The past couple of weeks has been filled with action on the soccer pitch. That’s especially true in Tompkins County, where 10 teams qualified for the Section IV tournament. Half of those teams made it all the way to their respective championship games but ultimately fell short in punching their tickets to the New York State tournament.
Trumansburg taken down in Greene
For the first time since 2022, both Trumansburg soccer made Class C championship games in the same year. But as was the case four years ago, both teams left with runner-up medals.
The girls team was up first on October 30 against Greene. The Trojans stunned the Blue Raiders with two goals in the opening 10 minutes. But Trumansburg fought their way back into the game and got one goal back with under 22 minutes remaining as sophomore Cora Anderson headed in a corner kick from senior Ellie Ouckama.
While momentum was on Trumansburg’s side, Greene restored their two-goal advantage four minutes later and scored another goal later on to hand the Blue Raiders a 4-1 defeat and seal their first-ever sectional title.
The Blue Raiders ended another stellar season with a 13-3 record, but they did not leave this year empty-handed when it comes to postseason hardware. Trumansburg captured its third IAC Large School title in the last four years.
Ouckama ends her illustrious career as the all-time leading scorer in program history with 82 goals and will continue playing soccer at Division I level at UMass-Lowell. Senior defender Ella Simoneau will also be playing in college at Johnson & Wales University.
Following the girls team’s defeat, the boys team was in action against Seton Catholic. The Blue Raiders shocked the defending champions early as senior Duncan Gattine nodded in fellow senior captain Finn Lambro’s corner kick, but the Saints would respond with a pair of goals in a 22-second span to take the lead. Junior ZaoHan Ferrari drew Trumansburg level in the 21st minute, but Seton Catholic scored three unanswered goals to come away with a 5-2 victory.
It was a tough ending for the Blue Raiders, who wrap up the season at 13-3. It brought an end to the high school careers of 11 seniors, including Gattine and Lambro. Gattine finishes as the all-time points leader in program history with 115 (93 goals and 22 assists), surpassing 2020 graduate Conor Baird’s tally of 108. Lambro’s assist in the championship game broke a tie with 2025 graduate Leo Schechter and 2014 graduate Abreham Kittel for the new school mark with 29 in his career.
Double Ithaca heartbreak vs. Elmira
On October 29, both Ithaca teams battled Elmira in Horseheads for the Class AAA championships, and both games ended with the same 2-1 scoreline in favor of the Express.
The girls team conceded early against the Express. But much like the Trumansburg teams, set pieces brought them back in it. A short corner kick was eventually worked into the box, where sophomore Mila Oshoe redirected a shot from sophomore Sophie Templier into the net for the Little Red equalizer with 26 minutes to go. But the Express re-took the lead after a free kick was deflected in off a teammate who was on the ground. Misfortune for Ithaca ended up being Elmira’s championship-winning goal.
The Little Red endured a season of ups and downs at 6-7-1 with a much younger roster and only a handful of starters returning. But the fact they made another championship game is an encouraging sign for what’s to come.
The boys team also allowed an early goal in their championship game off a corner kick. The Little Red racked up most of the chances and finally got on level terms in the second half thanks to a Ben Susskind penalty. Ithaca kept firing away at the Elmira goal, but no goals in regulation and the first overtime meant another 15-minute extra period. That’s where the Express made them pay, as a 20-yard free kick curled into the bottom corner to send Elmira to states.
Ithaca ends the season at 14-2 but does have a postseason title under its belt this year. The Little Red captured its first STAC championship since 2019 after beating Vestal 3-1.
Lansing boys make historic run
Lansing boys soccer was a regular competitor in Class C championship games, making 10 consecutive appearances from 2011-2021. The move up to Class B in 2022 has proven to be more challenging, but this year’s team made it back to the promised land for the first time in their new class.
In order to do so, the Bobcats had to rally back from a two-goal deficit in the quarterfinals against Chenango Valley, prevailing 3-2 in an unforgettable comeback victory at Sobus Field, and upset top-seeded Susquehanna Valley 2-1 in the semifinals.
That set up a date with Chenango Forks in Chenango Forks for the final on October 29. The Bobcats took 1-0 and 2-1 leads only for the Blue Devils to equalize both times. That game also went to double overtime, where Chenango Forks scored off a corner kick with 3:55 remaining to win it 3-2.
The Bobcats conclude the campaign at 16-3 along with an IAC Large School title in hand.
