WATERFORD — The New Hartford girls played their way into the semifinals of New York’s Class A state soccer tournament with a 4-0 victory over Section II Schalmont in the latter half of a boys-and-girls regional doubleheader Saturday between the schools at Waterford-Halfmoon High School.
The Schalmont boys had beaten New Hartford 2-1 earlier in the afternoon.
In the girls’ match, New Hartford’s Spartans (17-3-0), Section III’s Class A champ for the fourth year in a row and the 2021 state champion, took a 1-0 lead in the first half and added three goals after the break in its 11th consecutive victory.
Maddie Truax and Sophia Vitullo each scored two of the Spartans’ goals, with assists coming from Bria Nackley and Elizabeth Rayhill. Goalkeeper Evie Ruggiero made six saves in the 10th New Hartford shutout of the season.
The Spartans have outscored five combined opponents 34-3 in sectional and regional playoff competition.
Schalmont finishes the season with a 19-1-0 record. The Sabres had been the state’s final undefeated Class A team and were ranked second in the class by the New York State Sportswriters Association. New Hartford entered the week at No. 6 on that poll.
New Hartford advances to final four play in and around Cortland for the fourth year in a row. The Spartans will play noon Saturday against Section I Rye, a 6-0 regional playoff winner over Section IV Chenango Valley, at Cortland High School.
The other semifinal between Section V Pittsford-Mendon, and either Section VIII Wantagh or Section XI Shoreham-Wading River, will be played at 9:30 a.m., and the championship match is scheduled for 10 a.m. the following day at SUNY-Cortland.
WATERFORD — Section II Schalmont defeated the New Hartford boys 2-1 with a goal in the second 15-minute period of extra time play in Saturday’s Class A regional final at Waterford-Halfmoon High School.
The teams played a scoreless first half and each tallied once in the second, with Dylan Merrill scoring for New Hartford’s Spartans (14-3-2) and Andrew Sprenger for Schalmont’s Sabres (20-1-0).
The golden goal was scored by Sabre Santiago Vega with an assist from sophomore classmate Luke Viscusi.
Goalie Aiden Cleveland made four saves for Schalmont, which had also won 2-1 in overtime in its sectional title match.
Schalmont next plays Section V Brockport in a state semifinal match Saturday at 6 p.m. at Middletown High School.
ONEONTA — The Hamilton Emerald Knights scored twice before halftime and twice after Saturday in a 4-0 win over South Kortright/Andes in Class D regional play at the Wright National Soccer Complex at the former Soccer Hall of Fame.
Section III Hamilton (17-3-1) had four goal-scorers with Gavin Hames tallying one goal and one assist. Dylan George, Levi Neuenschwander and Colin Olsen each scored a goal, Luke Langel assisted on two, and Gavin Snyder had one assist.
Goalkeeper Cooper Roy was credited with four saves in the season’s eighth shutout for the Emerald Knights.
Brayden Sparks made nine saves for Section IV South Kortright (13-7-0).
The win sends Hamilton to Middletown High School Friday for a 3:15 p.m. state semifinal match against Section V Naples, a 4-0 winner over Section VI Ellicottville in its regional.
Naples and Hamilton are ranked first and second in the state on the New York State Sportswriters Association’s Class D poll. South Kortright/Andes is No. 6.
Friday’s second semifinal pts Section II Northville, champion of the Western Athletic Conference’s Blue Division, against Section VII Chazy, the team that shared the 2023 championship with Section III Poland. The championship match is scheduled for 1 p.m. the following day.
