Plattsburgh's Aiden Drollette (7) with the header on the set piece for the eventual game winner. BEEKMANTOWN, N.Y. — Third-seeded Plattsburgh defeated second-seeded Beekmantown 2-1 in a physical NYSPHSAA Section VII Class A semifinal contest Saturday, earning a berth in the sectional championship game. The match featured multiple yellow cards as both teams battled for a spot in the final. Plattsburgh opened the scoring in the 11th minute when Tino Marino converted a chance created by Aiden Drollete to give the Hornets a 1-0 lead. The Hornets added to their advantage in the 24th minute. Off a corner kick, Aiden Drollete headed home a pass from Marino to extend the lead to 2-0 before halftime. Beekmantown generated the majority of the offensive opportunities, finishing with an 8-2 advantage in shots on goal, but Plattsburgh carried its two-goal lead into the second half. The Eagles got on the board in the 72nd minute when Brady MacNerland headed in a corner kick from Sully Loughan, cutting the deficit to 2-1. Beekmantown kept applying pressure in the final stages, but Plattsburgh held on to its lead through the closing whistle. With the victory, the Hornets advance to the Section VII Class A championship game, where they will face top-seeded Peru on Oct. 29 at 7 p.m. at Northeastern Clinton Central School. The winner will continue on the road toward the NYSPHSAA state tournament. Gallery

Beekmantown's Tyler Sand (0) with the aggressive slide to break up the play on Plattsburgh's Raif Lautenschuetz (17). Gallery

Moriah (4) makes a two-handed leaping catch over Peru's Isaac Rogers (15) for the Vikings' score. CLINTONVILLE, N.Y. — Under the lights on a field built for moments like this, No. 18 Peru turned Ausable Valley High School's historic turf debut into a memorable Friday night showcase. After falling behind early, the unbeaten Nighthawks unleashed a relentless offense and pulled away from Moriah for a 42-28 win, remaining perfect while adding another chapter to their undefeated campaign. The first varsity football game played on Ausable Valley's new turf field opened with Moriah seizing the momentum. The Vikings struck first when No. 25 crossed the goal line on an 8-yard touchdown run just 2:35 into the contest, giving Moriah a 6-0 lead and energizing the crowd. Peru quickly settled in behind Brody Blaise Smith's running. The Nighthawks answered at 9:21 of the opening quarter when Smith powered in from three yards out, and the extra point gave Peru a 7-6 lead. The Nighthawks took control in the second quarter. Smith found the end zone again on a 3-yard touchdown run with 3:46 left, extending the lead to 14-6. Peru's offense continued to click later in the quarter when Marco Amato hauled in a 36-yard touchdown reception at the 6:57 mark, pushing the advantage to 21-6. Moriah refused to back down. The Vikings answered with a 23-yard touchdown reception by No. 4 at 10:30 into the quarter, cutting the deficit to 21-14 and briefly shifting the momentum back in their favor. Peru responded immediately with another big play through the air. Amato caught his second touchdown of the night on a 19-yard scoring reception at 11:27, sending the Nighthawks into halftime with a comfortable 28-14 lead. The Nighthawks carried that momentum into the second half. Deon Lawyer scored on a 5-yard touchdown run at the 3:39 mark of the third quarter to make it 35-14. Moriah countered with a 3-yard touchdown reception by No. 12 at the 11:10 mark, trimming the lead to 35-20 heading into the final quarter. Any hopes of a Vikings comeback died early in the fourth. Smith delivered the game's defining moment when he broke free for a spectacular 67-yard touchdown run 5:49 into the quarter. The explosive play stretched Peru's lead to 42-20 and capped a three-touchdown performance from the standout back. Moriah added one final score on a 16-yard touchdown reception by No. 12 with 7:34 left in the fourth quarter, but the Vikings could not get closer as Peru secured the 42-28 win. Smith finished with three rushing touchdowns, Amato caught two touchdown passes, and Lawyer added another score on the ground as the Nighthawks improved to 8-0 and completed a perfect regular season impressively. As players and fans lingered under the lights after the final whistle, the first game on Ausable Valley's new turf ended. For Moriah, the night marked the end of the regular season and the beginning of postseason preparations. For Peru, it was the latest statement from one of Section VII's premier programs. The Nighthawks walked off the new surface with their perfect record intact, capping an unbeaten regular season and carrying plenty of momentum into the games that matter most.

