These Section V girls soccer champs are vying for NYS titles this weekend: What to know

Of the five Section V teams participating in this weekend's New York State Public High School Athletic Association Girls Soccer Championships semifinals, Spencerport, Haverling and Fillmore are all ranked No. 1 in the state within their respective classes.

Fairport and Holley also hopes to end Section V's state title drought. Kendall was the last local program to win an NYS championship in 2018.

This weekend's forecast also has a high chance of records falling. Spencerport senior goalkeeper Cate Burns, for instance, will own Section V's single season shutouts record with one more clean sheet. Her 19th shutout in Spencerport's previous match tied the section's record.

A 20th clean sheet will also place Burns in a tie for the NYS record. Shutouts in both games this weekend will place her name atop the record books.

The Rangers' shutout record is also a result of the entire team's defensive effort. Burns' place in history shows how tough defenders Kendall Mesh, Jamie Keens, Anastasia Barczys and Liana Tata are.

"They are the best defense we've had. Individually just superb, and when you put them together collectively, their shape, how they anticipate things is remarkable," coach Jamie Schneider said after winning the Section V Class AA finals for a section record eighth straight title.

NYSPHSAA Girls Soccer Championships

When: Semifinals are Saturday. Finals are Sunday.

Where: Cortland area.

Class AAA: NY state girls soccer semifinals, finals

Semifinal details: Fairport (7-8-2) vs. Section IX's Monroe-Woodbury (13-2-2), 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Tompkins Cortland Community College

Final: 3 p.m. Sunday at TCCC vs. Section XI's Ward Melville (16-0-3) or Section II's Shenendehowa (12-2-4).

Fairport: Coach Tom Natalie was right about his Red Raiders. He said their record wasn't "indicative" of their talent. Andrea Wilson, Savanna Biehler and Hannah Fleming have made clutch goals through Fairport's postseason run. Goalkeeper Addison Tally, back Gianna Romano and their defense have been hard to score on.

The Red Raiders were state runners-up in 2008.

Class AA: NY state girls soccer semifinals, finals

Semifinal details: Spencerport (21-0-0) vs. Section I Somers (22-0-0), 9:30 a.m. Saturday at TCCC.

Final: 10 a.m. Sunday at TCCC vs. Section XI's Smithtown West (15-2-1) or Section II's Columbia (17-0-2).

Spencerport: Lindsay Lenhard's four-goal, four-assist regional outing exemplified the junior's importance in keeping the Rangers' attack balanced. Schneider said Lenhard has a "good pulse for the game" with her 27 goals and 23 assists, dishing to Emma Watson, Emily Peacock and Isabella Fiorillo. Mesh even has a pair of postseason goals.

The Rangers won a state title in 2016, shared the 2017 NYS title, and were runners-up in 2019.

Class B: NY state girls soccer semifinals, finals

Semifinal details: Haverling (19-1-0) vs. Section III's Marcellus (18-3-0), 9:30 a.m. Saturday at Cortland High School.

Final: 9:30 a.m. at Cortland High School vs. Section XI's Babylon (10-5-3) or Section VII's Saranac (14-4-0).

Haverling: Coach Braedyn Northrup's Rams return after a runner-up finish in 2022. Another goal for Ella Yartym will give her 37 on the season — second-most in Section V. Keegan Smith had a hat trick in regionals.

Class C: NY state girls soccer semifinals, finals

Semifinal details: Holley (19-3-0) vs. Section II's Waterford-Halfmoon (17-1-2), noon Saturday at Homer High School.

Final: 10 a.m. Sunday at Homer vs. Section IX's Mount Academy (18-0-0) or Section III's Sauquoit Valley (18-0-3).

Holley: Coach Renee Wolf's Hawks are in uncharted territory after capturing their first title since 1994. If Samantha Bates can keep finding the net, a first NYS championship is foreseeable. Holley happens to be in possibly the toughest final four class. The Hawks will have to beat the reigning NYS Class C champ first. In the other semifinal is two-time NYS Class D champ Mount Academy.

Class D: NY state girls soccer semifinals, finals

Semifinal details: Fillmore (20-0-0) vs. Section X's Lisbon Central (19-1-0), 5 p.m. Saturday at Homer.

Final: 12:30 p.m. Sunday at Homer vs. Section II's Fort Ann (13-4-2) or Section III's Cincinnatus (18-0-1).

Fillmore: Longtime coach Jon Beardsley's teams has been led by senior sisters. Hope Russell has 69 goals this season. She'll move in a tie for second in both Section V and NYS history with seven more goals, and 10 more will tie the record of 79 goals. Her twin sister, Grace, has 38 assists, seven away from tying the Section V record. That many goals and assists in no more than two games may be farfetched for many, but the Russells light up scoreboards often.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: NY girls soccer championships: Section V champs are vying for titles