Fall Sports: Season Wrap-Up

With many teams wrapping up their seasons in the past few weeks, another fall sports season at Niskayuna is in the books. Many of our teams and athletes had a successful fall season, and should be celebrated for their hard-work and achievements.

While most fall sports have reached their conclusion, Niskayuna football continues to dominate. Nisky finished out the regular season with a record of 7-1, and went on to beat South Glens Falls and Ballston Spa in the Class A playoffs by a combined score of 90-8. However, in the Class A Super Bowl, Nisky got off to a slow start against Troy. The Niskayuna offense only managed to score one offensive touchdown in the first half, as they went into the break with a 14-6 lead. Troy’s Kyair Carr gave Niskayuna some trouble throughout the game, but the rest of Troy’s offense was no match for Niskayuna’s oppressive defense. Niskayuna ultimately won 28-6, taking home a Section II title. Yet, the journey continues for Nisky as they have advanced to the state tournament. They hope to finally take home a state championship, a milestone  that has proved itself elusive in previous years.

The girls soccer team was also able to claim a Section II title, winning their first title since 2016. After a dominant regular season in which the team had a 16-3 record, Niskayuna was set to face off against Columbia in the championship game for a third consecutive  year. Nisky got out to an early 2-0 lead after the first 35 minutes, but Columbia answered with a goal of their own to end the first half. In the second half, Nisky’s defense overpowered Columbia’s offensive attack. Their consistency and resiliency pushed them to a thrilling 2-1 victory. Unfortunately, the team wasn’t able to pull off the upset against powerhouse West Genesee in the first round of the state tournament, losing 1-0 in double overtime. It was a heartbreaking finish to an otherwise spectacular season, as Nisky has much to be proud of.

In boy’s soccer, the team finished the regular season with a record of 8-6-1. The team won 3-0 against Mohonasen in the Class AA quarterfinals, but was unable to beat the top seeded Columbia Blue Devils in the semifinals.

 After last year’s unexpected Class AA championship, the girls volleyball team was unable to beat the odds two years in a row. After a 7-9 regular season, the team lost to Queensbury by a score of 3-2 in the first round of sectionals. The boy’s volleyball team had a similar season, as they finished the regular season with a 6-10 record. They also lost in the first round of sectionals, losing to the fourth seed Bethlehem.

Niskayuna’s field hockey team was unable to make a run in sectionals, losing in the opening round to Shenendehowa. It was an exciting game throughout, but ultimately Nisky was unable to pull off the upset, losing 1-0 in overtime.

While Nisky’s girl’s tennis team did not win a Section II title, Ava Ehrlich and Jeevika Benki advanced to the semifinals of the doubles bracket. Even though they lost, Ehrlich, Benki and the team have much to be proud of.

The boy’s golf team finished in fifth place in the Suburban Council during the regular season, and tied for fourth in the Suburban Council tournament. Seven individuals qualified for Sectionals, but Will Souza was the lone qualifier for the second round. Unfortunately, he did not end up qualifying for the state tournament in the spring. On the girl’s side, Aria Makhija made the cut to move on to the second round of Sectionals, but also failed to advance. Additionally, the varsity girls swimming and diving team finished the regular season with a 9-1 record and finished in second place at Sectionals. (For more details, click here.)

In other sports news, the junior class won this year’s annual Powderpuff flag football game 12-6, with a thrilling walk-off touchdown in overtime. Additionally, 14 Niskayuna seniors signed Letters of Intent to commit to play athletics in college, including:

• Addison Brys, Soccer, Stony Brook University

• Graham Cappiello, Lacrosse, Springfield College

• Sami Chowdhrey, Lacrosse, Hamilton College

• Aiden Clark, Lacrosse, Endicott College

• Abigail Daversa-Russo, Lacrosse, Rochester Institute of Technology

• Gerrit Dutcher, Lacrosse, St. John Fisher University

• Megan Goyette, Soccer, Siena University

• Matthew Hand, Baseball, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

• Abigail Helmecke, Soccer, SUNY Fredonia

• Bradyn Lewis, Lacrosse, Clarkson University

• Zoey Manzo, Soccer, SUNY New Paltz

• Brandon Merrill, Lacrosse, Assumption University

• John Mooney, Lacrosse, U.S. Air Force Academy

• Lauren Vaccaro, Soccer, SUNY Geneseo

Congratulations to these athletes, and to all of our athletes who have competed in fall sports this year. With winter sports right around the corner, many of our athletes are gearing up for another successful season.