Record: 6-1 0verall/5-0 League

Home vs. Kingston                                                   Win 3-0

September 20, 2025

Eagles Stay Perfect at Home with Non-League Win

Bethlehem Boys Varsity Soccer hosted Section IV Kingston Saturday, defeating the Tigers by the score of 3-0. 

The home squad gave a strong, full team performance, with solid defense and organized attacks. The opening 20 minutes saw several Bethlehem shots, with multiple efforts by senior captain Denis Pauze requiring outstanding saves by Kingston keeper Eduardo Prazeres Marcal. Then 20 minutes, in Ayaz Sajid sent a curling corner into the box the Tigers failed to deal with. Following a shot and a rebound, D. Pauze found the net to make it 1-0 .

The remainder of the half would see additional shots on goal by D. Pauze and Sajid without another goal. Kingston was able to mount some offense, but attacks that weren't preemptively stopped by the solid backline of Eli Proper, Ian NeJame, Keating Pauze and Charlie Annastas were handled by the alert Eagles Keeper Parker Mooney. The half ended 1-0. 

Bethlehem continued to apply consistent pressure in the second half, with D. Pauze and Sajid again trading shots on goal and the Tigers keeper being required to make acrobatic saves. They finally broke the resolve of the visitors 24 minutes into the half when Sajid made a penetrating run and dished the ball off to right wing Jackson Charles, who planted a far post finish to extend the Eagles lead to 2-0. 

Mooney was called upon to be more active in the second half, punching crosses clear to prevent Tigers chances and coming bravely off his line to smother a ball. When Kingston seemed likely to close the gap on a breakaway with 10 minutes remaining, Mooney made a dazzling kick save to fire up the home crowd and preserve the clean sheet for the Eagles. 

With 5:40 remaining in the contest, Kingston was called for a handball in the box. Ollie Reichman stepped up to take the resulting spot kick and planted a low, hard shot to make it 3-0. That would be the final score. 

The Eagles held a 61%-39% advantage in possession and recorded 16 shots (14 on goal) to the Tigers' 4 (2 on goal). Corner kicks were 6-1 in Bethlehem’s favor, and the Eagles committed 11 fouls to Kingston's 15.

The win improves Bethlehem's record to 6-1 (4-0 League). The boys are home again Thursday 9/25, kicking off at 4:15 vs. Suburban Council rivals Columbia. 

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Home vs. Albany High                                                     Win 4-1

September 18, 2025

Eagles Best Falcons to Remain Undefeated in League Play

Bethlehem Boys Varsity Soccer defeated a tough Albany High squad Thursday by the score of 4-1.

It was all Eagles in the first half as the home squad recorded ten shots to Albany’s one. Ayaz Sajid tallied three shots on goal in the opening ten minutes, including a feed from Ian NeJame that he converted to beat the Albany keeper in the fifth minute.

NeJame would provide the spark for the second Eagles goal as well, making a long run down the left wing before dishing the ball to Pietro Pasetto, who fired low and hard to find the net inside the far post with three minutes remaining in the half.

Bethlehem continued to apply pressure at the end of the opening half. Jackson Charles found himself on the end of a Denis Pauze corner and banged the ball home to make it 3-0 Eagles with two minutes remaining in the half. Then, as time ran down, Ollie Reichman was hauled down in the Albany area for a penalty kick and seized the opportunity to give the Eagles a comfortable 4-0 lead.

While the offense provided firepower, the Eagles defense continued to stymie the opposition as they have all season. Keating Pauze dazzled the fans with an exceptional tackle to prevent a breakaway midway through the half, and starting keeper Parker Mooney came off his line bravely in the 27th minute to smother a ball and keep Albany goalless heading into halftime.

In the second half the match became increasingly physical as the teams exchanged hard tackles and fouls. Bethlehem got shots on goal from D. Pauze and Lennon Mane, but were repeatedly thwarted by alert play from Albany keeper Matthew McCarthy. Then, 21 minutes into the half, Albany’s Yunus Subai broke through the Eagles defense and found the net to spoil the home team’s hopes of a clean sheet.

Bethlehem keeper Quinn Behan would be called into action minutes later, charging to the top of the box and making a clinical tackle to prevent a Falcons scoring chance.

