Pretty much finishing off the quarterfinals in boys & girls soccer on this Monday. Let's hope the weather doesn't suck! 9 boys games scheduled - this includes all of the AA and C quarterfinals, along with the last B quarter. 7 on the girls' side, with all of the Class B quarterfinals going off along with 3/4 of the AAs. Let's start off with...
Boys Soccer
Colonie @ Shaker - This isn't a bad game. None of them really are, AA boys soccer has been pretty competitive among many of the Suburban teams. I'm saying this even though Shaker housed Colonie 6-1 earlier in the season. Sure, the top-seeded Blue Bison will handle business in this one - 6-1 might be a little extreme though. I'll pick Shaker to advance by a score of 3-1.
Bethlehem @ Niskayuna - Ahh, the 4/5 games. This is a rematch from the same week the matchup above played - Nisky won that 3-2 on their home field. Things have changed for the Eagles, though. After going 4-5-1 in their first 10, they've reeled off 7 straight wins with their last loss being to Shaker exactly a month ago. They only gave up 3 goals in those games, with 4 shutouts. Nisky has been up and down somewhat. Their ups are realllly high - like beating Shaker high. They beat Shaker 2-1, but Ballston Spa played them to a draw and they only beat Averill Park by 1. Nisky has the potential to beat anyone in the section, but I'll pick the road team in a 3-2 decision to advance.
Saratoga @ Guilderland - Of course this is how it worked. Guilderland has consistently been a little bit better of a team throughout, but they played to a scoreless draw earlier in the season - just going to show you that in the Suburban, anyone could beat anyone. The Dutch have won 4 straight, but they haven't played in 11 days. Will that be an issue? Between home field and their previous sectional experience, I don't think so. I'll take the home team 2-1.
Ballston Spa @ Shenendehowa - To me, this one feels like the least competitive of the four. Although Shen showed they surely were beatable by losing to this team at the beginning of the month, I think the possession game at home will be in full effect. Plus they want revenge. They didn't end the season the way they would hope. Ballston Spa's went 2-2-1 since that game, beating CBA to get here. 2/3 of their goals have come from Connor Defillipis and Anders Trestick - I think Shen keys in on them and holds them to 1 in a 3-1 win.
Coxsackie-Athens @ Broadalbin-Perth - The battle of the hyphens. They actually played each other in a non-league game... about a week agooo! Broadalbin-Perth picked up a 2nd half goal to get the 1-0 victory at home. Same teams, same spot, one week later, and it's anyone's game. Home field will matter in this one, as the Patriots win again 2-1.
Berne-Knox-Westerlo @ Stillwater - The world knows about Ian Cepiel at this point. Stillwater didn't get to be the 1 seed just off of him, though. There's a supporting cast (Brody, Brahe Gazzelli, numerous others) that handle business too. They'll do that again in a 4-1 W.
Berlin @ Lake George - Lake George is at home. Lake George has some steady senior, been around the block leadership. I think Lake George is just flat-out better. I vote for the body of water named after Liberace's brother. 5-2 final.
Mayfield @ Maple Hill - This one will be interesting. I will pick a team for the heck of it, but certainly wouldn't be surprised if the other won. Todd Briggs can just put the ball into the back of the net for the Panthers. He's eclipsed the 20 goal mark for the season, scoring nearly half of Mayfield's tallies. The only thorn in Maple Hill's side this year has been Greenville (the 2 seed). They've got a set of really impressive wins over Hoosick Falls and Ichabod Crane. Although IC didn't have Jimmy Hollister, I don't think his loss is what the game was about. He scores goals, and he wouldn't have got the ball much because Maple Hill controlled possession. After the shenanigans that happened toward the end of Maple Hill's Saturday game, I'm expecting them to come out with a different kind of focus. Tough call, but I'll go with them at home 2-1.
Fort Plain @ Greenville - The Hilltoppers are the only non-chalk team in the quarterfinals, in at the 10 seed after being (7) Hoosic Valley. I like the way they're coming in, big steam of momentum. Greenville didn't exactly have a 2/15 type game against Mekeel, only winning 2-1... in OT... and they were down 1-0 at one point. Fort Plain beat Mekeel by a goal too. I'll call upset alert on this one, with the Hilltoppers going back home with a 1-0 victory.
