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New Hartford and Sauquoit Valley girls, Poland boys win soccer regionals

Jon Rathbun, Herkimer Times Telegram
·4 min read

High school soccer teams from New Hartford, Poland and Sauquoit Valley punched their tickets for state Final Four play next weekend with regional playoff victories Saturday.

The New Hartford and Sauquoit Valley girls will compete in and around Cortland during Veterans Day weekend while the Poland boys head to Goshen. Poland's semifinal is Friday with the winner playing a championship match Saturday. Both Sauquoit Valley and New Hartford will play Saturday semifinals with potential Sunday finals.

Class AAA Baldwinsville and Class A Westhill were other Section III winners in regional boys play Saturday while the Marcellus and Cincinnatus girls won in classes B and D.

New Hartford's Maddie Truax and Schalmont's Caelyn Eiser (from left) seek control of the ball during the second half of Saturday's Class A regional playoff match at Herkimer College.
New Hartford's Maddie Truax and Schalmont's Caelyn Eiser (from left) seek control of the ball during the second half of Saturday's Class A regional playoff match at Herkimer College.

Class A Girls: New Hartford 3, Schalmont 2

The unbeaten New Hartford Spartans played from behind at Herkimer College Saturday morning and defeated Section II Schalmont 3-2.

The Spartans (18-0-1) tied the score at 2 before halftime and took its only lead on a goal by freshman Elizabeth Rayhill - her second - in the 72nd minute of play.

Sophia Vitullo scored the other New Hartford goal and added an assist, and Amanda Graziano contributed one assist.

New Hartford Spartan Kate Noonan advances the ball against Schalmont during Saturday's Class A regional.
New Hartford Spartan Kate Noonan advances the ball against Schalmont during Saturday's Class A regional.

Schalmont had taken its 2-1 lead on a penalty kick by Gianna Cirilla who set the school's season goal-scoring record earlier this fall.

New Hartford, the Class A state champion in 2021 and a finalist last fall, next plays at Cortland High School Saturday at 5 p.m. against Section XI Shoreham-Wading River following the first semifinal between Section IX Rye and Section VI Lewiston-Porter. The championship match starts at 2:30 p.m. the following day at SUNY-Cortland.

New Hartford Spartan Elizabeth Rayhill sends the ball up the field against Schalmont Saturday at Herkimer College's Wehrum Stadium.
New Hartford Spartan Elizabeth Rayhill sends the ball up the field against Schalmont Saturday at Herkimer College's Wehrum Stadium.

Class C Girls: Sauquoit Valley 4, Watkins Glen 3, overtime

A senior's hat trick included the golden goal in an overtime win that has Sauquoit Valley returning to the state's Class C Final Four.

Olivia Kalil scored three goals Saturday and Sauquoit Valley's undefeated Red Hawks (18-0-3) are following the 2022 state runners-up to championship weekend with a 4-3 victory over Section IV Watkins Glenn at Herkimer College.

Kalil scored the winning goal, her 35th of the season, with an assist from Ella Dischiavo midway through the first overtime period after Whitney Point had rallied from down 3-1 in the middle of the second half to extend the match.

Addison Lazarek scored for the Red Hawks and assisted on the first two Kalil goals, and Afton Sherman added an assist. Ava Williams made six saves for Sauquoit Valley which had allowed four goals in its previous nine matches and had allowed as any as three just once in a 5-3 win over Poland Oct. 3.

The Red Hawks play Section V Holley in the noon semifinal at Homer High School Saturday following the match between Section II Waterford-Halfmoon and Section IX The Mount Academy, the 2022 champions in classes C and D, respectively. The championship match is Sunday at 10 a.m.

Waterford-Halfmoon defeated Sauquoit Valley 6-3 in the C final, and The Mount Academy was a repeat champion after beating Poland 3-2 in its 2021 final.

Class D Boys: Poland 3, South Kortright/Andes 1

Carter Cookinham scored all three Poland goals Saturday in the Tornadoes' 3-1 win over Section IV South Kortright/Andes in Class D regional play at the Wright National Soccer Campus in Oneonta.

South Kortright had beaten Poland 2-0 in a regional the last time the Tornadoes won a Section III title in 2017.

Cookinham scored twice early and gave Poland (18-3-0) a quick 2-0 lead on the way to a sixth consecutive victory and 10th in 11 matches. The junior completed his seventh hat trick of the season with his 42nd goal in the second half.

Jason Victor and Aidan Alsheimer each assisted on one Cookinham goal for Poland which led 2-0 at halftime. Goalkeeper Noah Lamphere recorded nine saves for the Tornadoes.

Connor Quarino scored for South Kortright () off a Darren Dengler corner kick.

Poland travels to Goshen High School for Final Four play Fridy and Saturday. The Tornadoes' semifinal opponent Friday will be Section VI Ellicottville at 1:15 p.m. Section VII Chazy and Section II Loudonville Christian play the first semifinal at 11 a.m., and the championship match starts at 1:15 p.m. the following day.

This article originally appeared on Times Telegram: New Hartford, Sauquoit Valley, Poland win soccer regional playoffs