Soccer Saturday: 25 things to know about Section 2's 11 regional contenders

Bethlehem junior Alexandra Young plays the ball in front of Ballston Spa sophomore Maddie Snuggs during the Section 2 Class AA finals. (Jim Franco/Times Union) The road to the state semifinals runs through Saturday.Eleven Section 2 boys' and girls' soccer teams will suit up for regional finals, chasing berths in the state final four. Saturday features six boys' and five girls' matches, nine of which will take place at sites across the Capital Region. Boys' soccer scheduleClass AA:Bethlehem vs. Section 3's Watertown, 2 p.m. at Waterford-HalfmoonClass B:Schuylerville vs. Section 7's Saranac, 2 p.m. at La SalleClass D:Northville vs. Section 4's Edmeston Central, 3 p.m. at Chenango ValleyClass AAA:Shaker vs. Section 3's C-NS, 4:30 p.m. at Waterford-HalfmoonClass A:Averill Park vs. Section 7's Peru, 4:30 p.m. at La SalleClass C:Greenville vs. Section 7's Northern Adirondack, 5:30 p.m. at Northeastern ClintonGirls' soccer scheduleClass A:Averill Park vs. Section 7's Beekmantown, noon at NiskayunaClass B:Schuylerville vs. Section 7's AuSable Valley, noon at StillwaterClass AAA:Shenendehowa vs. Section 3's Cicero-North Syracuse, 2:30 p.m. at NiskayunaClass AA:Bethlehem vs. Section 3's Fayetteville-Manlius, 2:30 p.m. at StillwaterClass C:Stillwater vs. Section 1's North Salem, 5 p.m. at Niskayuna Shenendehowa junior Emilia Rich dribbles in front of Guilderland senior Eryn Tynan during the Section 2 Class AAA finals last week in Niskayuna. (Jim Franco/Times Union) From top-ranked clashes to underdogs looking to make history, here are 25 things to know before Saturday's action gets underway.1.All three large-school champions in Section 2 girls' soccer came from the Suburban Council: Shenendehowa (Class AAA), Bethlehem (Class AA) and Averill Park (Class A).2.The Bethlehem boys' soccer team will play Section 3's Watertown in a Class AA state regional on Saturday at 2 p.m. at Waterford-Halfmoon, a matchup that pits the state's top-ranked Class AA teams against each other. Watertown is ranked No. 1, while Bethlehem is No. 2 in the state. Bethlehem began the season ranked ninth, then moved to No. 1 on Oct. 6 before settling at No. 2 for the rest of the season.3.The Shaker boys' soccer team lost its first three games of the season before going on an eight-game winning streak. The Blue Bison (13-5), ranked No. 6 in the state, bring a four-game winning streak into Saturday's state regional against the state's 12th-ranked team, Cicero-North Syracuse of Section 3.4. Averill Park girls' soccer is in the state playoffs despite going winless in Suburban Council play against exclusively Class AAA and AA teams. Including the postseason, Averill Park is 4-0 against Class A opponents.5. Stillwater girls' soccer is still alive in its quest to win back-to-back Class C state championships. The last Section 2 team to repeat at states was Waterford-Halfmoon, which won the Class C title in 2022 and shared it with Mount Academy in 2023.6.The Bethlehem boys' soccer team is the only Section 2 team still undefeated and competing. The Eagles (15-0-3) are one of 10 undefeated boys' teams across all classes in the NYSPHAA field. Their opponent on Saturday is Watertown, which is also undefeated at 19-0-0. Averill Park junior Teagan DeLair and Gianna Lovell celebrate a goal during the Section 2 Class A finals against Schalmont on Tuesday. (Jim Franco/Times Union) 7.Four Section 2 schools sent teams to the state playoffs for both boys' and girls' soccer: Bethlehem(Class AA), Averill Park (Class A), Schuylerville(Class B) and Northville(Class D). Seven of those teams play Saturday, while Northville girls' soccer was eliminated in a sub-regional game earlier this week.8.Sami Terra scored a hat trick to lift the Shaker boys' soccer team to a 3-1 win over Class AAA defending co-champion Guilderland in the sectional final. The senior has returned from an injury to score 17 goals this season for the Blue Bison.9. Bethlehem girls' soccer is back in the state tournament for the first time since 2019. That season, the Eagles reached the state quarterfinals with current U.S. women's national team player Claire Hutton playing a starring role as an eighth grader.10.The Averill Park boys' soccer team (8-9-2) has lost only once in its past seven games, a 2-1 setback to Class AAA champion Shaker. The Golden Knights finished 2-9-1 in Suburban Council play, but defeated Hudson Falls, Cohoes and Schalmont in the playoffs, outscoring them 15-3 to claim their first sectional title since 2021. Northville's Magnus Halloran celebrates his goal against Hartford in the Section 2 Class D championship game at Queensbury High School in Queensbury, NY on Saturday, October 31, 2026. (Stephen Weaver) 11.The