News & notes

 UAlbany christened its home court pro tempore at Hudson Valley Community College on Sunday afternoon with a 71-69 pre-season win over Skidmore College. Head coach Dwayne Killings began serving a 5 game suspension for inappropriate conduct, so assistant coach Bobby Jordan, who had been running practices of late, picked up his first win.

The Danes trailed for most of the afternoon before taking the lead for good with under six minutes left in regulation.

On Saturday, UAlbany football reclaimed the Golden Apple from in-state rival Stony Brook in a laugher, 59-14. Only 2403 fans attended the game at Casey Stadium. Redshirt freshman QB Reese Poffenbarger threw for 263 yards and 4 touchdowns to lead Albany, which won just its 2nd game this season.

===============================================

RPI & Union split a home & home hockey series over the weekend, each winning on their home ice. RPI won on Friday, 2-1, but Union came storming back at Messa Rink on Saturday, 6-0, snapping a 4 game losing streak in the process.

The two teams will meet later in the season for the Mayor's Cup at MVP Arena.

===============================================

Welp, I was wrong again on Friday.

Despite blowing out LaSalle on Senior Night, Amsterdam is on the outside looking in, as LaSalle claimed the final Class A playoff spot based on quarter points. That means the Cadets will return to Niskayuna on Friday. The Silver Warriors, though, have played some of their games at neutral sites for reasons I cannot fathom. For example, Nisky shut out Troy at Schenectady on October 7. There is talk of the rematch being played at Frank Bailey Field at Union this time, and that, of course, used to be home for LaSalle coach John Audino.

The late wrestler-actor Roddy Piper was right. When you think you've got all the answers, they change the questions.

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Matt Quatraro graduated from Bethlehem 30 years ago. If they're holding a class reunion soon, he can say he's now a major league manager.

Quatraro was hired by the Kansas City Royals to be their new manager Sunday, just days after Mike Metheny was shown the door. Quatraro had been the bench coach for Kevin Cash at Tampa Bay the last few years, and interviewed for managerial vacancies with Oakland and the Mets prior to the 2022 season.

High School Fridays: Guilderland @ Shenendehowa, 10/28/22

 For the home teams playing their final regular season games throughout Section II tonight (i.e. Troy, Amsterdam, Shenendehowa), it's Senior Night.

The Plainsmen have the #2 seed in Class AA, and will host Shaker next week in the semi-finals. Tonight, though, they closed the regular season schedule against Guilderland, which needed to win, and get some help from Colonie in their game vs. Saratoga to have any chance of making the playoffs.

Guilderland won the toss, but opted to defer to the 2nd half. You just don't do that against the elite teams in Section II.

So, the Plainsmen marched down the field, relying more on the running game than usual. Henry Picard, who had the game winning touchdown in overtime vs. Shaker earlier this season, cut through the middle, and ran it in from about 20 yards or so, diving into warp factor one for the last few yards.

"Number 1, Warp Factor One. Engage!"

Sorry, couldn't resist.

After a Guilderland punt, Shen went right back down the field, and after a long pass play to Luke McAuliffe, QB Michael Whatley gave the ball back to Picard, who scored from 20 yards out to make it 14-0 after the 1st quarter.

Give Shen coach Brian Clawson credit. He had to know the Dutchmen's defense would start to key on Picard, so he shifted gears in the 2nd quarter.

Ihsaan, run!

Yeah, I know. A Looney Tunes joke.

Sophomore Ihsaan Alozie extended the Plainsmen's lead to 21-0 after a 3 yard run early in the frame, and after another Guilderland punt, Alozie exploded through the secondary for a 43 yard run. That sent Shen into the break with a 28-0 lead, seemingly insurmountable.

In the 3rd quarter, after an exchange of turnovers set Guilderland up just outside the red zone, Travis Burschwinger found Justin Kapusinsky for a 22 yard strike. Unfortunately, that would be all the scoring for the Dutchmen.

Roughly 90 seconds into the 4th quarter, backup tailback Aurelio Guido put the game away with a 70 yard scamper. With Saratoga dominating Colonie, Guilderland's goose was cooked. Defense took over for the balance of the frame, and Shen comes away with a 35-7 victory.

Throughout the night, announcers Chris Watson & James Allen, highlighting Shen lineman Brett Steiner, referenced wrestler Scott Steiner (no relation), who was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame earlier this year. Brett is a junior, so expect more of the same whenever Shen is on TV next year, or even in the post-season this year.

Other scores:

Stillwater 49, Broadalbin-Perth 8.

Schuylerville 56, Ichabod Crane 12. The Black Horses snap a 2 game losing streak in emphatic fashion.

Gloversville 38, Cohoes 0.

Niskayuna 9, Burnt Hills 6. The upset gives Nisky the Class A Grasso Division title.

Troy 21, Columbia 14 (OT).

Amsterdam 41, LaSalle 14. The Rams end their 3 game losing streak, and clinch the final playoff spot in Class A, eliminating both LaSalle & Troy.

Class AA playoff pairings for November 4:

Saratoga at CBA (we'll have the scores from their games no later than Sunday).

Shaker at Shenendehowa.

Class A playoff pairings:

Amsterdam at Niskayuna.

Burnt Hills at Averill Park.

News & notes

 Volleyball season is over at Troy High after the Flying Horses were eliminated in the Class A quarter-finals by top seeded Burnt Hills in straight sets Thursday night. It was not even close. The Spartans had a big chip on their collective shoulders after losing their regular season finale to Shenendehowa on Monday, and blew Troy away by scores of 25-9, 25-12, and 25-13.

Troy finishes 7-9 overall for the season.

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Earlier this week, Albany Times-Union & Spectrum News 1 high school analyst James Allen said that Troy had an outside shot of making the football playoffs, which start next week. I'm both a Troy High alumnus and a realist, and I will refer back to what I wrote on Sunday.

If LaSalle beats Amsterdam tonight, and Allen made a point of noting this today in the T-U, both Troy & Amsterdam would be eliminated from the playoffs, and LaSalle would earn the #2 seed in the Capital Division. The Cadets would have the tie-breaker over both clubs, having beaten Troy last month to retain the Collar City Cup.

But what if Amsterdam snaps its losing streak? Remember, Troy beat them last week, and if Troy beats Columbia, then, it gets dicey. All three teams would have two losses in the division, and Section II would have to use the quarter points formula to figure it out.