Peru's Marco Amato (4) with the catch between a pair of Vikings defenders for the score.

PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. — The Peru Nighthawks closed out a strong road performance Wednesday night, defeating the Plattsburgh Hornets in four sets, 25-22, 20-25, 26-24, 25-21, in NYSPHSAA Section VII girls volleyball action during the Hornets' home finale. Peru entered the contest with a 9-5 record, while Plattsburgh came in at 9-4, and both teams delivered a tightly contested match featuring momentum swings throughout the evening. The Nighthawks captured the opening set 25-22 after a back-and-forth battle. Plattsburgh made things interesting late with a 5-1 surge, but Peru held firm to take the early advantage. The Hornets answered in the second set, using a decisive 10-2 run to take control and earn a 25-20 victory, evening the match at one set apiece and energizing the home crowd. Set three proved to be the turning point. Neither squad could create much separation before the teams battled into extra points. Peru ultimately won 26-24 to reclaim the lead and move within one set of the match. The fourth set was another close contest, with both sides trading points throughout. Peru made the key plays late and secured a 25-21 win to complete the four-set victory. With the win, the Nighthawks improved to 10-5, while the Hornets dropped to 9-5. Peru returns to action Monday against the Saranac Spartans, while Plattsburgh will travel to face the AuSable Valley Patriots as both teams continue their push toward the Section VII postseason. Gallery

Plattsburgh's Olivia Lathrop (12) with the two-handed push shot to the corner for the point. Gallery

Cobleskill's Sammy Fausti (1) with the fingertip save as part of a 23-save night. PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. — The Plattsburgh State Cardinals closed out their home schedule in impressive fashion Wednesday afternoon, blanking the SUNY Cobleskill Tigers 3-0 in NCAA Division III women's soccer action at the Plattsburgh State Field House Complex. In the first-ever meeting between the two programs, Plattsburgh State controlled play from the opening whistle, generating sustained offensive pressure while limiting Cobleskill's opportunities. The victory provided a fitting conclusion to the Cardinals' regular-season home slate in front of 120 fans. The Cardinals struck early and never looked back. Lia Park opened the scoring in the eighth minute, finishing off a Plattsburgh attack to give the home side a 1-0 advantage. The goal rewarded a strong opening stretch, as the Cardinals spent much of the first half in the attacking third. Despite pressure throughout the contest, Cobleskill stayed within striking distance thanks to an outstanding effort from goalkeeper Sammy Fausti. The Tigers' netminder repeatedly turned away scoring chances and kept the deficit at a single goal for much of the afternoon. Plattsburgh State finally broke the match open late in the second half. Lauren Marotta doubled the Cardinals' lead in the 72nd minute before Lilley Keyser found the back of the net just one minute later, putting the game out of reach and extending the advantage to 3-0. While the offense generated the goals, the Cardinals were equally dominant on defense. Goalkeeper Desiree Dubois was tested only once and made the save, preserving the shutout behind a disciplined back line that gave Cobleskill little room to operate. Fausti finished with 23 saves, a remarkable performance despite constant pressure from the Cardinals' attack. With the win, Plattsburgh State heads into its regular-season finale at Cortland with momentum on its side, while Cobleskill will wrap up its season against Fredonia.Gallery

Plattsburgh State's Sydney Myers (4) splits Cobleskill's Alexa Siegel (12) and Kimberly Gutierrez (35) and goes after the attack. Gallery

Chazy's Sylvie Brassard (21) dribbles, settles the ball, and fires a shot on net. CHAZY, N.Y. — The top-seeded, No. 4 state-ranked Chazy Eagles left little doubt Thursday afternoon, scoring early and often in a 10-0 win over the Seton Catholic Knights in a NYSPHSAA Section VII Class D girls soccer quarterfinal. Entering the contest with a 14-1 record, Chazy wasted no time taking control. Harper Friedrich opened the scoring in the sixth minute, and Olivia Bernard quickly followed with a goal just moments later, putting the Eagles up 2-0. Bernard added her second tally in the 11th minute as Chazy's relentless attack continued to overwhelm the Knights' defense. The Eagles kept the pressure on throughout the first half. Karina Kalvaitis scored in the 17th minute before Marin Juneau found the back of the net one minute later. Kalvaitis added her second goal in the 22nd minute, giving Chazy a commanding 6-0 halftime lead. With the game firmly in hand, the Eagles kept generating chances in the second half. Friedrich netted her second goal in the 64th minute, while Aurelia Morrison scored twice in a four-minute span with goals in the 65th and 69th minutes. Friedrich completed her hat trick in the 79th minute, capping the afternoon's scoring and securing the mercy-rule victory. Friedrich led the Eagles with three goals, while Bernard, Kalvaitis, and Morrison each scored two. Juneau added one goal in the balanced offensive effort. The win improves Chazy to 15-1 and advances the Eagles to the Section VII Class D semifinals, where they will host the Lake Placid Blue Bombers on Oct. 26. Seton Catholic finishes its season 0-15 after earning the eighth seed in the Section VII tournament. Chazy will now look to continue its postseason run as the Eagles pursue a sectional championship and deeper state tournament aspirations. Gallery

Seton Catholic's Carla Gordi (6) steps in front of eagle and takes possesion. Gallery

Peru's Matthew Trombley (gk) makes a diving stop on a direct kick from the Hornets. PLATTSBURGH — When the game was on the line, Alex Watts delivered once again. Watts scored his second goal in the 88th minute of overtime to lift the No. 11 state-ranked Peru Nighthawks to a 2-1 win over the Plattsburgh Hornets in NYSPHSAA Section VII boys soccer action. Peru entered the contest with an 11-2-2 record and controlled early momentum, breaking through in the 18th minute when Watts put the ball in the back of the net to give the Nighthawks a 1-0 lead. The Hornets, playing their regular-season finale, refused to go away quietly. After weathering Peru's pressure throughout much of the evening, Plattsburgh found its breakthrough in the 58th minute. Colin Walker delivered the equalizer, sending new energy through the Hornets and knotting the score at 1-1. From there, both teams traded chances in a physical, playoff-style battle. Peru goalkeeper Matthew Trombley made key saves throughout the contest, finishing with five to keep the Nighthawks within striking distance. With regulation unable to separate the two teams, the match moved into overtime. Peru's leading scorer didn't take long to make the difference. Watts struck again in the 88th minute, burying the game-winner and securing the Nighthawks' 12th victory of the season. The win pushes Peru to 12-2-2 as the Nighthawks prepare for their regular-season finale on October 22 against Brushton-Moira. For Plattsburgh, the loss closes the regular season at 5-9-1. Still, the Hornets showed plenty of fight against one of the state's top-ranked programs, forcing overtime before Watts ultimately provided the deciding moment.Gallery

Plattsburgh's Colin Walker (15) with the header to keep the attack alive and later scored the tying goal. Gallery

Plattsburgh's Ella Hartman (6) with the spike she sends to the center of the court. PLATTSBURGH — The Plattsburgh Hornets continued their strong season Wednesday night, defeating the Northeastern Clinton Cougars in straight sets in a NYSPHSAA Section VII volleyball matchup, 25-16, 27-25, 25-6. Plattsburgh came out firing in the opening set, racing to a 5-0 lead and never looking back to win 25-16. The second set was the evening's most competitive. Northeastern Clinton jumped out to a 4-0 lead early, but the Hornets answered with a dominant 14-6 run to take control. The Cougars refused to go away, closing the set on an impressive 11-3 surge, but Plattsburgh held off the comeback attempt to escape with a hard-fought 27-25 win and a two-set advantage. With momentum firmly on their side, the Hornets delivered a commanding third-set performance. Emma Calkins served up 13 consecutive points to open the frame, helping Plattsburgh build an insurmountable lead. The Hornets cruised from there, closing out the match with a decisive 25-6 victory. The win improves Plattsburgh to 8-4, while Northeastern Clinton falls to 0-9. The Hornets will return to action on October 20 when they travel to Ellenburg to face Northern Adirondack. The Cougars will also return to the court on October 20, hosting Saranac. Gallery

