Magnus, Rye, Tuckahoe, North Rockland, Blind Brook Capture Section 1 Girls Soccer Titles

Section 1 Girls Soccer Championships Set to Begin

Nyack High School is set to host the Section 1 girls soccer championships this weekend, with five teams vying for the title across different classes. The event kicks off on Saturday with the Class AAA and Class B matches, featuring teams that are evenly matched. Fans can stay updated on the games through this page, and after the matches, there will be stories, videos, and photos available for review.

Sunday's Championship Matches

On Sunday, November 2, several key matches took place:

• Section 1 Class A Final: Rye defeated Pleasantville 2-0.
• Section 1 Class C Final: Tuckahoe secured a 4-1 victory over North Salem.
• Section 1 Class AA Final: Albertus Magnus claimed a 2-0 win against Harrison, advancing to the state tournament.

Albertus Magnus Claims Second Straight Section 1 Class AA Title

Albertus Magnus made a strong start in the Section 1 Class AA final, with Alexis Diaz scoring just five minutes into the game. The Falcons' defense played exceptionally well throughout the match, leading to a shutout in the second half. Sophia Rohrbacher added another goal with 11:30 left in the period, sealing the 2-0 victory.

"We have amazing team camaraderie on and off the field," said co-captain Teigan Cunnane. "We have each other's backs and we have full trust in each other."

This marks the second consecutive Section 1 Class AA title for Albertus Magnus. A year ago, the team had to rely on a last-minute goal from Diaz in double overtime to win. Coach Danny Samimi praised the team's depth and consistency, noting that even players coming off the bench maintained a high level of play.

Key Takeaways from the Match

Harrison put up a strong defensive effort against Albertus Magnus, making it difficult for the Falcons to create scoring opportunities. The game was physical at times, but no cards were issued to either team.

"Harrison has a couple of really good offensive players," Samimi said, specifically mentioning Ingrid Murphy, who is bound for Bucknell. "The defense played awesome today."

Player of the Game: Alexis Diaz

Alexis Diaz once again proved her value under pressure, scoring the opening goal and setting the tone for the Falcons. Her performance was crucial in securing the lead early in the match.

Upcoming Match

Albertus Magnus will now face Section 9's Washingtonville in a regional semifinal at 5 p.m. on Wednesday at Wallkill High School.

Live Updates from the Section 1 Class AA Final

• Final Score: Albertus Magnus 2, Harrison 0
• 28:54 Left: Albertus Magnus 2, Harrison 0. The game remained physical, with Harrison defending strongly.
• Halftime: Albertus Magnus 2, Harrison 0
• 11:30 Left, First Half: Albertus Magnus 2, Harrison 0. Sophia Rohrbacher scored on an assist from Danica Tsapatsaris.
• 24:22 Left, First Half: Albertus Magnus 1, Harrison 0. Magnus looked smooth and organized early in the match.
• 34:14 Left, First Half: Albertus Magnus 1, Harrison 0. Alexis Diaz scored on an assist from Bella DiMuccio, giving the Falcons an early lead.

Class C updates: Tuckahoe repeats as section champion, tops North Salem

In 2024, this was new to Tuckahoe. Now, the Tigers have gone back to back.

Brooke Matarazzo tallied a hat trick and Ava Rogliano added a goal as Tuckahoe defeated North Salem 4-1 on Nov. 2 for the Section 1 Class C title.

Sienna Paldin scored for North Salem. This year, there is a rotation where one section in the New York State Public High School Athletic Association gets two berths, so both teams advance to the state tournament with Tuckahoe getting to pick which berth it gets in the tournament.

"This year, girls got better at skill, we worked so hard since Day One," said Matarazzo, who was proud Tuckahoe was able to defend its title.

Tuckahoe coach Stephanie Martino, herself a Tuckahoe graduate, noted that the Tigers had never won back-to-back sectional titles.

"I think the change (this year), has just been the drive, the passion, the feeling of we've been here before and we want it even more now."

Takeaways

Tuckahoe is young, deep and skilled. Matarazzo, Rogliano, Isabella Carinci and Mishel Syed all had great championship matches. Syed had two assists.

The interesting thing is these teams could actually see each other again with both qualifying for the state tournament.