If Columbia beats Troy, everything is moot, and Troy is eliminated. You have to believe Amsterdam will be rooting for Columbia in that case.

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Troy QB-DB Michael Dinardo was named Reader's Choice Player of The Week by readers of the T-U. A heavy social media campaign over the last few days made that possible. Congratulations to Michael.

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The Class AA finals in men's soccer are set after Thursday's play.

Shaker defeated Shenendehowa, 2-1, and Saratoga downed Guilderland, 4-0, to advance.

In other sectional action:

Men's cross country:

Lake George captured the Adirondack League title at Queensbury.

Women's cross country:

Corinth-Hadley-Luzerne won the Adirondack title.

Field hockey:

Class C Semi-finals:

Johnstown 6, Granville 0.

Women's soccer:

Class D finals:

Northville 2, Fort Ann 1.

Women's volleyball:

Class A quarterfinals:

Queensbury 3, Averill Park 1.

South Glens Falls 3, Mohonasen 0.

Academy of Holy Names 3, Columbia 0.

The semi-finals will see Holy Names vs. Burnt Hills, while Queensbury faces South Glens Falls.

Wednesday's high school sectional scoreboard, 10/26

 Field hockey:

Class B semi-finals:

Burnt Hills 7, Scotia-Glenville 0.

South Glens Falls 5, Queensbury 3.

Men's soccer:

Class A semi-finals:

Columbia 3, LaSalle 1.

Averill Park & Queensbury played to a scoreless tie. The Warriors advance to the final via penalty kicks.

Class D semi-finals:

Loudonville Christian 4, Mekeel Christian 3.

Northville 6, Hartford 0.

Women's soccer:

Class CC semi-finals:

OESJ 1, Bolton-Warrensburg 0 (OT).

Lake George & Greenwich played to a 1-1 tie. Greenwich advances via penalty kicks.

Women's volleyball:

Class A 1st round:

Troy 3, Scotia-Glenville 0. The Flying Horses (7-8) will travel to Burnt Hills today.

Class C 1st round:

Mayfield 3, Mechanicville 1.

Stillwater 3, Chatham 0.

Voorheesville 3, Corinth 0.

Tamarac 3, Taconic Hills 0.

Tuesday's high school scoreboard, 10/25

 Field hockey:

Class A semi-finals:

Bethlehem 1, Guilderland 0 (OT).

Shenendehowa 1, Saratoga 0.

Cross country:

Stillwater swept the men's & women's titles in the Wasaren League, and Fonda-Fultonville did likewise in the Western Athletic Conference

Men's soccer:

Class B semi-finals:

Catskill, Ichabod Crane 0.

Mechanicville 4, Schuylerville 0.

Class C semi-finals:

Maple Hill 3, Middleburgh 1.

Voorheesville 3, Stillwater 1.

Women's soccer:

Class AA semi-finals:

Shenendehowa 3, Colonie 1.

Class B semi-finals:

Broadalbin-Perth 5, Schuylerville 3.

2022 Section II women's volleyball sectional pairings

 The regular season ended last night for women's volleyball in Section II. However, there is no rest for the weary, and, for some teams, there's no escaping the inevitable, as you'll see.

Class AA:

Thursday:

#5 Shaker @ #4 Ballston Spa. Winner will play #1 Shenendehowa November 2 at Broadalbin-Perth.

#6 Guilderland @ #3 Saratoga.

#7 Niskayuna @ #2 Bethlehem.

The finals will be at Saratoga on November 5.

Class A:

Wednesday: 

#9 Troy @ #8 Scotia-Glenville. The winner gets Burnt Hills, whom Troy didn't play in the regular season due to a reduced Suburban Council schedule, on Thursday.

Also Thursday:

#5 Columbia @ #4 Academy of Holy Names.

#6 Mohonasen @ #3 South Glens Falls.

#7 Averill Park @ #2 Queensbury.

The semi-finals will be at Stillwater November 2. Finals are at Saratoga November 4.

Class B:

Friday:

#8 Gloversville @ #1 Ichabod Crane.

#7 Emma Willard @ #2 Hudson Falls.

#6 Glens Falls @ #3 Broadalbin-Parth.

#5 Catholic Central @ #4 Schalmont.

Semi-finals are at Averill Park November 2, and Saratoga hosts the finals on November 5.

Class C:

Wednesday:

#9 Mayfield @ #8 Mechanicville. Winner plays #1 Galway on Friday.

#10 Schuylerville @ #7 Catskill. Winner plays #2 Fonda on Friday.

#11 Watervliet-Heatly @ #6 Greenville. 

#14 Chatham @ #3 Stillwater. The winners of these two games will meet Friday.

#13 Taconic Hills @ #4 Tamarac. 

#12 Voorheesville @ #5 Corinth. The winners of these two games will meet Friday.

The semi-finals are at Ballston Spa on November 2, and the finals at Saratoga November 4.

Class D:

Wednesday:

#9 Fort Edward @ #8 Hartford. The winner plays #1 Lake George on Friday.

Also Friday:

#5 Waterford @ #4 Maple Hill.

#6 Duanesburg @ #3 Argyle.

#7 Hoosic Valley @ #2 Mekeel Christian.

The semi-finals will be at Hudson Falls November 2, with Saratoga hosting the finals on November 5.

Good luck to all the teams.

Monday's high school scoreboard, 10/24

 Men's soccer:

Class AA quarter-finals:

Guilderland 3, Bethlehem 2 (OT).

Saratoga 5, Niskayuna 1.

Shaker 2, Albany 1.

Shenendehowa 4, CBA 0.

Women's soccer:

Class A semi-finals:

Burnt Hills 2, Queensbury 1.

Class D semi-finals:

Northville 6, Salem 0.

Women's volleyball:

Colonial Council:

Schalmont 3, Albany Academy 0.

Suburban Council:

Bethlehem 3, Troy 0.

Shenendehowa 3, Burnt Hills 0. A rare league loss for the Spartans.

Niskayuna 3, Averill Park 0.

Western Athletic Conference:

Galway 3, OESJ 0.

Swimming:

Ravena 89, Albany 69.

Hudson Valley Community College basketball schedules 2022-23

 In an effort to call attention to a school whose athletic program has been given the Rodney Dangerfield treatment (regular readers will know what I'm talking about), we are posting the basketball schedules for Hudson Valley Community College's men's & women's teams. A source at HVCC says dates had to be changed to accomodate UAlbany, which is using the McDonough Field House while SEFCU Arena is being renovated this season.

