Tappan Zee defeats Byram Hills 3-1 during Westchester vs. Rockland Challenge boys soccer game at World Class Soccer Complex in Orangeburg on Sept. 5, 3016.

Tappan Zee defeats Byram Hills 3-1 during Westchester vs. Rockland Challenge boys soccer game at World Class Soccer Complex in Orangeburg on Sept. 5, 3016.

Pearl River plays Lakeland during Westchester vs. Rockland Challenge boys soccer game at World Class Soccer Complex in Orangeburg on Sept. 5, 3016.

ORANGEBURG – There would be no grace period for the reigning Class A sectional and regional champ — no time to bask in the glory of last season and ease into a new year.

Pearl River plays Lakeland during Westchester vs. Rockland Challenge boys soccer game at World Class Soccer Complex in Orangeburg on Sept. 5, 3016.

The Pearl River boys soccer team was thrown into the fire in its season-opener at the fourth annual Westchester vs. Rockland Challenge on Monday, matched up against a Lakeland squad that is viewed as a serious contender in 2016.

For the first 40 minutes, the Pirates looked like a team that had graduated the majority of its starting lineup and would endure some growing pains. But despite a flurry of opportunities for the Hornets, the game went into halftime scoreless.

In the second half, Pearl River showed that it has every intention of holding on to its crown, pouring in three goals on its way to a 3-0 win that established which is the team to beat.

“They were definitely outplaying us in the first half,” Pearl River senior Kevin Doorley said. “We were kind of getting on each other – which we shouldn’t have been – and at halftime we changed everything. (Coach Damon O’Keefe) gave us a talk and our captain Christian Madigan gave us a talk. We started playing as a team more, possessing more, and that changed everything.”

Lakeland outshot the Pirates 17-8, but Pearl River made its chances count.

Doorley struck first on a long assist from Francesco Galvano in the 50th minute, which changed the complexion of the game.

“We just kept playing after that,” Doorley said. “We knew one goal wasn’t going to win it, so we just kept pressing and going for it. Then Craig (MacDonald) scored a great goal and that relieved the pressure.”

In the 61st minute, Doorley fed MacDonald to make it 2-0. And 10 minutes later, Doorley put the finishing touch on the impressive win with his second goal on an assist from MacDonald.

Senior goalkeeper Dolan Ocasal was a critical part of the win, as well, finishing with nine saves.

“We were all nervous, but we were excited for the first game,” Doorley said. “They’re a great rival and we knew it was going to be a tough game, which made it even better. We know every team has a target on us now, but we enjoy that. Every game is going to be difficult, but it’s more fun that way.”

Tappan Zee defeated Byram Hills 3-1 during the Westchester vs. Rockland Challenge boys soccer games at World Class Soccer Complex in Orangeburg on Monday.

Tappan Zee 3, Byram Hills 1: In a rematch of last year’s Class A semifinal, Jorge Umana scored a goal and assisted on goals by Sam Gould and Ciaran Shalvey. Max Hammond scored in the opening 32 seconds for the Bobcats. Connor Callan made seven saves for the Dutchmen.

Albertus Magnus 2, Valhalla 1: JoJo Michalak scored both goals for the Falcons, the first on a corner kick from Adrian Mayorga and the second on a direct kick from 35 yards out. Joey Marmo scored on an assist from Ethan Bartlett for the Vikings. Sophomore Steven Travaglini made six saves in his first varsity start for the Falcons.

Scarsdale 2, North Rockland 1: Michael Spiro assisted on goals from Chris Gaujean and Owen Hall. Kenji Harper scored the lone goal for the Red Raiders on an assist from Danny Lopez.

Mamaroneck 2, Suffern 1: Conor LeBlanc scored the winning goal in the 55th minute and Cole DiCicco scored on an assist from Cameron Richards. Myles Solan scored on an assist from Zac Lloyd in the 29th minute to give the Mounties a 1-0 lead. Dante Rhodes made four saves for the Tigers.

Mamaroneck beat Suffern 2-1 during the Westchester vs. Rockland Challenge boys soccer matches at World Class Soccer Complex in Orangeburg on Monday.