The score remained 4-1 at the final whistle. The Eagles held a 58%-42% advantage in possession and recorded 16 shots (10 on goal) to the Falcons’ 4 (3 on goal). Corner kicks were 5-2 in Bethlehem’s favor, and the Eagles committed 13 fouls to Albany’s 11.

With the win Bethlehem improves to 5-1 (4-0 League). The boys are home again Saturday, kicking off at 1:00 in a non-league match vs. Section IV Kingston.

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Away vs. Averill Park               Win 5-1

September 11, 2025

Eagles Show Depth in Road Win

Spectators were treated to a warm, sunny September day in Averill Park as the Eagles defeated the Golden Knights 5-1.

Both teams struggled to find their form in the first half, with neither team managing to mount offensive threats early on. In one of the rarer statistical anomalies in soccer, Bethlehem took a 1-0 lead before tallying a shot on goal when Ayaz Sajid launched a blistering far-post shot that bounced off the post and ricocheted in off a defender for an Own Goal.

Minutes later, Averill Park recorded their first shot of the game when the Bethlehem suffered a rare defensive lapse, turning the ball over in the back. The pressing Averill Park forward made no mistake and slotted the ball home to make it 1-1.

The teams seemed likely to head into halftime tied when freshman Jackson Charles received a ball from Everett Bergen at the top corner of the penalty area on the right and launched a shot inside the far post to make it 2-1 Eagles.

Both teams were lively in the second half, pressing hard and trading possession, but struggling to establish coherent offensive chances. Five minutes in Sajid was fouled in the Averill Park box, and it looked like another goal was imminent. But the keeper made a heroic save on the ensuing spot kick and the score remained 2-1.

The Golden Knights keeper made several more tremendous saves in the half on shots by Sajid, Charles, Denis Pauze, Kaleb Murray, Ishan Chatur, and Ollie Reichman. Then, midway through the half Sajid would make it 3-1 when he hit a powerful shot on goal. The keeper stopped the first effort, but Sajid was able to grab his own rebound and find the net to make it 3-1 Eagles.

Lennon Mane opened his varsity account minutes later when he dribbled across the top of the area and put a low, hard effort on frame that the keeper couldn’t reach to give the Eagles a 4-1 lead.

Minutes later Will Trowbridge played a sweet, slicing ball through to winger Sean Doyle, who neatly gathered the pass before being hauled down in the Averill Park penalty area. Veteran senior defender Eli Proper stepped up to take the penalty, and this time the keeper had no magic left as Proper finished to the right side to make it 5-1 Eagles.

5-1 would be the final. Bethlehem outshot the opposition 21 (14 on goal) to 1 (1 on goal) and held a 55% to 45% advantage in possession. The Eagles had 6 corners to the Golden Knights’ 1, and fouls were 6 for Bethlehem and 8 for Averill Park.

With the win BC Boys Varsity Soccer improves to 4-1-0 (3-0 League). The boys play next at home vs. Albany High, Thursday, September 18.

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Home vs. Guilderland Win 4-1

September 9, 2025

Eagles Outlast Dutchmen to Claim Third Straight Win

Bethlehem Boys Varsity Soccer faced a scrappy visiting squad Tuesday and rose to the challenge, defeating Guilderland by the score of 4-1.

The Dutchmen came out on the front foot from the opening whistle and pressured the Eagles in the opening minutes. Their best chance occurred when Bethlehem keeper Parker Mooney was called on to make an acrobatic save, diving to his left and deflecting a shot just two minutes in.

Bethlehem turned the tide in the 8th minute, when Ayaz Sajid recorded the first Eagles shot and made it count. The play began with a penetrating run by Denis Pauze. D. Pauze passed to Oliver Reichman, who laid the ball off to Sajid for a shot that beat the Dutchmen keeper to make it 1-0.

The run of play continued to favor the Eagles, as D. Pauze fired a blistering shot on goal and Reichman announced himself shortly after with a strong header off a corner. But the Guilderland keeper was solid and prevented further damage.

In the 20th minute, Guilderland pressed and earned a corner kick. The resulting cross found Guilderland’s #7 on the back post, and he made no mistake as he headed the ball in to draw his team level.

The teams exchanged offensive chances for the remainder of the half but left the field with the score 1-1.

In the second half the match became an increasingly physical affair, as the teams exchanged several hard tackles and fouls. Bethlehem continued to attack and D. Pauze and Sajid saw their attempts go high and wide. But Reichman made no mistake midway through the half with his next attempt. After receiving a ball from D. Pauze at the top of the Dutchmen box, Reichman made a nifty move to shake his defender and hammered a shot to the right side of the goal to silence the Guilderland fans and make it 2-1 Eagles.