Ladies first:

November 1: Home opener vs. University of Connecticut-Avery Point.

November 8: Fulton-Montgomery Community College.

November 12: Mohawk Valley Community College

November 19: @ North Country Community College.

November 29: @ SUNY-Adirondack.

December 7: @ Herkimer College.

December 10: Corning Community College.

January 10: @ Massasoit Community College.

January 14: @ SUNY-Broome Community College.

January 15: @ Tompkins-Cortland Community College.

January 21: @ Herkimer.

January 22: SUNY-Adirondack.

January 24: North Country Community College.

January 29: Senior Day vs. Finger Lakes Community College.

February 4: @ Jefferson Community College.

February 5: @ Onondage Community College.

February 8: @ Mohawk Valley Community College.

February 11: @ UConn-Avery Point.

February 13: @ Fulton-Montgomery Community College.

Now, the men:

Pre-season:

Saturday: @ Sage College (Albany).

Regular season:

November 3: @ Orange County Community College.

November 8: Home opener vs. Fulton-Montgomery CC.

November 10: Columbia-Greene CC.

November 12: Mohawk Valley CC.

November 17: @ Clinton CC.

November 19: @ North Country CC.

November 29: @ SUNY-Adirondack.

December 7: Herkimer College.

December 10: Corning CC.

December 11: Genesee CC.

December 13: Rockland CC.

January 10: @ Massasoit CC.

January 14: @ SUNY-Broome CC.

January 15: @ Tompkins-Cortland CC.

January 18: Clinton CC.

January 21: @ Herkimer College.

January 22: SUNY-Adirondack.

January 24: North Country CC.

January 28: Cayuga CC.

January 29: Senior Day vs. Finger Lakes CC.

February 1: @ Columbia-Greene CC.

February 4: @ Jefferson CC.

February 5: @ Onondaga CC.

February 8: @ Mohawk Valley CC.

February 13: @ Fulton-Montgomery CC.

Solving the Class A playoff puzzle

 Two things to correct from Friday's game report.

1. Burnt Hills has actually only clinched a berth in the Class A playoffs, which begins November 4.

2. Averill Park actually locked up the Capital Division by beating LaSalle. I had things a wee bit backward.

This much we are sure of in the Capital Division:

Averill Park is the division champion, but LaSalle is not yet assured of a playoff berth. The Cadets, who had their 5 game winning streak snapped at Averill Park, travel to Amsterdam to play the suddenly reeling Rams. The standings as of now:

Averill Park: 4-0 Capital Division. They'll travel to Mohonasen on Friday.

LaSalle: 3-1 division, 5-3 overall. 

Troy High: 2-2 division, 4-3 overall.

Amsterdam: 2-2 division, 4-3 overall.

Scenarios:

If LaSalle beats Amsterdam, they lock up the #2 seed in the division, simple as that. The Cadets own a tiebreaker over 3rd place Troy, so the Flying Horses are out of the hunt no matter what happens.

If Amsterdam beats LaSalle, they'd own the tiebreaker, and leap-frog into 2nd place. What could save the Cadets is the quarter-point system, which decided the playoff berths last year after Amsterdam, LaSalle, and Averill Park finished in a 3-way tie for the division title. Amsterdam, remember, won just one quarter in the loss to Troy. That will be significant.

Best bet (I could be wrong): LaSalle knocks the Rams out.

Over in the Grasso Division:

Burnt Hills will have Senior Night Friday vs. Niskayuna. Ballston Spa travels to Queensbury on Saturday. The North Country Spartans have had a bad year, but could play spoiler. A Scotties win locks up the #2 seed in the division.

Projected playoff matchups for November 4:

Ballston Spa at Averill Park.

LaSalle at Burnt Hills. The Cadets lost to the Spartans last year.

Of course, I could be wrong.

High School Fridays: Home Sweet Homecoming (Amsterdam @ Troy, 10/21/22)

It was Homecoming at Troy High. A football tradition since 1982, this year's game saw two teams that appeared to be trending in reverse directions.

Troy had snapped a 3 game losing streak last week in beating Mohonasen. Amsterdam had lost two in a row, in danger of being left out of the playoff chase.

Still, the Rams won the toss, and elected to receive. Star QB Jhan Vellon directed the offense down the field, and took it in himself. However, the PAT sailed wide, and Amsterdam had a 6-0 lead.

Not for long.

Troy came right back, and Michael Dinardo ran it in from 2 yards out. Lineman Cloud Rucker, subbing for injured kicker Phil "Pip" Ryan, nailed the extra point, and Troy had a 7-6 lead after the 1st quarter.

Troy's defense also demonstrated that Vellon is human after all. After an interception, Troy cashed in as Justin Gilmore crashed in from 25 yards out. Rucker's extra point made it 14-7. After a 2nd Vellon interception, Troy went 3 and out. Caesar Thompson returned the subsequent punt 70 yards, and after a 2 point conversion, we were tied at 14.

Not for long.

Dinardo & Gilmore struck again right before halftime, with Gilmore catching a 35 yard pass. Another Rucker PAT, and Troy led, 21-14, at the break.

Despite the recognition early, Rucker all of a sudden was the victim of an identity crisis, as Troy's veteran PA announcer was losing his vision as the night progressed, confusing Rucker & Ryan, because the two are listed close together on the active roster in your program. We just consulted an alleged expert of senior vision.

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize his eyesight was failing."

What a surprise.

Halftime meant the crowning of the Homecoming Queen. Margaret Adams, a standout volleyball player, is the Queen of the Class of 2023.

The only scoring in the 3rd quarter came when Vellon found Thompson for a 8 yard pass play. Another 2 point conversion gave Amsterdam back the lead at 22-21.

Not for long.

A Troy drive in the 4th quarter was capped with a Troy rarity, a field goal, as Rucker drilled one from 22 yards away, putting Troy up for good. After an Amsterdam fumble, Dinardo ran it in from 2 yards out, but Rucker's PAT was blocked, leaving the score at 30-22. With 2 1/2 minutes remaining, things suddenly got tense. And chippy.

