Over the past four postseason tournaments, the Northville Lady Falcons have started out as the top seed in the Section II Class D tournament and finished as champions.
This year will be slightly different.
The Lady Falcons' drive for a fifth straight championship will start as the fourth seed.
"We are not looking at the four seed any different than the first seed," Northville coach Chris Edwards said. "It is a whole new season. Everybody will be out there playing their best. We are coming off a great end to our season, especially our last game against Galway where we won 4-3. The girls have gelled together and they are playing like a team and supporting each other. We are just going to continue doing what we are doing."
The Lady Falcons (8-6-2) will start their run at a shot for a second-straight appearance in the New York State Public High School Athletic Association championship on their home turf Saturday at 3 p.m. against fifth-seeded Bolton (10-6-0). The winner of Saturday's match advances to play the winner of Saturday's match between top-seeded Fort Ann (13-0) and No. 8 Salem (2-10) Nov. 2 at Broadalbin-Perth.
"We played Bolton earlier this season under the lights at Skidmore College and came away with a 2-0 victory," Edwards said. "We talked about that today, but I told them we cannot have the mind frame that because we beat them once means we are going to beat them again. We have to go into Saturday's game like we lost and we need to continue what we are doing."
Saturday's match will be the second game of doubleheader action at Northville High School as the boys team will play its opening round match against Argyle at 1 p.m.
"We have had that top seed for many years and definitely didn't take it for granted," Edwards said. "It is a new season and everybody has the mindset go hard or go home. The girls are ready to put up a good fight and try to repeat what we did last year. With both teams being home Saturday it will make it a soccer frenzy in Northville. The community is already excited about it."
After playing in the Class C bracket last year, St. Johnsville makes its return to the Class D tournament.
The Lady Saints (5-11) received the sixth seed and will play their opening round match at 3 p.m. Saturday at No. 3 Mekeel Christian Academy (8-6-2) in Scotia.
Broadalbin-Perth and Johnstown both open the battle for the Class B championship on Friday.
Johnstown (5-11) received the 13th seed and will travel to play No. 4 Ichabod Crane (13-2-1) at 6:30 p.m., while third-seeded Broadalbin-Perth will host No. 14 Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk (5-10-1) at 7 p.m.
"I think it is a good spot for us," Broadalbin-Perth coach Rob Klug said. "We said all year long we wanted to improve our seed in sectionals and be on the opposite side of the one [top-seeded Schalmont] and make a little run and see how far we can go. We have a home game and if we win we have another home game [No. 11 Schuylerville (8-5-3) and No. 6 Emma Willard (13-2-1) winner.]"
Last year the Lady Patriots started as the second-seed and advanced to the Class B championship game before falling 2-0 to eventual Class B state champion Schalmont.
"We are going to take it one game at a time and if things work out the way we want them to we could see them down the road," Klug said.
With one loss this season, the Canajoharie Lady Cougars (15-1-0) received the fourth seed in the Class C bracket behind No. 1 Hoosick Falls (14-2), No. 2 Hoosic Valley (10-3-3) and Mechanicville (12-3-1).
All four teams received first-round byes and will open tournament play Saturday at 3 p.m.
Canajoharie will host No. 13 Schoharie (9-7-0) in its first-round match.
"We are happy with it," Canajoharie coach Ellee Fichthorn said. "We figured we would be around the three or the five. We are looking forward to having a chance for a couple of home games."
Canajoharie and Schoharie played earlier this season with the Lady Cougars posting a 4-3 victory.
"They actually play very similar to the way we do," Fichthorn said. "It was still early in the season and I think we have gotten stronger since then, but they probably also have. So it should be a good match. Looking at the bracket, I don't think there are any easy games so it is kind of nice that the girls open against a team we have played before so they are a little more comfortable."
The Amsterdam Lady Rams (6-8-2) will open their pursuit of the Class A title at 3 p.m. today in Glens Falls against the eight-seeded Lady Indians (6-9-1).
"I think it is sometimes a disadvantage to have a lot of prep time. You would like to prepare your girls as much as possible but we will go out [today] as hard as we can and do what we have got to do. My goalie and flat-four defenders have been amazing. I hear Miranda Haraughty is fast so Caitlyn Devine, my ninth-grader, will probably be the one who will against her the most."
The girls teams from Gloversville, Fonda-Fultonville, Fort Plain, Mayfield and Dolgeville opted not to participate in their respective postseason tournaments.
SECTION II GIRLS SOCCER TOURNAMENT
Class AA
First Round
Friday, Oct. 26, 7 p.m.
at Bleecker Stadium, Albany
Game 1: No. 9 Colonie (1-13-1) at No. 8 Albany (9-6-1)
Quarterfinals
Tuesday, Oct. 30
Game 2: Game 1 winner at No. 1 Niskayuna (15-1), 3 p.m.
Game 3: No. 5 Bethlehem (10-4-2) at No. 5 Shenendehowa (9-6-1), 7 p.m.
Game 4: No. 6 Shaker (8-8) at No. 3 Saratoga Springs (10-5-1), 3 p.m.
Game 5: No. 7 Columbia (1-13-1) at No. 2 Guilderland (12-3-1), 3 p.m.
Semifinals
Saturday, Nov. 3
at Schuylerville H.S.