Northville boys' soccer team defeated Hartford 5-0 to claim its third consecutive Class D title. The Falcons (18-1) have won eight straight games, outscoring opponents 59-0 over that span and allowing only five goals all season. Northville's lone loss this season came against the No. 1 Class D team in the state, Chazy, in early October.12.It's been an immediate success for Bethlehem girls' soccer coach Scott Geis. He has the Eagles in the state playoffs in his first year as varsity coach.13.Two first-year Section 2 boys' soccer coaches have led their teams to the state regionals. Greenville's boys' soccer team is led by head coach Jared McAneny, the uncle of Spartans' star Isaac McAneny. The Averill Park boys' soccer team is led by coach Dylan Martin.14.The Black Horses are on the rise. Schuylerville girls' soccer had never reached a Section 2 final before last year. Now, they've been to two championship games in a row, and this year they unseated defending champion Mechanicville to get into the state tournament.15. How about this high-powered rematch in Class AAA? Shenendehowa girls' soccer is the No. 1 team in the latest state rankings. The Mustangs face the No. 2 team, Section 3's Cicero-North Syracuse, in Saturday's regional final. The two teams met in early October, with Shen winning 3-0. Isaac McAneny after scoring the winning goal against Maple Hill in overtime of the Section 2 Class C championship game at Queensbury High School. (Stephen Weaver) 16.The Greenville boys' soccer team (16-3-1) won the Section 2 Class B title last season by defeating Mechanicville, then moved to Class C before this season began. At 6-0-1, the No. 2-ranked Spartans are unbeaten against Class C teams this season. Greenville beat defending champion Maple Hill 1-0 in overtime on a goal by Isaac McAneny and earned a sub-regional win over the state's sixth-ranked team, Burke Catholic, from Section 9. 17.Brittany Tetlack is powering a dangerous attack for Shenendehowa girls' soccer. The junior striker scored a hat trick in the Mustangs' sectional final win over Guilderland and has 24 goals this season.18. Northville boys' soccer goalkeeper Joey Capobianco earned his 16th shutout of the season in the Falcons' 5-0 Section 2 Class D final over Hartford, breaking the Northville school record for most shutouts in a season. Stillwater's Kamryn VanPelt navigates through Lake George defenders during the Section 2 Class C championship game last Saturday at Lansingburgh High School. (Kyle Adams/For the Times Union) 19. Stillwater girls' soccer is on a roll. Since losing to Mechanicville in late September, the defending Class C state champions have won 13 consecutive games and outscored its opposition 67-3.20.After losing to Broadalbin-Perth 1-0 in last year's sectional tournament, the Schuylerville boys' soccer team (13-3-2) beat the Patriots 1-0 in this year's Class B final, with Colden Harrison's golden goal in overtime. The win marked Schuylerville's first sectional title since 2019.21.Teagan DeLair has been at the center of the late-season surge for Averill Park girls' soccer. The junior midfielder had two-goal games in both the Section 2 semifinals against Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk and the championship game against Schalmont.22.Of the six Section 2 boys' soccer teams that advanced to the state regionals on Saturday, only Shaker and Northville have reached a state final. Shaker was the state runner-up in 2024, while Northville was the state champion in 1988, a state co-champion in 1995, and a state runner-up in 2009 and 2024. Shenendehowa celebrates a goal during the Section 2 Class AAA finals against Guilderland on Friday, Oct. 30, 2026, in Niskayuna. (Jim Franco/Times Union) 23. Shenendehowa girls' soccer is seeking its first state title in 22 years. The Mustangs most recently reached a state final in 2021, falling 3-0 to Massapequa in the Class AA final.24.A tough defense to crack. Schuylerville girls' soccer has allowed just 15 goals all season, and hasn't allowed an opponent to score since the playoffs started. The Black Horses' Class B playoff wins over Fonda-Fultonville, Cairo-Durham, Broadalbin-Perth and Mechanicville came by a combined score of 13-0.25.The Greenville boys' soccer team was one of two Section 2 teams to play in a sub-regional on Wednesday, with Class D at-large Hartford the other. Greenville secured a 4-3 overtime win over Burke Catholic to earn a spot in Saturday's Class C regional matchup against Section 7's Northern Adirondack. Hartford lost to Chazy, the state's No. 1-ranked Class D team.SubscribeThere’s more to Albany with the Times Union. Subscribe today for just 25¢.This article originally published at Soccer Saturday: 25 things to know about Section 2's 11 regional contenders.