On the next Amsterdam possession, there was a little scrum in front of the Troy bench. Offsetting fouls, which only prolonged the drive. Vellon threw his 2nd TD pass of the night (the PA guy didn't bother identifying the Amsterdam player), but the 2 point conversion failed, leaving Troy with a slim 2 point lead at 30-28 with under a minute to go.

Everyone in the stadium knew Amsterdam would go for the onside kick. The first try didn't count, apparently because the referee wasn't ready. On the 2nd attempt, Amsterdam was offside, sending them back 5 yards. Third time seemed to be the charm, despite the fact that it appeared as though the Rams took possession before the ball traveled 10 yards. The officials huddled for what felt like a week.

"Well, what did you expect? They missed their pinochle game tonight!"

I'm not so sure about that.

Karma, though, was on Troy's side. Back to back penalties sent the Rams backward, but they recovered to get within striking distance of the goal. However, another fumble, and Troy clinched the game. Dinardo took a knee, and Troy won its 2nd straight, 30-28. Amsterdam suffers its 3rd straight loss, and, at 2-2 in the Capital Division, Troy now owns a tiebreaker against the Rams, sending Amsterdam into a 3rd place tie with a week to go.

Meanwhile, Averill Park & LaSalle went to overtime again, 2nd straight year this has happened between the Warriors and Cadets. LaSalle's 5 game winning streak is history, as Averill Park, now winners of 4 of their last 5, prevailed, 27-21. Amsterdam hosts LaSalle next week, while Averill Park plays Mohonasen, and Troy has Senior Night vs. Columbia.

Other scores:

Shaker 30, Guilderland 3. A rude grand opening for the Dutchmen's new turf field.

Lansingburgh 14, Schalmont 6.

Columbia 20, Mohonasen 6.

Niskayuna 31, South Glens Falls 7.

Burnt Hills 14, Ballston Spa 0. The Spartans clinch the Grasso Division.

Ravena 48, Gloversville 0.

Stillwater 7, Schuylerville 6. The Black Horses have suddenly dropped two in a row.

Chatham 28, Canajoharie-Fort Plain 13.

Fonda-Fultonville 63, Broadalbin-Perth 13. Ouch!

Greenwich 48, Corinth/Fort Edward/Hadley-Luzerne 0.

Cobleskille-Richmondville 35, Taconic Hills 26.

======================
Soccer season is officially over at Troy High, as the Lady Horses were eliminated by Columbia, 5-0, earlier today in the Class A quarter-finals.

Men's soccer scores:

Class A:

Averill Park 2, South Glens Falls 0.

Queensbury 2, Albany Academy 0.

Class D:

Mekeel Christian 1, Fort Ann 0.

Loudonville Christian 8, Argyle 1.

Thursday's high school scoreboard, 10/20

Women's volleyball:

Colonial Council:

Ichabod Crane 3, Cohoes 0.

Schalmont 3, Lansingburgh 1.

Suburban Council:

Saratoga 3, Colonie 0.

Columbia 3, Troy 0.

Burnt Hills 3, Ballston Spa 0.

Bethlehem 3, Averill Park 0.

Field hockey:

Class C:

Schuylerville 3, Salem-Cambridge 2.

Men's soccer (most scores courtesy Capital Region Soccer):

Class AA:

Albany 5, Colonie 1.

Niskayuna 4, Ballston Spa 0.

Class B:

Catskill 6, Tamarac 0.

Glens Falls 5, Hudson 0.

Mechanicville 8, Fonda-Fultonville 0.

Schuylerville 1, Cohoes 0.

Class C:

Chatham 1, Berne-Knox-Westerlo-Duanesburg 0.

Stillwater 2, Bolton-Warrensburg 1.

Hoosic Valley 2, Mayfield 0.

Maple Hill 5, Lake George 0.

Middleburgh 1, Galway 0.

Voorheesville 8, Hadley-Luzerne 0.

Waterford 3, Greenwich 2.

Women's soccer:

Germantown 3, Doane Stuart 0.

Ravena 4, Albany Academy 3.

Greenville 6, Glens Falls 0.

Academy of Holy Names 1, Fonda-Fultonville 0.

Cohoes 6, Tamarac 0.

Schuylerville 6, Cobleskill-Richmondville 0.

Mechanicville 10, Catskill 0.

Swimming:

Queensbury 85, Gloversville-Mayfield 67.

Wednesday's high school scoreboard, 10/19

 Swimming:

Schenectady-Colonie 93, Albany 67.

Niskayuna 103, Shaker 69.

Shenendehowa 100, Guilderland-Voorheesville 78.

Troy-Tamarac-Averill Park won a 3-team meet over LaSalle & Academy of Holy Names. The Flying Bengal Warriors finish at 5-4 for the regular season.

Women's volleyball:

Colonial Council:

Ichabod Crane 3, Schalmont 0.

Cobleskill-Richmondville 3, Lansingburgh 2.

Foothills Council:

Scotia-Glenville 3, Johnstown 1.

Gloversville 3, Amsterdam 0.

Wasaren League:

Waterford 3, Berlin-New Lebanon 1.

Mechanicville 3, Hoosic Valley 0.

Tamarac 3, Saratoga Catholic 0.

Non-league:

Averill Park 3, Mekeel Christian 0.

Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons 3, Loudonville Christian 0.

South Glens Falls 3, Galway 2.

Field hockey:

Class C:

Johnstown 7, Corinth 1.

Men's soccer:

Class AA 1st round:

CBA 7, Schenectady 2.

Class A 1st round:

Albany Academy 5, Gloversville 0.

Burnt Hills 3, Amsterdam 0.

South Glens Falls 3, Mohonasen 1.

Scotia-Glenville 4, Troy 0. The game was scoreless at the break, but Kofi Jack notched a hat trick in the 2nd half for the Tartans. Troy ends the season on a 8 game losing streak, shut out in 6 of the 8 losses.

Class B:

Broadalbin-Perth 3, Coxsackie-Athens 1.

Cobleskill-Richmondville 4, Cairo-Durham 0.

Greenville 2, Ravena 1.

Ichabod Crane 4, Johnstown 0.

Class D:

Argyle 3, Saratoga Catholic 1.

North Warren 4, Germantown 2.

Women's soccer:

Class AA:

Ballston Spa 10, Schenectady 0.

Class C:

Galway 1, Duanesburg 0.

Hadley-Luzerne 8, Hoosic Valley 1.

OESJ 7, Whitehall 0.