Game 6: Game 2 winner vs Game 3 winner
Game 7: Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner
Championship
Wednesday, Nov. 7, 7 p.m.
at Stillwater H.S.
Game 8: Game 6 winner vs. Game 7 winner
Class A
First Round
Wednesday, Oct. 24, 3 p.m.
Game 1: No. 9 Amsterdam (6-8-2) at No. 8 Glens Falls (6-9-1)
Game 2: No. 10 Troy (6-10) at No. 7 Averill Park (3-12-1)
Quarterfinals
Friday, Oct. 26
Game 3: Game 1 winner at No. 1 Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake (12-4)
Game 4: No. 5 Mohonasen (6-9-1) at No. 4 Queensbury (13-3)
Game 5: No. 6 Lansingburgh (9-4-3) at No. 3 Scotia-Glenville (12-3-1)
Game 6: Game 2 winner at No. 2 South Glens Falls (13-3)
Semifinals
Wednesday, Oct. 31
at Stillwater H.S.
Game 7: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner
Game 8: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner
Championship
Saturday, Nov. 3
at Stillwater H.S.
Game 9: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner
Class B
First Round
Friday, Oct. 26
Game 1: No. 16 Holy Names (1-13-2) at No. 1 Schalmont (16-0), 3 p.m.
Game 2: No. 9 Cobleskill-Richmondville (10-6) at No. 8 Chatham (12-3), 3 p.m.
Game 3: No. 12 Catskill (7-6-1) at No. 5 Coxsackie-Athens (13-2-1), 3 p.m.
Game 4: No. 13 Johnstown (5-11) at No. 4 Ichabod Crane (13-2-1), 6:30 p.m.
Game 5: No. 14 Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk (5-10-1) at No. 3 Broadalbin-Perth (13-3), 7 p.m.
Game 6: No. 11 Schuylerville (8-5-3) at No. 6 Emma Willard (13-2-1), 3 p.m.
Game 7: No. 10 Tamarac (8-7-1) at No. 7 Greenville (11-4-1), 3 p.m.
Game 8: No. 15 Cohoes (3-12-1) at No. 2 Catholic Central (14-0-2), 6:30 p.m.
Quarterfinals
Monday, Oct. 29, 3 p.m.
at higher seed
Game 9: Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner
Game 10: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner
Game 11: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner
Game 12: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner
Semifinals
Friday, Nov. 1
at Stillwater H.S.
Game 13: Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 winner, 6:30 p.m.
Game 14: Game 11 winner vs. Game 12 winner, 4 p.m.
Championship
Sunday, Nov. 3, 3 p.m.
at Stillwater H.S.
Game 15: Game 13 winner vs. Game 14 winner
Class C
Play-ins
Thursday, Oct. 25
Game 1: No. 17 Whitehall (5-6) at No. 16 Waterford-Halfmoon (8-8), 3 p.m.
Game 2: No. 19 Duanesburg (3-13) at No. 14 Stillwater (5-10-1), 6 p.m.
Game 3: No. 18 Cambridge (3-13) at No. 15 Lake George (8-7), 3 p.m.
First Round
Saturday, Oct. 27, 3 p.m.
Game 4: Game 1 winner at No. 1 Hoosick Falls (14-2)
Game 5: No. 9 Berlin (13-3) at No. 8 Galway (11-5)
Game 6: No. 12 Maple Hill (8-8) at No. 5 Albany Academy (11-5)
Game 7: No. 13 Schoharie (9-7) at No. 4 Canajoharie (15-1)
Game 8: Game 2 winner at No. 3 Mechanicville (12-3-1)
Game 9: No. 11 Voorheesville (8-7-1) at No. 6 Middleburgh (13-3)
Game 10: No. 10 Greenwich (8-5-2) at No. 7 Berne-Knox-Westerlo (10-3-3)
Game 11: Game 3 winner at No. 2 Hoosic Valley (10-3-3)
Quarterfinals
Tuesday, Oct. 30, 3 p.m.
Game 12: Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner
Game 13: Game 6 winner vs. Game 7 winner
Game 14: Game 8 winner vs. Game 9 winner
Game 15: Game 10 winner vs. Game 11 winner
Semifinals
Friday, Nov. 2
at Schuylerville H.S.
Game 16: Game 12 winner vs. Game 13 winner
Game 17: Game 14 winner vs. Game 15 winner
Championship
Wednesday, Nov. 7, 5 p.m.
at Stillwater H.S.
Game 18: Game 16 vs. Game 17 winner
Class D
Quarterfinals
Saturday, Oct. 27, 3 p.m.
Game 1: No. 8 Salem (2-10) at No. 1 Fort Ann (13-0)
Game 2: No. 5 Bolton (10-6) at No. 4 Northville (8-6-2)
Game 3: No. 6 St. Johnsville (5-11) at No. 3 Mekeel Christian (8-6-2)
Game 4: No. 7 Heatly (4-10) at No. 2 Loudonville Christian (11-3-1)
Semifinals
Friday, Nov. 2
at Broadalbin-Perth H.S.
Game 5: Game 2 winner vs. Game 1 winner, 6:30 p.m.
Game 6: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 4 p.m.
Championship
Wednesday, Nov. 7
at Stillwater H.S.
Game 7: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner