Bethlehem’s boys’ soccer team remains undefeated as they prepare to face Watertown, the top-ranked Class AA squad in New York, in a regional final on Saturday at Waterford-Halfmoon. Both teams entered the match with spotless records, Bethlehem at 15-0-3 and Watertown at 19-0-0, setting the stage for a rare meeting between the state’s two best teams in their class.
Saturday’s schedule across the Capital Region features 11 Section 2 teams competing in regional finals, with six boys’ and five girls’ matches. Bethlehem’s boys face Watertown at 2 p.m., while the girls’ team takes on Section 3’s Fayetteville-Manlius at Stillwater at 2:30 p.m. The boys’ match represents one of the most anticipated games, pitting the No. 2-ranked Bethlehem Eagles against the No. 1-ranked Watertown Raiders.
Bethlehem’s rise in the rankings has been notable. The Eagles opened the season ranked ninth but climbed to No. 1 by October 6 before settling at No. 2. Their unbeaten streak has made them the only Section 2 boys’ team still undefeated heading into the state regionals. Watertown, equally formidable, has maintained its top ranking with a perfect 19-0-0 record.
Section 2 has four schools with both boys’ and girls’ teams in the state playoffs: Bethlehem, Averill Park, Schuylerville, and Northville. Of those, seven teams are set to play on Saturday, while Northville’s girls were eliminated earlier in the week.
The Shaker boys, ranked No. 6 in the state, will face Cicero-North Syracuse (No. 12) at Waterford-Halfmoon at 4:30 p.m. Shaker’s season began rocky with three straight losses but improved dramatically with an eight-game winning streak. Their senior forward Sami Terra, who returned from injury, scored 17 goals this season and netted a hat trick in their sectional final win over defending co-champion Guilderland.
Averill Park’s boys, despite a 2-9-1 Suburban Council record, enter the state playoffs on a strong note after outscoring playoff opponents 15-3. They face Section 7’s Peru at La Salle at 4:30 p.m. On the girls’ side, Averill Park competes against Beekmantown at Niskayuna at noon. Averill Park girls are 4-0 against Class A opponents including the postseason despite struggling in Suburban Council play against higher classes.
Northville boys have been dominant in Class D, winning their third straight sectional title after a 5-0 victory over Hartford in the final. They have won eight straight games, outscoring opponents 59-0 during that run. Their only loss this season came against Chazy, the state’s top Class D team. Northville will meet Section 4’s Edmeston Central at Chenango Valley at 3 p.m.
Schuylerville’s boys and girls teams both reached the playoffs. The boys face Section 7’s Saranac at La Salle at 2 p.m., while the girls play AuSable Valley at Stillwater at noon. Schuylerville girls have made back-to-back Section 2 finals and this year ousted defending champion Mechanicville to enter the state tournament.
Stillwater girls continue their bid for a second straight Class C state championship with a regional final against Section 1’s North Salem at Niskayuna at 5 p.m. They are the first Section 2 team to try to repeat in Class C since Waterford-Halfmoon shared the title in 2023.
Bethlehem girls return to the state tournament for the first time since 2019, when they reached the quarterfinals with current U.S. Women’s National Team player Claire Hutton as an eighth grader. Their coach Scott Geis has led the team to the playoffs in his first varsity season.
Other notable matchups include Greenville boys facing Northern Adirondack at Northeastern Clinton at 5:30 p.m. and Shaker boys challenging Cicero-North Syracuse after a strong finish. The regional finals offer a mix of established powers and emerging teams from Section 2 aiming to advance to the state semifinals.
Saturday’s games will take place across several venues, including Waterford-Halfmoon, La Salle, Niskayuna, Stillwater, Chenango Valley, and Northeastern Clinton, showing how Section 2 teams are spread throughout the Capital Region yet united in their pursuit of state titles.
According to Yahoo Sports.