Player of the game

Matarazzo changed the game multiple times with her ability to create offense with her speed and skill.

They said it

"We talked about coming out strong," Martino said. "We talked about giving everything we have in this game, no matter what. And I think we did just that."

Up next

North Salem advances to the state tournament, likely in a state regional semifinal on Thursday against Section 9. Tuckahoe likely advances to a state regional final.

Live updates

Updates upcoming from Section 1 Class C girls soccer final, kicking off shortly.

Final: Tuckahoe 4, North Salem 1.

15:03 left, second half: Tuckahoe 4, North Salem 1. Sienna Paldin breaks free and ends Tuckahoe's clean sheet.

20:53 left, second half: Tuckahoe 4, North Salem 0. Hat trick for Matarazzo, assisted by Syed again.

26:25 left, second half. Tuckahoe 3, North Salem 0. Ava Rogliano scores off an Isabella Carinci assist amid a scramble in front of the keeper.

27:36 left, second half. Tuckahoe 2, North Salem 0. Much of the same in this rematch from last year's sectional final. Some decent chances for North Salem. It's worth noting that the runner-up in this game also qualifies for the state tournament because of the new state at-large rules.

HALFTIME: Tuckahoe 2, North Salem 0

55.3 seconds left, first half. Tuckahoe 2, North Salem 0: Matarazzo strikes again, this time on an assist by Mishel Syed.

20:00 left, first half: Tuckahoe 1, North Salem 0. Matarazzo found herself alone again, but North Salem keeper Grace Schaeffer made the save this time.

26:54 left, first half: Tuckahoe 1, North Salem 0. Brooke Matarazzo finds herself all alone vs. the keeper and connects.

Class A updates: Rye tops Pleasantville 2-0 for sectional title

NYACK - Rye is headed back to the state tournament.

The Garnets secured their third straight Section 1 Class A title with a 2-0 shutout of Pleasantville on Nov. 2. Harkin Brown assisted on both tallies - the first on a nifty pass to Jillian DeSanto in the 28th minute and the second on a corner kick that co-captain Clare Nemsick converted with 5:36 left in the game.

Pleasantville had a push in the second half, but the battle-tested Garnets thwarted the Panthers' late chances.

"I think the most impressive part of our team is you have no idea who's going to show up and who's going to be the star," Nemsick said. "We have probably five girls who are on a different level and a whole team who can work together and show up. People coming off the bench and scoring, like Jillian DeSanto making that goal in the beginning of the game."

Rye coach Rich Savage, whose team fell one goal short of a state championship last season, was impressed with his team's full effort Sunday.

"You know what? It's just playing together as a unit and as a team, and relying on everybody and even if you're not on the field, you're on the bench and giving energy to the people on the field," Savage said.

Takeaways

Rye was the better club in the sectional final, but Pleasantville patiently waited for its opportunities. Rye, though, has so many weapons, including Charlotte Keenan and Hannah Jachman, who were constantly creating chances.

Player of the game

Brown, a freshman, assisted on both of Rye's goals and was a key contributor on a stacked offense of veteran players with state tournament experience.

They said it

Nemsick said all the tough competition both in Section 1 and in non-league games Rye faced this season helped get the Garnets to this spot.

"It's really pushing ourselves to become the team we are now is so good," Nemsick said. "We're going to keep growing, because even though this game was a huge win, we made mistakes. We're going to keep on learning and growing in the future. "

Savage, whose Garnets won the state title in 2023, says his team is ready for the opportunity.

"The words can't express," Savage said. "We don't take it for granted. Our goals are very simple. Can we win the league? If that happens, can we win the section? Can we win the region, which is two games away? Can we win the state? It's a one game mentality, knowing that every team you're playing is a championship team. But again, I give it all to the players. They work all winter and summer to get to this place. It just doesn't happen. It happens with hard work."

Up next

Rye competes in a regional semifinal at 7:30 p.m. at Wallkill High School Tuesday against Our Lady of Lourdes.

Game updates

Final: Rye 2, Pleasantville 0.

5:36 left, second half: Rye 2, Pleasantville 0: Claire Nemsick converts off a Harkin Brown CK to put Rye up 2-0.