Cambridge 1, Catholic Central 0.

Class CC:

Maple Hill 1, Corinth 0.

Chatham 5, Canajoharie 0.

Hoosick Falls 3, Rensselaer 0.

LaSalle 2, Stillwater 1.

Mayfield & Berlin-New Lebanon played to a 1-1 tie. Mayfield advances via penalty kicks.

Men's volleyball:

Suburban Council:

Bethlehem 3, Burnt Hills 2.

Tuesday's high school scoreboard, 10/18

 Women's cross country:

Colonial Council:

Schalmont won a four team meet over LaSalle, Catholic Central, & Academy of Holy Names.

Albany Academy won a 3-team meet over Lasningburgh & Cohoes.

Men's cross country:

Albany Academy won a 3-team meet over Lansingburgh & Cohoes.

Schalmont won a 3-team meet over LaSalle & Catholic Central.

Field hockey:

Class A quarter-finals:

Shenendehowa 3, Shaker 2 (OT).

Guilderland 5, Columbia 0.

Bethlehem 5, Niskayuna 0.

Women's soccer:

Class A 1st round:

Scotia-Glenville 1, Lansingburgh 0.

Troy 1, South Glens Falls 0 (OT).

Men's soccer (most scores courtesy Capital Region Soccer):

Class C 1st round:

Chatham 10, Canajoharie 1.

Greenwich 4, Cambridge-Salem 1.

Hadley-Luzerne 2, Schoharie 0.

Lake George 1, Corinth 0.

Stillwater 7, Fort Plain 0.

Swimming:

Monday:

Guilderland-Voorheesville 97, Shaker 81.

Tuesday:

Burnt Hills-Scotia 115, Ballston Spa 71.

Gloversville-Mayfield 93, Hudson Falls-South Glens Falls 70.

Queensbury 88, Glens Falls 65.

Ravena 81, LaSalle 69.

Women's volleyball:

Monday:

Colonial Council:

Schalmont 3, Mohonasen 2.

Voorheesville 3, Lansingburgh 1.

Foothills Council:

Amsterdam 3, Schuylerville 2.

Patroon Conference:

Greenville 3, Taconic Hills 2.

Western Athletic Conference:

Duanesburg 3, Fort Plain-Canajoharie 1.

Suburban Council:

Bethlehem 3, Guilderland 1.

Tuesday:

Suburban Council:

Ballston Spa 3, Bethlehem 1.

Averill Park 3, Troy 0.

Burnt Hills 3, Schenectady 0.

Shenendehowa 3, Columbia 0.

LaSalle 2022-23 hockey schedule

 After it'd been rumored that Hudson Valley Community College President Roger Ramsammy was considering re-opening Robert Conway Arena, he decided that wasn't going to happen after all, so LaSalle hockey coach Tim Flanigan has to take his Cadets across town to his old haunt at Frear Park for the 2nd time in 3 seasons. All practices and home games this year are at Frear, which is just off the bus line.

The 2022-23 season officially starts with the annual Plattsburgh-Beekmantown two-fer on December 2-3. League play will start the following weekend, with all but one home game on weekends.

December 2: @ Plattsburgh.

December 3: vs. Beekmantown @ Plattsburgh State.

December 10: @ Capital District Jets.

December 17: Home opener vs. CBA.

December 21: Bethlehem.

December 23: @ Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake-Ballston Spa.

December 27-28: Mohawks Tournament at Union College. LaSalle will play Tupper Lake on the 27th, and Mohawk Valley on the 28th.

January 7: @ Albany Academy.

January 13: Shenendehowa.

January 14: CD Jets.

January 20: @ Adirondack.

January 21: Queensbury.

January 27: Saratoga.

January 28: @ Guilderville Storm.

February 4: @ CBA.

February 10: Senior Night vs. Albany Academy.

February 11: @ Bethlehem.

Play-in games for the sectionals will be on February 19-20, with the quarter-finals on February 22-23. The semi-finals & finals are at Union College February 26 & 28, respectively.

Section II 2022 women's soccer sectional pairings

 Sectional play begins today for the women, as well as some of the men. Following are the 2022 Section II women's soccer sectional pairings:

Class AA:

Wednesday:

#9 Schenectady @ #8 Ballston Spa. Winner to play #1 Shaker Saturday.

Also Saturday:

#7 Guilderland @ #2 Shenendehowa.

#6 Bethlehem @ #3 Colonie.

#5 Saratoga @ #4 Niskayuna.

Semi-finals will be next Tuesday at Mechanicville. Finals will be October 29 at Stillwater.

Class AA:

Today:

#9 Troy @ #8 South Glens Falls. Troy is coming off a 6-0 Senior Day win over Albany. The winner of today's game will play Columbia on Friday.

#10 Lansingburgh @ 7 Scotia-Glenville. Winner will play #2 Queensbury on Friday.

Also Friday:

#6 Amsterdam @ #3 Burnt Hills.

#5 Averill Park @ #4 Mohonasen.

Semi-finals will be on Monday at Mechanicville. The finals are at Stillwater October 28.

Class B:

Thursday:

#16 Cairo-Durham @ #1 Schalmont.

#15 Cobleskill-Richmondville @ #2 Schuylerville.

#14 Coxsackie-Athens @ #3 Broadalbin-Perth.

#13 Catskill @ #4 Mechanicville. 

#12 Glens Falls @ #5 Greenville.

#11 Fonda-Fultonville @ #6 Academy of Holy Names.

#10 Tamarac @ #7 Cohoes.

#9 Ravena @ #8 Albany Academy.

Quarter-finals will be on Saturday. Semi-finals are set for next Tuesday at Stillwater. Finals will also be at Stillwater on October 28.

Class CC:

Wednesday:

#9 Corinth @ #8 Maple Hill. Winner plays #1Voorheesville on Friday.

#10 Rensselaer @ #7 Hoosick Falls. Winner plays #2 Lake George.

#11 Berlin-New Lebanon @ #6 Mayfield. Winner will play #3 Greenwich.

#12 Canajoharie @ #5 Chatham.

#13 LaSalle @ #4 Stillwater. The winners of these two games will meet on Friday.

Semi-finals are at Mechanicville on October 26. Mechanicville also hosts the finals on October 29.

Class C:

Wednesday:

#9 Catholic Central @ #8 Cambridge. Winner to play #1 Waterford on Friday.

#10 Galway @ #7 Duanesburg. Winner to play #2 Bolton-Warrensburg.

#11 Whitehall @ #6 OESJ. Winner to play #3 Schoharie.

#12 Hoosic Valley #5 Hadley-Luzerne. Winner to play #4 Berne-Knox-Westerlo.

Semi-finals will be at Watervliet on October 26, with the finals at Mechanicville on October 29. The CC & C champions will then meet November 2 at Mechanicville.

Class D:

Thursday:

#6 Saratoga Catholic @ #3 Salem. Winner to play #2 Northville Monday at Stillwater.

#5 Doane Stuart @ #4 Germantown. Winner to play #1 Fort Ann Monday at Stillwater.

Finals will be at Stillwater October 27.

Good luck to all the teams.

2022 Section II men's soccer sectional pairings

As promised, we have the pairings for the 2022 Section II men's soccer sectionals. Many thanks to Ernie Clement and the staff at Capital Region Soccer.

Class AA:

Thursday:

#9 Ballston Spa @ #8 Niskayuna. Winner plays #1 Saratoga next Monday.

#10 Colonie @ #7 Albany. Winner plays #2 Shaker.

#11 Schenectady @ #6 CBA. Winner plays #3 Shenendehowa.

Next Monday:

#5 Bethlehem @ #4 Guilderland.

Semi-finals will be October 27 at Mechanicville. The finals will be November 1 at Colonie.

Class A:

Wednesday:

#9 Amsterdam @ #8 Burnt Hills. Winner plays #1 Columbia Saturday.

#10 Gloversville @ #7 Albany Academy. Winner plays #2 Queensbury Friday.

#11 Mohonasen @ #6 South Glens Falls. Winner plays #3 Averill Park Friday.

#12 Troy @ #5 Scotia-Glenville. Winner plays #4 LaSalle Friday or Saturday.

The semi-finals will be October 26 at Mechanicville. The finals will be November 1 at Colonie.

Class B:

Tuesday:

#12 Cohoes @ #5 Schuylerville.

Wednesday:

#9 Coxsackie-Athens @ #8 Broadalbin-Perth. 

#10 Cairo-Durham @ #7 Cobleskill-Richmondville.

#11 Ravena @ #6 Greenville.

#15 Johnstown @ #2 Ichabod Crane.

Thursday:

#14 Tamarac @ #3 Catskill.

#13 Hudson @ #4 Glens Falls.

#16 Fonda-Fultonville @ #1 Mechanicville.

The quarterfinals will be on Saturday. The semi-finals are at LaSalle on October 25, with the finals October 29 at Colonie.

Class C:

Tuesday:

#17 Schoharie @ #16 Hadley-Luzerne. Winner will play #1 Voorheesville on Thursday.

#18 Corinth @ #15 Lake George. Winner plays #2 Maple Hill.

#19 Cambridge-Salem @ #14 Greenwich. Winner plays #3 Waterford.

#20 Fort Plain @ #13 Stillwater. Winner plays #4 Bolton-Warrensburg.

#21 Canajoharie @ #12 Chatham. Winner plays #5 Berne-Knox-Westerlo-Duanesburg.

Also Thursday:

#11 Galway @ #6 Middleburgh.

#10 Berlin-New Lebanon @ #7 OESJ.

#9 Mayfield @ #8 Hoosic Valley.

The quarterfinals will be on Saturday. Semi-finals are October 25 at Gloversville, with the finals at Colonie on October 29.

Class D:

Wednesday:

#9 North Warren @ #8 Germantown. Winner plays #1 Northville Saturday.

#10 Saratoga Catholic @ #7 Argyle. Winner plays #2 Loudonville Christian Friday at Shaker.

Friday:

#6 Mekeel Christian @ #3 Fort Ann.

Saturday: 

#5 Hartford @ #4 Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons.

Semi-finals will be on October 26 at LaSalle. Finals at Colonie October 29.

Best of luck to all the teams.

News & notes

 The Section II soccer sectional pairings for men & women will be announced later today, a day sooner than had been previously reported. Later today, we'll have the men's pairings, while the women's seedings should be in this space tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Queensbury closed out its season with a men's & women's double-dip at home against Amsterdam, but not in the traditional sense.

According to the school's Twitter account, both the men's & women's games were played on separate fields at the same time. One game was supposed to be at noon, with the nightcap at 3 pm, but Amsterdam had transportation issues, creating the concurrent game scenario.

The Spartans clinched the Foothills Council title in both men's & women's play, with the men taking the title on point differential over Scotia-Glenville. The men won, 4-1, while the women closed with a 4-2 verdict over the Lady Rams.

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Troy High's win over Mohonasen on Friday was a belated birthday present for senior QB Michael Dinardo, whose birthday was on October 13. Dinardo accounted for nearly 300 yards by himself between running and passing, with 2 touchdown passes, and 3 rushing touchdowns in the 34-26 win. That earned Dinardo a spot on the Albany Times-Union's Section II honor roll in today's editions.

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Former WTMM host Brian Cady is back on the air.

Cady, who has also been a ring announcer and manager for local independent wrestling promotions, was signed by WROW as the new host of their Sunday public affairs series, Albany Street, with the first episode airing yesterday. The station had tried to stay in house with WYJB afternoon host Jon Reilly, who was given the gig in July, but flopped after just 1 episode, which was replayed to death until October 9. Former host Joe Condon retired over the summer, rather quietly.

Cady was cut by WTMM after falling victim to a scammer pretending to be then-Yankee Shane Spencer in the mid-'00's, which was accidentally vetted.

The first episode, however, was not without some bloopers by WROW, whose weekend staff has apparently not gotten past the intern level. Listeners expecting a half hour-plus of music leading to Legends of Jazz were instead treated to replays of the first half of Cady's initial broadcast due to some transmission foul-ups. Maybe that should convince Pamal/Albany Broadcasting to hire some full-time weekend staff again.

News & notes

 Field hockey tends to fly under the radar in Section II, under-reported in relation to other fall sports.

Still, the sectional tournament gets underway Tuesday, with the championships to be decided next Sunday at Schuylerville.

There is no Class AA in field hockey, so let's go on to the pairings:

Class A:

Saratoga gets a bye directly into the semi-finals.

#7 Columbia @ #2 Guilderland.

#6 Niskayuna @ #3 Bethlehem.