Twitter: @vzmercogliano

Cancer survivor Francesco Galvano (10) of Pearl River plays during Westchester vs. Rockland Challenge boys soccer game at World Class Soccer Complex in Orangeburg on Sept. 5, 3016.

Even when he was too sick to play, Francesco Galvano was the loudest student on the Pearl River boys soccer bench.

Four years of battling leukemia took its toll and temporarily prevented the now-senior from playing the game that he loves, but it never deterred him. Galvano remained vocal and encouraging, even when he felt physically drained from his cancer treatment, and his never-ending optimism helped both him and his teammates.

“He’s an inspiration to me,” Pearl River senior Craig MacDonald said. “We all said, if it was going to happen to someone we knew, he would be the one to beat it. He always has been the most positive person, even before all of this.”

Declared cancer-free last year, Galvano was able to play junior season and is now one of the Pirates’ captains. When coach Damon O’Keefe approached him with the idea of dedicating the fourth annual Westchester vs. Rockland Challenge to the battle that he won, Galvano had a better idea.

Pearl River senior Sara McGrath who is currently battling Hodgkin’s lymphoma attends the Westchester vs. Rockland Challenge boys soccer game at World Class Soccer Complex in Orangeburg on Sept. 5, 3016.

Two Pearl River students – senior Sara McGrath and junior Liam Greeley – are currently fighting their own battles with cancer — McGrath with Hodgkin’s lymphoma and Greeley with leukemia — and Galvano requested that Monday’s proceeds go to their families to help offset medical bills.

“You always want to use your experience to benefit others, and that’s what I’m trying to do here,” Galvano said. “We have to really make that evident to Sara and Liam — they just have to stay positive to get through it. … It’s going to bring new experiences into your life, and you just have to make the best of it.”

Prior to Monday night’s game against Lakeland — the main event of this year’s Challenge— the Pirates lined up and walked across the field for the national anthem. A couple hundred people from the Pearl River community were on hand to show their support, and the team saluted them during the pregame ceremony.

At the front of the line, with their hands interlocked, were Galvano and McGrath — one having beaten cancer, the other more than halfway through a 15-week cycle of chemotherapy.

“On the first day of school in seventh grade, we wore shirts for him,” McGrath said, noting how surreal it was to now be the one the community was rallying around. “It’s so nice that they’re all supportive. It helps a lot.”

Cancer survivor Francesco Galvano, holds hand with classmate Sara McGrath before his game during Westchester vs. Rockland Challenge boys soccer game at World Class Soccer Complex in Orangeburg on Sept. 5, 3016.

“This community is the best,” O’Keefe said. “We take a lot of pride in taking care of our own. There have been multiple situations over the years that I’ve been a part of, and I’ve seen people be so generous here because they want to and their heart is in the right place. The reason why I love Pearl River is because of what they do for each other.”

It’s been a long and grueling process for Galvano to regain the strength that his cancer treatment zapped from him, but he was out there in Pearl River’s starting lineup on Monday, looking fit and ready to play a full game. And when the Pirates’ bench got too quiet, he was the first to shout from the field and insist that they speak up in support of their teammates.

He hopes to send the message to McGrath, Greeley and others that cancer can be overcome, and that remaining upbeat throughout the ups and downs can have healing powers of its own.

“I’m a goal-scorer,” he said with a wide smile. “And one of my goals was to get back on the field and score.”

Twitter: @vzmercogliano

Let the games officially begin. Today will mark the first full day of volleyball matches in the area. I’ll be covering John Jay-East Fishkill at Ossining this afternoon and hosting a Facebook Live chat tonight at 8 p.m. I’ll type up all of the results from tonight after the chat and post them to the blog as soon as possible.

Pawling defeated Dobbs Ferry in the Section 1 Class C playoff championship at Hendrick Hudson High School in Montrose Nov 6, 2015.

Follow or add me on Facebook so that you’ll get a notification when I go live.

COVERAGE: Need-to-know #lohudvolleyball info for this season

Below is the schedule of today’s matches. Everyday, I will predict winners for each match and keep a running tally throughout the season. (Spoiler alert: I’m not going to pick 100 percent. Yes, that means I’m going to pick your team to lose at some point and I’ll be wrong.) Don’t take any of the picks personal, this is just something fun I’ve been doing through the years. Use it as motivation, if you will, but please don’t think there’s any vendetta against your team.

