DELMAR – Winning a boys’ soccer sectional championship was not exactly on Schuylerville’s radar entering the season, as the Black Horses had lost a significant portion of last year’s team to graduation.
After Monday’s Section 2 Class B final between No. 2 Schuylerville and No. 4 Broadalbin-Perth, though, any doubts of securing a title were put to rest, as junior midfielder Colden Harrison scored the lone goal of the game in overtime to lift the Black Horses to the 1-0 win at Bethlehem High School.
“We had a lot of things to figure out from last year to this year,” Schuylerville coach David Gauci said. “We had a lot of young kids coming into the program and they stepped up and made huge strides.”
“It’s really special,” Harrison said. “I love this group of boys. Really grateful to have them. I’m proud of them.”
Schuylerville junior forward Thomas Tyler set up for a corner kick with 9:45 remaining in the first overtime session. Harrison leapt up and headed the ball into the back of the net to secure his team’s first sectional title since 2019.
“It came off (Tyler’s) foot perfect, and I saw (Harrison) lining up and I just knew it was in from there,” Schuylerville senior goalie Ethan Spodnick said.
Key moment
With 2:20 remaining in regulation, Spodnick deflected a Patriots shot attempt, which then hit off the crossbar. Spodnick corralled the ball to keep the game scoreless.
“I’d like to kiss that crossbar, honestly,” Spodnick said. “It came off my hand and I saw it hit that crossbar and I was like, ‘Thank the Lord.’ It was beautiful.”
“He was incredible,” Gauci said. “That one save he made saved our season. He’s done that all year. He’s got a good demeanor about him and he’s a good kid to be around.”
Star of the game
Harrison, who entered Monday’s final with 14 goals on the season, has played a major role in Schuylerville’s postseason run. His goal on Monday was his fifth in three games.
“We knew he can do it. He’s done it before,” Gauci said. “He’s had some big goals for us. He’s doing really well. He knows how to find the goal.”
Numbers to know
- 11: Shutouts Spodnick has recorded this season.
- 7: Wins the Black Horses have earned in their past nine games.
- 1: Goals Broadalbin-Perth allowed in the postseason.
What’s next
- Schuylerville: The Black Horses (14-3-2) will meet Section 7 champion Saranac in a regional final at 2 p.m. Saturday at La Salle Institute.
- Broadalbin-Perth: The Patriots, who made their sixth appearance in a sectional final on Monday, finish the season at 14-5-1.
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This article originally published at Schuylerville defeats Broadalbin-Perth in overtime to win Section 2 Class B boys’ soccer title.
