasn’t the case here, though, as in girls soccer Cicero-North Syracuse saw last Tuesday’s match at West Genesee abandoned in the opening minutes due to lightning and heavy rain.
With that game set to be made up this Wednesday, C-NS would find itself playing six times in a 10-day span to close the regular season.
And it began with C-NS at Pelcher-Arcaro Stadium last Thursday night, facing a Baldwinsville side it put a scare into on Sept. 18 before taking a 2-1 defeat.
In the rematch, again the Northstars made it stressful for the Bees, and this one would go beyond regulation before a surge in the first overtime period helped B’ville hand C-NS a 3-1 defeat.
It was Senior Night at B’ville, and the Northstars were determined to spoil it, going in front late in the first half on Ashlyn Slate’s goal. Slate also had her team’s lone tally against the Bees in the first meeting.
There it stayed until the second half, when Simone Neivel scored to pull B’ville even, and there it stayed the rest of regulation, Olivia Haven on her way to making seven saves while the Northstars were unable to get back in front.
Early in the first OT period, B’ville earned a corner kick, taken by Neivel, and it was Hannah Mimas powering it past Haven. Mimas returned a few minutes later, again scoring off a feed from Neivel, and C-NS was unable to recover.
Liverpool, in contrast to C-NS, did play last Tuesday night, hosting Fayetteville-Manlius but unable to get much going in a 3-0 defeat to the Hornets.
Under constant attack, Warriors goalie Megan Merrifield did make eight saves, but F-M got to her with goals from Hannah Knych, Anna Hartzheim and Ashley Carter, with Chloe Hodge and Rachel Dobricki earning assists.
Two nights later, Liverpool honored its seniors prior to its game against West Genesee. Looking to avenge a 1-0 defeat in Camillus on Sept. 18, the Warriors nearly did so, but settled for a 1-1 draw.
Unlike the first meeting, Liverpool had an answer after WG went in front with Sammie Snyder’s goal. In the second half, Abby Brancato, taking a pass from Abby Haley, put the shot home.
Through the rest of regulation, plus 20 minutes of overtime, it stayed tied. Merrifield had six saves, matching the total that WG’s pair of goalies, Liz Croft and Caitlin Mills, put together.
At Rome Free Academy on Saturday afternoon, Liverpool stumbled again in a 3-1 defeat to the Black Knights.
Trailing 1-0 at halftime, the Warriors got a late goal from Kaitlynn Luong, but RFA answered it and then some, Jamie Fleck scoring twice for the Black Knights and Lydia Atwell adding a goal as Katherine Balog got two assists. Merrifield finished with nine saves.
C-NS, meanwhile, found itself in a weekend tournament at the Wright National Soccer Complex, where on Saturday it faced host Oneonta and earned a 2-0 win over the Yellowjackets.
A goal in each half proved enough for the Northstars as Morgan Siechen and Jenna Imbesi converted, with Claire McNitt contributing an assist. Combined, Haven and Chloe Gordon stopped all five shots they faced.