Plattsburgh's Ella Hartman (6) with the hard spoke down u Gallery">Gallery

Seton Catholic's Gianna Cappiello (9) and Lake Placid's (9) go after the ball as they head to the net. PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. — The Lake Placid Blue Bombers earned a 4-0 win over the Seton Catholic Knights in NYSPHSAA Section VII girls soccer action, improving to 5-8-1 and handing the Knights their 12th loss of the year. Lake Placid wasted no time, striking in the eighth minute when #6 found the back of the net to give the Blue Bombers an early 1-0 lead. The visitors doubled their lead in the 17th minute as #8 scored, putting Seton Catholic behind by two. The Blue Bombers kept the pressure on through the opening half and added another goal in the 37th minute when #9 converted, sending Lake Placid into halftime with a commanding 3-0 lead. Seton Catholic kept fighting in the second half, but Lake Placid's defense kept the Knights off the scoreboard. The Blue Bombers added one final goal in the 79th minute as #12 finished off the scoring and secured the 4-0 victory. With the win, Lake Placid improves to 5-8-1, while Seton Catholic falls to 0-12. Both teams will conclude their regular-season schedules on October 16. Lake Placid will host Chazy, while Seton Catholic will travel to Moriah. Gallery

Seton Catholic's Ella Forrence (2) and the Lake Placid midfielder go for the ball along the sideline as they both look to create a scoring chance. Gallery

Seton Catholic's Gianna Cappiello (9) and Lake Placid's (9) go after the ball as they head to the net. PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. — The Lake Placid Blue Bombers earned a 4-0 win over the Seton Catholic Knights in NYSPHSAA Section VII girls soccer action, improving to 5-8-1 and handing the Knights their 12th loss of the year. Lake Placid wasted no time, striking in the eighth minute when #6 found the back of the net to give the Blue Bombers an early 1-0 lead. The visitors doubled their lead in the 17th minute as #8 scored, putting Seton Catholic behind by two. The Blue Bombers kept the pressure on through the opening half and added another goal in the 37th minute when #9 converted, sending Lake Placid into halftime with a commanding 3-0 lead. Seton Catholic kept fighting in the second half, but Lake Placid's defense kept the Knights off the scoreboard. The Blue Bombers added one final goal in the 79th minute as #12 finished off the scoring and secured the 4-0 victory. With the win, Lake Placid improves to 5-8-1, while Seton Catholic falls to 0-12. Both teams will conclude their regular-season schedules on October 16. Lake Placid will host Chazy, while Seton Catholic will travel to Moriah. Gallery

Seton Catholic's Ella Forrence (2) and the Lake Placid midfielder go for the ball along the sideline as they both look to create a scoring chance. Gallery

Saranac's Eve Liberty (10) takes it around the Hornets' defender and fires it into the net. PLATTSBURGH — The Saranac Spartans closed out their regular season with a dominant 6-0 win over the Plattsburgh Hornets in NYSPHSAA Section VII girls soccer action. Saranac took control early and never looked back. Hannah Forgette opened the scoring in the 14th minute, and Lilly Brown found the back of the net in the 18th. Brown's goal marked the 100th point of her varsity career, adding another milestone to an impressive season. The Spartans continued their offensive surge late in the opening half. Eve Liberty scored in the 28th minute, followed by Brown's second goal of the evening just one minute later. Alyse Liberty capped off the first-half scoring in the 30th minute, giving Saranac a commanding 5-0 advantage heading into the break. The visitors added another goal in the second half when Julia Ryan collected a rebound and scored in the 54th minute to seal the win. With the win, Saranac finishes the regular season 10-6 and will prepare for Section VII postseason play. Plattsburgh falls to 1-10-1 and will conclude its campaign on October 16, when the Hornets travel to Peru for their season finale. Gallery

Saranac's Zoey Blair (17) and Plattsburgh's Emma Slatter (10) battle for the ball along the sidelines and for possession. Gallery