Five minutes later, a deadly Eagles counter-attack after a Guilderland corner gave Sajid an opportunity to take on a defender in the opposing box. The ball squeaked out and was snatched up by D. Pauze, who slotted the ball neatly past the keeper to give Bethlehem a 3-1 lead.

In a night that saw several personnel changes for the Eagles, with Mooney, Lennon Mane and Orson Wagg all making their first Varsity starts, the physical defense of old guard defenders Ian NeJame and Eli Proper continually stymied the Guilderland attack on the flanks. Jack Pauze, Brendan Bashant and Everett Bergen challenged relentlessly and won arial duels to prevent any more serious goal threats by the Dutchmen.

Bethlehem would seal the game late when forward Kaleb Murray was hauled down in the Guilderland penalty area. Sajid stepped up to calmly place the spot kick to the keeper’s left for the Eagles fourth goal.

4-1 would be the final. The Eagles held a 57%-43% advantage in possession and recorded 13 shots (10 on goal) to the Dutchmen’s 6 (5 on goal). Corner kicks were 6-5 in Guilderland’s favor, and the Eagles committed 11 fouls to the Dutchmen’s 14. With the win Bethlehem improves to 3-1 (2-0 League). Their next game is Thursday, September 11, away at Averill Park.

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Home vs. CBA                                    Win 5-0

September 4, 2025

All Eagles in Home Opener

It was a dominant performance for Bethlehem Boys Varsity Soccer in their home opener as they defeated CBA 5-0 under the lights Thursday night in Bethlehem.

Junior center back Brendan Bashant opened the scoring in the 17th minute with the first goal of his varsity career, when he capitalized on chaos in front of the CBA goal following a corner and banged home a rebound to make it 1-0 Eagles.  

Bethlehem maintained the majority of possession in the minutes that followed. In the 22nd minute Denis Pauze sent a scorching shot on goal, only to be saved by the Brothers keeper. But Ayaz Sajid quickly seized the rebound and put it away to make it 2-0.

Bethlehem continued to control the flow of play with defenders Bashant, Eli Proper, Ian NeJame, Keating Pauze, and Charlie Annastas continuously switching fields and finding space on the far side. This resulted in several curling, penetrating crosses by K. Pauze and shots on goal from NeJame and Sajid. But tenacious defending and alert play by the talented Brothers keeper kept CBA in the game, and the half ended 2-0.

Ollie Reichman gave the home crowd a thrill when he fired a free kick off the crossbar in the early stages of the second half. It was one of many crossbars for the Eagles, as Jackson Charles and D. Pauze would also break through only to have their efforts strike the woodwork. It was a another shot by Reichman that would put Bethlehem up 3-0, when  he hit a hard low shot that struck the post to the keeper's right, ricocheted off the keeper, and found the net for CBA own goal. 

D. Pauze fired a shot on goal with 21 minutes remaining, resulting in brilliant kick save by the keeper, who also stopped a NeJame effort. But there was nothing the keeper could do to stop Reichman’s commanding header in the final minute, following a bending cross from Everett Bergen.

After Ayaz took advantage of another rebound to net his second of the match just 20 seconds later, the final score would be 5-0.

Bethlehem dominated possession and were relentless on defense when CBA were on the attack. The Eagles recorded 26 shots (18 on goal) to the Brothers’ 1 (1 on goal). Corner kicks were 10-0 in Bethlehem’s favor, and the Eagles committed 9 fouls to CBA’s 6 (including 2 yellow cards). Stellan Calnero-Jackson and the Bethlehem defense earned their first clean sheet of the season. The boys play next Tuesday, September 9, at home vs. Guilderland.

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Away vs. Monroe-Woodbury Win 6-1

August 29, 2025

Eagles Display Firepower in Decisive Road Win

Bethlehem Boys Varsity Soccer unleashed a torrent of goals Friday, defeating Monroe-Woodbury 6-1 on the second day of their downstate road trip.

Any questions raised about the potency of the Bethlehem offense after Thursday’s game were quickly put to rest, as four Eagles tallied in the rout of their AAA non-league opponent from Section 9. It was a dominant performance by Bethlehem, who demonstrated organization, creativity and composure on the ball and tenacity in their press of the opposition.

