NISKAYUNA – Northville took the field Friday determined to avenge a heartbreaking end to its 2025 season, when Fort Ann advanced past the Falcons in penalty kicks in that year’s Section 2 Class D girls’ soccer championship game.
Northville can erase that memory now, as the top-seeded Falcons hoisted the 2026 sectional plaque with a 4-0 win over No. 2 Fort Ann at Niskayuna High School.
“This is just amazing,” said Northville coach Doug Hammons, whose team shared the title with Fort Ann last year. “Losing in penalty kicks and knowing that I thought we had better chances in that game too … I kept it in the back of my head and the girls did, too. We knew we were going to be in the final with them again.”
The teams were scoreless to start Friday’s rematch until junior Lexi Ginter drilled a shot over the head of Fort Ann freshman goalie Mackenzie Sullivan midway through the first half. Northville clung to a 1-0 lead at halftime, but put the game out of reach with three second-half goals by three different Falcons, including one from senior forward Isabella Colon who was stellar on the offensive side of the ball and finished with a goal and an assist.
Key moment
Northville started pressuring the Cardinals defense to start the second half. After being unable to convert on the first seven shots of the half, the Falcons cashed in when Colon found senior forward Elleah Whittaker for the second goal of the game midway through the second half.
“That takes a lot of pressure off (the defense) because when it’s just 1-0, they can come right back and get one on us,” Falcons junior defender Zoie Crow added.
Star of the game
Crow played all but two minutes of Friday’s game and was a constant physical force on the defensive side of the field despite battling through multiple injuries during the contest.
“She just does what she’s asked to do with grace,” Hammons said. “She’s disciplined and she’s a hard worker. She was hurt and she battled through that. … She was our rock back there.”
Numbers to know
- 14:Days between games for the Falcons, who had received a bye to Friday’s championship game.
- 9: Consecutive wins Northville has earned since a loss to Schoharie on September 21.
- 4:
Different goal scorers for Northville, which receives goals from Colon, Ginter, Ella Hammons and Whittaker.
What’s next
- Northville: The Falcons (15-3), who won the 2024 state final, will meet the Section 7 winner in regional play on Tuesday at Lansingburgh High School.
- Fort Ann: The Cardinals wrapped up their season with a 13-5 showing.
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This article originally published at Northville girls’ soccer wins 2026 Section 2 Class D championship.