22:00 left, second half. Rye 1, Pleasantville 0: Hannah Jachman just got stopped twice in front of the goal by Pleasantville keeper Willa King. Awesome saves. Pleasantville's played this game really solidly on defense. They just need to find some transition.

28:38 left, second half: Rye 1, Pleasantville 0: Rye's still had the better of play. Haven't really left themselves open to mistakes that Pleasantville has been able to generate much on. Pleasantville may need to be a bit bold as time winds down if Rye continues to tilt the field this way.

Halftime: Rye 1, Pleasantville 0.

3:13 left, first half: Rye 1, Pleasantville 0.: Pleasantville clanged one off the bar on a free kick and didn't get one in on a couple of corners. Great chances for the Panthers.

11:53 left, first half. Rye 1, Pleasantville 0: Jillian DeSanto breaks through for Rye on some nifty passing from Harkin Brown in front of the goal.

13:13 left, first half. Rye 0, Pleasantville 0: Great through ball from Parker Calhoun to Alessia McKinnon, but the ball soared over the goal. Credit to the Panthers for keeping a high-octane Rye team off the scoreboard so far.

25:50 left. Rye 0, Pleasantville 0: Rye's had the better of play and some corners, but nothing's gone in yet.

32:40 left. Rye 0, Pleasantville 0: Nice early chance by Samantha Yeh, stopped by Pleasantville keeper Willa King.

Class B: Blind Brook edges Briarcliff in double overtime

As the team huddled around Brian Sullivan, still on its euphoric wave, the coach did his best to put into words how incredible their achievement was. Delivering a long-awaited championship, he said, "means that you get to live forever in your community."

The moment and their legacy, that is. Years from now, those medals and banners will conjure memories of that time this group did something special.

And in this instance, particularly, it's good that highlight reels will be among the Blind Brook artifacts. Because the story's climax might sound embellished.

Lola Gonzalez took a pass from Hadley Cohen on the right flank and scored the winner in double overtime, lining a shot that deflected off an opponent's shoulder and ricocheted about 20 feet up while also traveling about 20 yards forward, carrying beyond the goalkeeper's reach and just beneath the crossbar.

What!? Yes. You've heard of the famous "Hand of God" goal. Well, this was the "Hand to God... it really happened" goal.

"It's a blur in my mind right now and I can't believe it," Gonzalez said of the goal, which was probably the talk of the town Nov. 1. "I just knew time was running down and I had an opening to shoot. I tried to make something happen."

What happened was a see-it-to-believe-it sequence with 2:18 remaining in which the Trojans pulled a 2-1 upset of top-seeded Briarcliff in the Section 1 Class B final. With that, second-seeded Blind Brook captured its first girls soccer title since 2000.

"I'm incredibly proud of these girls," Sullivan said while hugging the championship plaque. "They've worked toward this since the summer and fought to win this game. There's nothing fluky or gifted about a championship when you beat a team as good as (Briarcliff)."

Next up

The Trojans (15-2-2) advance to face Section 9's Mount Academy in a subregional Tuesday, 5 p.m. at Wallkill High School.

Takeaways

Bella Montesano shined at goalkeeper and, she said, this win helps allay the pain of their penalty-kick loss to Briarcliff in the semifinals last fall.

The rivals split two regular-season games, exchanging one-goal victories in September, so it was clear they were about evenly matched. Their play in this game, too, indicated that.

Mar Rivera Font put the Bears on the board in the 16th minute. Gabby Cavallo tied it with 33:39, scoring off a pass up the left flank from Gonzalez.

"Being down early against a great team is not a good feeling," Gonzalez said. "Gabby getting us back into it was huge. That picked our confidence up."

From there, both teams moved the ball effectively and created chances, but near misses and good defense inside the box kept it tied.

Briarcliff had, perhaps, its best chance to win on a shot toward the upper left corner that just nicked the post and deflected out with 4:21 left in the first overtime. The Trojans drew a corner kick with 10:20 left in the second overtime, which had a promising setup, but Briarcliff's Gabriella Auguste intercepted a shot attempt and cleared it.

Player of the Game

Gonzalez has starred all season, and she contributed to both goals in their biggest game to this point. Including the one that long will live in Blind Brook lore.

"She's a special player for a special team," Sullivan said. "She's been coming up clutch for us all year."

They said it

"It's so special because we know how much a championship means to our school," senior Kendall Konigsberg said. "We get to bring this back and share it with our community."

"These kids will come back to the school one day and show their kids what they accomplished," Sullivan said. "They’ll be pointing to the banner and telling their families, 'I was part of that.'”

Stephen Haynes covers sports for The Journal News/lohud.

BLIND BROOK WINS: Lola Gonzalez scored with 2:18 left in the second overtime, lining a shot from 20 yards that sailed over the goalie's reach, lifting the Trojans to a 2-1 win over Briarcliff to capture the Section 1 Class B title.

GOING TO SECOND OVERTIME: Still tied at 1. Briarcliff had the best chance to score with 4:21 left in the first overtime, but a shot toward the upper left corner hit the post and deflected out.

END OF REGULATION: It's going to overtime. Briarcliff got off a shot in the box with 16 seconds left, but it was intercepted by the defense and cleared as time expired. Just as North Rockland and Arlington in the earlier Class AAA game, the teams are tied at 1 after regulation.

STILL TIED: The action has picked up and both teams have had runs into the box in the last 15 minutes, but shots have been saved and some have gone high. Blind Brook's Bella Montesano just made a save on a line drive toward the center of the goal with 2:50 left in regulation. The teams are tied at 1 with just under three minutes left.

BLIND BROOK TIES IT: Gabby Cavallo scored on a fast break, tying it at 1 with 33:39 remaining.

HALFTIME: Briarcliff controlled possession for most of the first half and took the lead midway through the period, but Blind Brook did have two promising runs, connecting on long passes and creating chances in the latter part of the half.

BRIARCLIFF SCORES: Mar Rivera Font put the Bears on the board, scoring with 23:08 left in the first half.

This figures to be a close game between rivals, with Briarcliff looking to capture its second title in three seasons. The Bears defeated Blind Brook, 2-1, on Sept. 19, and the teams swapped that score on Sept. 25. Briarcliff edged Blind Brook in penalty kicks in the Class B semifinals last year.

But the Trojans can't be underestimated, and this is a high-powered team with a potent offense. Blind Brook has outscored opponents 71 to 9 to this point.

The winner advances to face the Section 9 champion in a subregional Tuesday, 5 p.m. at Wallkill High School.

Class AAA: North Rockland tops Arlington in overtime

Phil Madonia described it as "cinematic" and Claire Essick called the moment "unreal," the kind of scene that gets scripted in a cheesy movie.

But it happened, playing out before a live audience.

North Rockland rallied from a second-half deficit to force overtime, and Claire Essick scored her first goal on an assist from her sister, Sadie, lifting the top-seeded Raiders to a dramatic 2-1 win over Arlington in the Section 1 Class AAA girls soccer final.

"It feels incredible," Claire said on Nov. 1, smiling and shaking her head as she spoke. "It feels almost unbelievable. We've wanted to accomplish this for so long, and now we just did it."

North Rockland drew three consecutive corner kicks and, on the last, Sadie lofted a high pass toward the center of the goal and Claire leapt high for a header, deflecting it into the right corner.

A few teammates immediately collapsed on the sophomore, forming a celebratory dogpile in front of the crease. Others had their jaws dropped, almost in disbelief that the tables had turned in their favor.

With this victory, the Raiders not only earned their first title since 2019, but dethroned the four-time defending champion while also exorcising demons of postseasons past. This was a team, Sadie Essick said, that "was always really good" ― good enough to be among the better local teams, but not good enough to clear this hurdle.

And that hurdle has long been Arlington, winners of seven of the previous eight large-school section titles. They had also eliminated North Rockland from the playoffs three times in the last four years.

Sadie remembers well the despondent feeling, walking off the field after a one-goal loss to the Admirals in 2023, the brass ring again being just beyond their grasp.

"This feels like redemption," the senior said while rubbing the gold medal that had just been placed around her neck. "This is almost like a fairytale ending."

Next up

Of course, the credits don't begin rolling for them just yet. The Raiders (15-4) will face the Section 9's Monroe-Woodbury in a subregional Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. at Wallkill High School.

"We’ll give ourselves a day to enjoy this, then we have to lock in for our next opponent," Sadie said. "We don’t want it to stop here because we’ve got bigger goals."

Takeaways

Third-seeded Arlington had the advantage in possession for most of the first half, but the Admirals played into a whipping wind that sent several of their long passes and shot attempts askew. The Raiders controlled the ball and created chances in the second half and were aggressive with the wind at their back.

But, Chase Harris got Arlington on the board with 15:34 remaining. She received a through ball from Caelyn Deserre, beat a defender up the left flank and drove toward the goal. As the goalie stepped out to contest, Harris faded to her left while flicking a shot that rolled into the far corner.

Gia Orfini answered for North Rockland 51 seconds later, though. As a loose ball rolled softly inside the box, Orfini deftly sneaked behind two defenders and slid to tap a shot into the right corner for the tying goal.

"They were about to clear it, but I saw the goalie hadn't come out too far yet," the senior said, "so I thought there was a chance to make a play and I went for it."

Player of the Game

Before scoring the winner, Claire Essick anchored a strong defense that kept the game scoreless for more than 64 minutes.

"She's excellent for us on defense," Madonia said, "and for her to be in the right place at the absolute right time, to score on a ball from her sister, that's incredible."

They said it

"It was so frustrating coming up short those years," Orfini said, "but we finally made it and it feels amazing."

"Arlington is a great team with an amazing history, but these girls came to play," Madonia said. "They wanted it so badly."

Stephen Haynes covers sports for The Journal News/lohud.

NORTH ROCKLAND WINS: Claire Essick scored on a header, deflecting in a corner kick from her older sister Sadie Essick with 10:01 left in the first overtime. That goal lifted North Rockland to a 2-1 win over Arlington, ending their run of four straight championships and giving the Raiders their first since 2019.

END OF REGULATION: The game goes to overtime, tied at 1. North Rockland had a free kick with 31 seconds left in the second half, but the shot from near the 35 drifted to the right of the goal.

ARLINGTON TAKES THE LEAD: Chase Harris put Arlington on the board with 15:34 remaining in the second half, scoring off a through ball from Caelyn Deserre,

NORTH ROCKLAND TIES IT: Gia Orfini tied it with 14:43 left.

HALFTIME: The teams were scoreless through the first half, but Arlington had the advantage in possession and applied some pressure with four corner kicks and a free kick.

The Admirals' best chance to score came on a through ball with 17:26 left in the half, but goalkeeper Kerry Finnerty came out to the 10 and dove on it.

North Rockland drove inside the 15 on a fast break near the end of the half, but Arlington's Olivia Borra broke it up and kicked the ball out to the perimeter with 19 seconds left.

Finnerty has five saves in the first half for North Rockland. The Raiders drew one corner and a free kick.

Of note: The wind is whipping at Nyack High School and it's impacted the game a bit. Some long passes and throw-ins have been taken by the wind and drifted off target.

Arlington, which reached the state final last fall, is after a fifth consecutive Section 1 title. The Admirals' run dates back a decade and they've won seven of the last eight section championships (excluding the abridged 2020 season). North Rockland has been on the short end of the stick in several of those finals, most recently a one-goal loss in 2023.

Among a large senior core, the Admirals graduated several stars after last season and spent much of this fall developing a new nucleus. The Raiders have been the better and more consistent team this season, and they did beat Arlington for the first time since 2015 back in September. But, Arlington won their last meeting two weeks ago.

The winner advances to face the Section 9 champion in a subregional Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. at Wallkill High School.

Saturday, Nov. 1

Section 1 Class AAA final: No. 1 North Rockland 2, No. 3 Arlington 1 (OT)

Section 1 Class B final: No. 2 Blind Brook 2, No. 1 Briarcliff 1 (2OT)

NYSAIS semifinals

No. 3 Dalton 4, No. 2 Hackley 1

Gabriella Petriello scored in the second minute off a pass from Gemma Lasky and Annika Duggan made 13 saves, but the Hornets fell in the NYSAIS girls soccer semifinals. Dalton advanced to face top-seeded Poly Prep in the final on Monday, 3 p.m. at SUNY Purchase.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Magnus, Rye, Tuckahoe, North Rockland, Blind Brook win Section 1 girls soccer titles