#5 Shenendehowa @ #4 Shaker. Winner will play Saratoga.

The semi-finals are on October 25.

Class B:

Burnt Hills opens defense of its state title October 26, hosting #4 Scotia-Glenville. The other semi-final will see Foothills Council rivals South Glens Falls & Queensbury meet.

Class C:

Hoosick Falls, like Saratoga, gets a 1st round bye.

#5 Salem-Cambridge @ #4 Schuylerville. The winner plays Hoosick Falls.

#6 Greenwich @ #3 Granville.

#7 Corinth @ #2 Johnstown.

There's a good chance Schuylerville not only will host the final, but play in it.

==========================================

Saturday's scoreboard:

Women's soccer:

Adirondack League:

Corinth 1, Whitehall 0.

Bolton-Warrensburg 1, Fort Ann 0.

Lake George 3, Hadley-Luzerne 0.

Foothills Council:

Queensbury 1, Glens Falls 0.

Patroon Conference:

Maple Hill 4, Catskill 0.

Suburban Council:

Columbia 10, Schenectady 0.

Niskayuna 3, Averill Park 1.

Non-league:

Mechanicville 1, Schuylerville 0.

Tamarac & Fonda-Fultonville played to a 1-1 tie.

Men's soccer:

Foothills Council:

Broadalbin-Perth 3, Amsterdam 1.

South Glens Falls 3, Johnstown 0.

Patroon Conference:

Chatham 1, Taconic Hills 0.

Greenville 4, Coxsackie-Athens 1.

Maple Hill 2, Catskill 1.

Hudson 4, Germantown 2.

Suburban Council:

Niskayuna 4, Averill Park 1.

Shaker 4, CBA 1.

Bethlehem 8, Troy 0. The Flying Horses finish the regular season on a 7 game losing streak, and have been shut out in six of the seven games, including the last five in a row.

Columbia 3, Schenectady 0.

Saratoga 6, Ballston Spa 0.

Shenendehowa 5, Burnt Hills 0.

Wasaren League:

Tamarac 4, Stillwater 2.

Western Athletic Conference:

Mayfield 1, Galway 0.

Fort Plain 3, Canajoharie 2.

Non-league:

Guilderland 5, Mohonasen 0.

Voorheesville 4, Waterford 1.

Mechanicville 3, Cohoes 0.

Loudonville Christian 9, Doane Stuart 1.

Football:

Late Friday:

Class A:

Ballston Spa 50, South Glens Falls 6.

Class B:

Hudson Falls 66, Green Tech 48.

Non-league:

Cambridge-Salem 61, Corinth/Fort Edward/Hadley-Luzerne 0.

Stillwater 55, Mechanicville 14.

Granville-Whitehall 66, Watervliet 0.

Saturday:

Class AA:

Colonie 34, Schenectady 14.

Class A:

Niskayuna 35, Albany 16.

Class B:

Ravena 48, Cohoes 0.

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Saturday's local college results were as different as night & day.

UAlbany had a chance to finally pick up a league win, but a 2 point conversion failed in overtime, enabling Hampton to escape with a 38-37 win. Meanwhile, across the river in Troy, RPI rallied in the 4th quarter with 2 touchdowns to beat Hobart, 16-13, avenging a loss last year on the road.

On the ice, RPI's men's team remains undefeated with a 7-4 win over Army. The women, however, dropped a 4-1 decision to Mercyhurst, whose men's team was swept by RPI last week. The Lady Engineers are off to a 0-6 start.

High School Fridays: Guilderland @ CBA, 10/14/22

 Last year, on Friday Night Matchup, Guilderland ended CBA's chances of a perfect regular season. Tonight, the Dutchmen came to Colonie, as the Brothers plotted some payback.

Spectrum News 1 decided to let Marisa Jacques out of the studio to fill in for James Allen as game analyst. Allen has made no secret of the fact that he's a Cleveland Guardians fan, so we must assume he was at Yankee Stadium earlier in the day. Unfortunately for Spectrum viewers, this ended up being a bad omen. We'll explain later.

Guilderland won the toss, and deferred to the 2nd half. Never a good idea when you're playing a Bob Burns team. Still, after an exchange of punts, the Dutchmen got on the board first as freshman QB Travis Burswinger punched it in from a yard out to give the guests an early lead.

Two minutes later, that lead was gone.

Donald Jones' toss to Jahmir Pitcher saw Pitcher find a lane down the home sideline, 59 yards to the house to tie the game, and we were knotted at 7 going into the second quarter.

On the first play of the quarter, Jones & Pitcher hooked up again, this time for 69 yards, and CBA went in front to stay. 

In the second half, it became more of a defensive battle, and the only score of the half came from----wait for it---Pitcher, who this time ran it in from 8 yards out, almost halfway through the third quarter.

Viewers were unable to see the final three minutes of the game when the video froze, and the audio simply shut off. Spectrum had camera issues throughout the game. Still, CBA remains perfect at 7-0 (6-0 Class AA) with the 21-7 win. The Brothers will have Senior Night next week vs. Shaker, and close at Bethlehem. Guilderland will play Saratoga next.

Other scores:

Class AA:

Shenendehowa 35, Saratoga 7.

Shaker 55, Bethlehem 0.

Class A:

Averill Park 33, Amsterdam 12. The Rams have suddenly lost two in a row.

Troy 34, Mohonasen 26. The Flying Horses get back to .500 at 3-3, snapping a 3 game losing streak, and they'll host Amsterdam next week at Homecoming.

Burnt Hills 50, Queensbury 14.

LaSalle 17, Columbia 14. The Cadets have now won 5 straight. keeping pace with Averill Park, whom they play next week.

Class B:

Lansingburgh 20, Scotia 6.

Glens Falls 33, Schalmont 0.

Class C:

Broadalbin-Perth 25, Johnstown 22.

Fonda-Fultonville 47, Cobleskill-Richmondville 6.

Hoosick Falls-Tamarac 35, Rensselaer-Loudonville Christian 0.

Coxsackie-Athens 40, Taconic Hills 20.

Class D:

Canajoharie-Fort Plain 16, Voorheesville 0.

Non-league:

Warrensburg/Lake George/North Warren 18, Schuylerville 7. Major upset, as the Black Horses were a top ranked team in the state in their class.

Chatham 41, Cairo-Durham-Catskill 6.

================================================

Troy High's volleyball team completed a season sweep of Albany at Zotto Gym on Senior Day, defeating the Falcons in straight sets. The Lady Horses travel to Averill Park on Tuesday.

Wednesday's high school scoreboard, 10/12

 Field hockey:

Suburban Council:

Saratoga 4, Shaker 3.

Men's soccer (most scores courtesy Capital Region Soccer):

Adirondack League:

Hadley-Luzerne 7, Granville 0.

Foothills Council:

Queensbury 4, Broadalbin-Perth 1.

Glens Falls 5, Johnstown 2.

Schuylerville 4, Amsterdam 2.

Scotia-Glenville 5, South Glens Falls 1.

Gloversville 4, Hudson Falls 1.

Suburban Council:

Niskayuna 3, Troy 0.

Wasaren League:

Mechanicville 5, Greenwich 0.

Hoosic Valley 2, Stillwater 1.

Tamarac 2, Cambridge-Salem 1.

Waterford 4, Saratoga Catholic 1.

Western Athletic Conference:

OESJ 2, Canajoharie 1.

Berne-Knox-Westerlo-Duanesburg 2, Schoharie 0.

Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons 2, Middleburgh 1.

Women's soccer:

Adirondack League:

Fort Ann 2, Lake George 1.

Bolton-Warrensburg 3, Hadley-Luzerne 1.

Western Athletic Conference:

OESJ 4, Canajoharie 0.

Non-league:

Cohoes 2, Waterford 1.

Tennis:

Class AA semi-finals:

Saratoga 7, Guilderland 2.

Bethlehem 8, Shenendehowa 1.

Class A semi-finals:

Burnt Hills 6, Queensbury 1.

Women's volleyball:

Colonial Council:

Lansingburgh 3, Albany Academy 1.

Wasaren League:

Saratoga Catholic 3, Berlin-New Lebanon 0.

Non-league:

Taconic Hills 3, Germantown 0.

Swimming:

Ballston Spa 89, Albany 66.

Niskayuna 104 1/2, Bethlehem 81 1/2.

Saratoga 93, Guilderland-Voorheesville 88.

Shenendehowa 90, Shaker 72.

Tuesday's high school scoreboard, 10/11

 Men's cross country:

Colonial Council:

Ichabod Crane def. Cohoes.

Schalmont won a dual meet over Mohonasen & Ravena.

LaSalle won a dual meet over Lansingburgh & Cobleskill-Richmondville.

Foothills Council:

Schuylerville def. South Glens Falls.
Queensbury def. Hudson Falls.

Patroon Conference:

Maple Hill won a dual meet over Taconic Hills & Hawthorne Valley.

Suburban Council:

Niskayuna won a 4-team meet over Troy, Albany, & Averill Park.

Shenendehowa won a 4-team meet over Guilderland, Saratoga, & Ballston Spa.

Bethlehem won a 4-team meet over Colonie, Schenectady, & Shaker.

Burnt Hills won a dual meet over CBA & Columbia.

Women's cross country:

Colonial Council:

Ichabod Crane def. Cohoes.

Mohonasen won a dual meet over Schalmont & Ravena.

Cobleskill-Richmondville won a 4-team meet over LaSalle, Academy of Holy Names, & Lansingburgh.

Foothills Council:

Schuylerville def. South Glens Falls.

Queensbury def. Hudson Falls.

Suburban Council:

Niskayuna won a 4-team meet over Troy, Albany, & Averill Park.

Guilderland won a 4-team meet over Ballston Spa, Shen, & Saratoga.

Bethlehem won a 4-team meet over Colonie, Schenectady, & Shaker.

Field Hockey:

Suburban Council:

Burnt Hills 4, Niskayuna 0.

Men's soccer (most scores courtesy of Capital Region Soccer):

Adirondack League:

Fort Ann 1, Hartford 0.

Corinth & Lake George played to a scoreless tie.

North Warren 4, Granville 0.

Bolton-Warrensburg 4, Hadley-Luzerne 0.

Colonial Council:

Voorheesville 3, Mohonasen 0.

Ichabod Crane 4, Ravena 1.

Albany Academy 12, Lansingburgh 0.

Cobleskill-Richmondville 2, Cohoes 1.

Patroon Conference:

Coxsackie-Athens 1, Maple Hill 0.

Hudson 7, Watervliet-Heatly 2.

Suburban Council:

Albany 6, Ballston Spa 2.

Guilderland 7, Burnt Hills 0.

Columbia & Bethlehem played to a 2-2 tie.

Shaker 3, Colonie 0.

Saratoga 5, Shen 1.

Averill Park 2, Schenectady 0.

Troy @ Niskayuna was postponed, and will be played tonight at 8 pm. No reason given for the change.

Western Athletic Conference:

Mayfield & Northville played to a scoreless tie.

Non-league:

Berlin-New Lebanon 7, Doane Stuart 2.

Catskill 2, Schalmont 1.

Women's soccer:

Colonial Council:

Cohoes 2, Cobleskill-Richmondville 1.

Albany Academy 6, Lansingburgh 0.

Suburban Council:

Columbia 1, Bethlehem 0.

Swimming:

Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake-Scotia 94, Troy-Averill Park-Tamarac 75.

Queensbury 91, Schenectady-Colonie 79.

Ravena 90, Academy of Holy Names 56.

Tennis:

Class AA quarter-finals:

Guilderland 7, Niskayuna 2.

Saratgoa 9, Shaker 0.

Bethlehem 8, Emma Willard 1.

Class A: 

Burnt Hills 7, Columbia 0.

Queensbury 5, Scotia 2.

Women's volleyball:

Foothills Council:

Queensbury 3, South Glens Falls 0.

Suburban Council:

Bethlehem 3, Columbia 1.

Ballston Spa 3, Albany 0.

Burnt Hills 3, Guilderland 0.

Shenendehowa 3, Saratoga 0.

Averill Park 3, Schenectady 1.

Western Athletic Conference:

Galway 3, Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons 0.

Non-league:

Amsterdam @ Troy was cancelled, so Troy AD Paul Reinisch scheduled a scrimmage with Waterford of the Wasaren League virtually last minute, since the Lady Horses are otherwise idle until Friday. 

Keep in mind that Waterford was one of the teams Troy beat in the Lasningburgh Early Burgh tournament last month, and a regular season match, I suspect, may be on the table for 2023.