Girls Soccer
Colonie @ Saratoga - Saratoga has just went on an unbelievable run since a couple slip-ups early on. Ellery Bianco and Ya Ya Van Ness are really good, as is their defense. A combination of skill and unmatched physicality has helped them work up to #5 in the state in AA. They've won 13 straight by a combined score of 50-10. Colonie hadn't beaten a Class AA opponent all year before their 1st round win over Albany. They won't get their 2nd. Blue Streaks at home, 4-1.
Bethlehem @ Columbia - This one's really interesting. Thought about going to it, but it's looking like I'll pass it up. There was a point in this season where Columbia appeared to be in the drivers' seat in Class AA, but they suffered a couple slip-ups late - one being a draw at Bethlehem. Scoring for the Blue Devils has dropped lately - they averaged 2.4 goals per game in the first 10, under 1.3 in the last 7. Good thing for them is they've held up defensively, only giving up 3 goals in the last 10 games. Bethlehem hasn't lost in October - but they've only played 5 games, and they've had an 11 day hiatus between games. I think Columbia pulls one out for the 2nd time in 3 matches, this one a 2-1 tilt.
Shaker @ Shenendehowa - Shaker just cannot score. That's been the issue all year. They've been shut out 7 times, and the team's leading scorer has only 4 goals. They've lost 3 of 4 - all losses being to top 5 seeds in AA, one of them being to Shen in their last game. The Plains(wo)men have been consistent all year, with 1 goal losses to Columbia and Saratoga being the only blemishes. They've also had 4 girls score more than Shaker's leading scorer, with 3 others being tied. Just the interesting stat of the night. Enough small talk, Shen wins a 3rd time 1-0.
Mechanicville @ Schalmont - I hate to just cut it so short because LaFountain, Bowie and Mechanicville have done well and I can talk about Schalmont all day, but this one's pretty basic. Sabres advance 5-1.
Voorheesville @ Coxsackie-Athens - All these 4/5 matchups are interesting. No matter who loses, a pretty good team will be knocked out in this one. I just happen to think it'll be the home team. Coxsackie-Athens is undefeated, they score, and they score some more. 82 goals through 17 games, about 4.8 per game for the non-math majors. Problem: I am far from sold on the level of play in the Patroon this year. Didn't get impressed. Voorheesville hasn't lost to a team not named Schalmont, and they've had a marathon of games in October which help them get into a groove. Common opponents? They both beat Cohoes 3-0 and Chatham by 1 goal. I was really impressed with Veda Hensel when I watched Voorheesville this year, and the offensive prowess of her and Julia Voss (42 goals combined) will put them over the top. Voorheesville on the road 3-2.
Albany Academy @ CCHS - I've been on the Catholic Central bandwagon all year. The knock on them is that teams haven't really pushed them defensively, but when they have, they've given up goals. Hoosick Falls & Scotia put up 4 on them. They've rose to the occasion before though, shutting out South Glens Falls & holding Ichabod Crane to 1 goal last game. Albany Academy has 60 goals on the season, so they know what to do with it - but in the end, there's too much Riffelbach, Purcell, and Drake to go around. Riffelbach (33 g, 17 a), Purcell (25 of each), and Drake (14 & 10) have accounted for 72 of the Crusaders' 81 goals. They like to play fast; the CCHS sectional road show has them playing at Watervliet tonight, a turf field. Fast. I like the Crusaders again 4-2.
Schuylerville @ Hoosick Falls - This 2/7 game has all the makings of providing a little upset. Schuylerville's proven that they will beat or at least hang with stronger teams, they just beat Tamarac (2nd place in Hoo Falls' league) 3-0, this is the favorite team of Schuyler Lemal-Brown (his dad's the dean), Jordyn Haynes is playing for what I know, but she's doing it injured - the stars are aligned for Schuylerville to pull it off, and I still don't think it will happen. Winners win because it's all they know how to do, and I at least don't see a quarterfinal exit. If Haynes is on the field in any capacity, it makes a big difference - the junior has over 100 career goals. Rachel Pine & Taylor Mann have put forth the same kind of production, and I think it's a little too much for Schuylerville to overcome. The home team wins in a shootout at the OK Corral, 4-3.
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