Denis Pauze opened the scoring with a great individual effort just two minutes into the game, stripping the defender of the ball, dribbling through the middle and slotting a shot neatly to the Crusader keeper’s left.

D. Pauze would factor in the next two goals as well. Less than three minutes later, his shot on goal was parried away by the keeper, only to be skillfully finished by an alert Ayaz Sajid. And just two minutes after that, D. Pauze sent a curling cross into the box to Everett Bergen, who was hauled down by the defender for a penalty. When Oliver Reichman stepped up to the spot and confidently smashed the ball into the left side netting, the home team found themselves down 3-0 just seven minutes in.

The relentless Eagles attack continued with shots by Sajid and Jack Pauze going just wide. Then, Keating Pauze opened his account in the 23rd minute with his first of the season, beating the keeper after a neat give-and-go with Sajid to make it 4-0.

On a day when the Eagles seemingly couldn’t stop scoring, even the lone Monroe-Woodbury tally was an own goal when a dangerous cross in the Bethlehem box ricocheted off a Bethlehem defender to spoil the clean sheet. The half ended with the score 4-1.

The second half brought more of the same pressure from the Eagles as Reichman and Sajid tested the opposing keeper with shots, and each would earn a brace in the second half. Reichman scored his second in the third minute of the half, hammering home a rebound after Sajid’s shot on goal forced a save. Sajid would score his second four minutes later when he scooped up a ball the Crusader keeper failed to deal with, punishing the mistake with what would turn out to be the final goal of the game.

The talented Monroe-Woodbury side showed signs of life in the second half, repeatedly attacking wide and sending crosses into the Bethlehem box. But ultimately they had no answers for the stalwart Eagles defense, and the game ended with the score 6-1.

Bethlehem received strong efforts from every man on the roster. The Eagles held a 55%-45% advantage in possession and recorded 13 shots (9 on goal) to the Crusaders’ 5 (2 on goal). Corner kicks were 4-1 in Bethlehem’s favor, and the Eagles committed 7 fouls to Monroe-Woodbury’s 12. Bethlehem begins the season 1-1 heading into their Thursday, September 4 home opener vs. CBA.

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Away vs. Cornwall Loss 1-0

August 28, 2025

Eagles Battle on the Road, Come up Short in Season Opener

Bethlehem Varsity Boys Soccer battled hard for the full 80 minutes Thursday but were unable to secure a victory, suffering a 1-0 loss on the road against a tough Cornwall squad.

In a non-league match hosted at Monroe-Woodbury, the Eagles came out on the front foot and generated scoring opportunities throughout the first half. The Eagles looked solid and well-organized, and great link-up play between Ayaz Sajid, Ollie Reichman and Denis Pauze resulted in several dangerous through balls in the offensive third. But the alert Cornwall keeper showed great anticipation and repeatedly foiled the attempts.

The best chance for Bethlehem came with two minutes remaining in the half, when Jackson Charles played a ball to Sajid, who hit it on the half volley, only to have the shot deflected by the Cornwall keeper. Reichman followed shortly after with a blast that went just over the crossbar. But Bethlehem failed to capitalize on their momentum and the half ended scoreless.

After withstanding pressure from Bethlehem throughout the first half, Cornwall’s offence came to life in the second. Five minutes in, Cornwall took advantage of a throw in and quickly played the ball in behind the Bethlehem defense. The Cornwall striker showed great composure, slotting the ball to the right side of the net to make it 1-0.

It was the only lapse in Bethlehem’s backline, as solid performances by Eli Proper, Brendan Bashant, Keating Pauze, and Ian NeJame repeatedly stifled the Cornwall offense. Eagles keeper Stellen Calnero-Jackson came out bravely on multiple occasions, anticipating the Cornwall balls played over the top and thwarting the attacks.

The Bethlehem offense heated up again toward the end of the second half, with Dennis Pauze playing a dangerous ball through to Sajid that was cut off by the Cornwall keeper. With nine minutes remaining Bethlehem looked destined to draw level when Reichman placed a perfect header off a corner kick, only to see it saved off the line by a defender. And with one minute remaining, Reichman was again robbed by the standout play of the Cornwall keeper, who dove to his left to stop a hard, low free kick from just outside the box.

The game would end 1-0. Bethlehem plays again Friday 8/29, kicking off at noon against hosts Monroe-Woodbury.

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