The Section III boys soccer tournament semifinals are set. Here's what it looks like
Poland's boys are headed back in Section III's Class D soccer semifinals after the No. 1 seed dispatched Syracuse's Bishop Grimes Cobras with a 6-1 win Saturday afternoon.
Poland's Tornadoes (16-2-0) led 3-0 at halftime and 4-0 early in the second half s they earned a Wednesday trip to Mexico Academy where Class D will get back on schedule.
The first two rounds of the Class D playoffs were contested one day late to accommodate legal action taken by Immaculate Heart of Watertown which had been declared ineligible.
The New York State Public High School Athletic Association had determined that multiple Cavaliers had participated this season in violation of the state's recruiting rules. The school denied that claim in papers filed during the week with the state Supreme Court.
The court declined to reinstate the team.
Section III had approved Immaculate Heart's participation earlier in the year. The Cavaliers had lost only once - to Class A Christian Brothers Academy of Syracuse - and held the highest seeding score among the section's Class D schools.
Poland, the 2019 sectional champion, held the next highest score and was announced as the No. 1 seed Oct. 16.
The Tornadoes defeated LaFargeville Thursday when they recorded their fourth consecutive shutout and 11th of the season. Poland has outscored its opponents 49-2 during an active eight-match winning streak.
Austin Huckabone, one of two holdovers from the 2019 roster, scored twice Saturday while Forest Martin had one goal and two assists, and Carter Cookinham, Gage Smith and Stanley Swanson each scored a goal.
The goal Vitor Azeredo scored for No. 8 Bishop Grimes (8-8-2) was the first allowed by Poland since an Oct. 8 match against Herkimer.
The Tornadoes' semifinal opponent will be No 4 Fabius-Pompey (13-4-1), a shootout winner Saturday after playing Poland's Center State Conference rival Hamilton to a scoreless overtime tie. Fabius-Pompey goalie Kyle Clarkson had one of the successful penalty kicks made a save on the final Hamilton attempt to advance the Falcons to the next round.
More:Section 3 boys soccer scores for the 2022 season
No. 10 Manlius-Pebble and No. 3 Mater Dei Academy from Warners will play the other semifinal. Manlius-Pebble Hill upset No. 2 Lyme Saturday.
The D final is scheduled for Nov. 1 at Vernon-Verona-Sherrill's Sheveron Stadium.
Quarterfinals in the boys' other classes were played Friday when Class C Mt. Markham knocked out the tournament's first No. 1 seed. Mt. Markham's Mustangs (11-7-0), seeded eighth, defeated the Utica Academy of Science 1-0 in overtime at Proctor Park in Utica. Will Lunny broke the scoreless deadlock with an assist from Owen Jones.
The Utica Academy of Science (8-6-0) did not beat any Class C team this season but had a seeding score boosted by eight wins over Class B schools.
The Mustangs head to Canastota Wednesday and will meet No. 4 Waterville for the third time this season in the semifinals. Waterville (13-4-0) defeated No. 5 Sauquoit Valley 1-0 in overtime Friday. The other semifinal pits No. 3 Cooperstown (14-1-2), a 1-0 overtime winner over Frankfort-Schuyler, against No. 2 Tully (15-2-0) in the other semifinal. Tully advanced with a win over Stockbridge Valley/Morrisville-Eaton.
In Class AA, Utica's second-seeded Proctor Raiders defeated Nottingham in a penalty kick shootout, and Rome Free Academy was beaten 7-0 by No. 1 Fayettevile-Manlius.
Proctor and Nottingham had played to a scoreless tie through regulation and two 15-minute overtime period. The Raiders meet No. 6 West Genesee (9-5-3) in the second semifinal Wednesday at Christian Brothers Academy in Syracuse.
In Class B, Central Valley Academy, Oneida and Westmoreland/Oriskany were eliminated Friday. No. 2 Westhill shut out Central Valley Academy 2-0. No. 3 Marcellus was a 4-0 winner over Westmoreland/Orikany. No. 5 Skaneateles was a 3-0 winner at Oneida where the Indians were the No. 4 seed.
The last two spots in the girls' semifinals were also filled Friday. No. 4 Liverpool defeated No. 5 Rome Free Academy 2-0 in Class AA, and Immaculate Heart's girls, seeded first in Class C, advanced with a 3-2 win over Cooperstown.
More:Section 3 girls soccer scores for the 2022 season
This article originally appeared on Times Telegram: Section 3 boys soccer tournament: Semifinal schedule, analysis
