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BOYS SOCCER

Section II

Class B Semifinals

Johnstown 3, Schuylerville 1

Broadalbin-Perth 4, Schalmont 0

Class CC Semifinals

Schoharie 3, Hoosick Falls 1

Voorheesville 1, Maple Hill 0

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GLENS FALLS - The late-season run by the Johnstown boys' soccer team continued Wednesday in the semifinals of the Section II Class B tournament.

The ninth-seeded Sir Bills came back from an early one-goal deficit to defeat fifth-seeded Schuylerville 3-1 and advance to the championship game for the first time in the program's history.

Johnstown (8-9-2) will face a familiar foe in the championship game, second seed and Foothills Council co-champion Broadalbin-Perth.

The Patriots (15-1-2) advanced to the title game with a 4-0 victory over No. 3 Schalmont.

"It pretty much started in practice before playing Hudson Falls," JHS senior Tommy Horning said. "We had a team talk and started practicing and playing as a team after that meeting. We kind of found our momentum. We started playing as a team and passing the ball around. That is when we started playing like a team and not individuals. I could not be prouder of these kids."

Since then the Sir Bills have donned their road purple for sectional play and pulled off upsets over No. 8 Coxsackie-Athens, top-seeded Tamarac and No. 5 Schuylerville to reach the finals.

"I had my doubts," Johnstown coach Jon Jennings said. "But, early in the season I told these kids, and a lot of other people, I thought we were one of the two top Class B teams. I don't know if they believed me because I got a lot of rolled eyes. But these kids have gone out and proven that they are one of the top two teams in the Bs."

Schuylerville scored early when the Zach Miller centered the ball from the left sideline that Mike Rosen headed home for a 1-0 lead with just over two minutes off the clock.

"We had a hard time getting off the bus and I was afraid of that," Jennings said. "You are not worried when they score two minutes into the game because you know you have 78 to get it back. I knew we would be OK, it was just a matter of keeping our composure and not trying to do it in one minute."

Johnstown settled into its passing game and kept Schuylerville back in its defensive zone. The offensive pressure paid off with less than five minutes to intermission.

Matthew Sagan gathered in a ball from midfield at the top of the box and turned toward goal. He was checked immediately by the Black Horses' defenders, but used several small touches on the ball to break through for a 10-yard shot that slipped past goalkeeper Justin Edmunds to tie the match at one at the half.

The momentum continued into the second half and 42-seconds after the kick off, Johnstown got the break they needed.

A pushing penalty in the box against Schuylerville drew a penalty kick that Horning converted to give the Sir Bills a 2-1 advantage.

"Early in the year we were horrible in the second half, now it seems that is when we turn it on," Jennings said. "The kids are fit and their mentality has changed. When we get a one-goal lead now, we don't just try to hang on to it; we try to go for a two-goal lead. It is a totally different team than we had three weeks ago."

The Sir Bills went to work to get the third goal and found success when Nick Cannizzo finished off a pass from Sebastian Franco with 25 minutes left on the clock to post the 3-1 final.

For the game, Johnstown outshot Schuylerville 13-5 and held a 4-2 edge in corner kicks.

Nick Cannizzo collected four saves in goal for the Sir Bills, while Edmunds made 10 stops for the Black Horses who finish their season with an 8-7-4 record.

"This is big," Horning said of the victory. "We will be ready to play against Broadalbin-Perth Monday at Colonie."