Tuesday, Sept. 6

Peekskill at Riverside, 4:15 p.m.
Albertus Magnus at Clarkstown North, 4:15 p.m.
Yorktown at Port Chester, 4:30 p.m.
Beacon at Brewster, 4:30 p.m.
Eastchester at Somers, 4:30 p.m.
Pelham at John Jay, 4:30 p.m.
Ardsley at Horace Greeley, 4:30 p.m.
Byram Hills at Fox Lane, 4:30 p.m.
John Jay-EF at Ossining, 4:30 p.m. — live coverage
Haldane at Mahopac, 4:30 p.m.
White Plains at Carmel, 4:30 p.m.
Sleepy Hollow at Roosevelt, 4:45 p.m.

Zacchio’s prediction record last night: 0-0
Zacchio’s prediction record for the season: 0-0

Eastchester coach Fred DiCarlo shown during his team’s 22-20 win over visiting Harrison at Eastchester High School on Sept. 3, 2016.

Every week, Josh Thomson will select a Coach of the Week from the previous weekend’s games. To send suggestions, contact Josh via e-mail at jthomson@lohud.com or on Twitter @lohudinsider.

Varsity Insider Week 1 Coach of the Week —

Fred DiCarlo, Eastchester: Heaping so much praise on a coach who won his opener off an 8-1 season may seem excessive, but DiCarlo did not appear to have a team nearly as talented as last year’s Class A semifinalist. They lost almost all of that team’s best players, including senior stars John Arcidiacono and Andrew Schultz and junior lineman Antonio Rogliano, who transferred to Brunswick this summer.

Not surprisingly perhaps, the Eagles opened their season slowly Saturday. They fell behind Harrison 13-2, but they never quit. A key defensive stand spurred their comeback. Yet even after they secured a 16-13 lead, Harrison went back ahead, 20-16, with 10:08 left. DiCarlo’s team responded one more time, scoring with 4:43 remaining to beat Harrison 22-20.

Week 1: Eastchester scores upset with unlikely comeback

“It was one of our bigger wins because I don’t think anybody expected it,” DiCarlo said after the game.

Maybe him included.

Twitter: @lohudinsider

Carmel’s Sean Harrington, left, and White Plains’ Alessndro Battaglia battle during a varsity soccer game at White Plains High School Sept. 16, 2015.

Today is the first day of the 2016 season with a full slate of games, so I’ll resume my usual daily picks. If yesterday’s Westchester vs. Rockland Challenge was any indication, my predictions are looking pretty meaningless so far this year. But let’s have some fun anyway.

ICYMI: Pearl River senior Francesco Galvano is a cancer survivor who is hoping to inspire hope in two sick classmates

Here is Tuesday’s schedule, with my picks in bold:

Eastchester at White Plains, 4:15 p.m.
Lourdes at Brewster, 4:15 p.m.
YMA at North Salem, 4:30 p.m.
Tuckahoe at Woodlands, 4:30 p.m.
Rye Neck at Pawling, 4:30 p.m.
Briarcliff at Bronxville, 4:30 p.m.
Panas at Peekskill, 4:30 p.m.
Pelham at Sleepy Hollow, 4:30 p.m.
Putnam Valley at Horace Greeley, 4:30 p.m.
Keio at Rye, 4:30 p.m.
Beacon at Carmel, 4:30 p.m.
Arlington B at Haldane, 4:30 p.m.
Irvington at Ardsley, 4:30 p.m.
Westlake at Solomon Schechter, 4:30 p.m.
Scarsdale B at Edgemont, 4:30 p.m.
Ossining at John Jay, 5 p.m.
Clarkstown North at Nyack, 6 p.m.

Twitter: @vzmercogliano

Brett Makar breaks away from the John Jay defense during Yorktown’s 44-21 win at John Jay High School in Cross River on Sept. 2, 2016.

Every week, Josh Thomson will select a Player of the Week from the previous weekend’s games. To send suggestions, contact Josh via e-mail at jthomson@lohud.com or on Twitter@lohudinsider.

Varsity Insider Week 1 Player of the Week —

Brett Makar, Yorktown: When it comes to filling big shoes, Makar had bigger shoes to fill than just about any player in Section 1. His predecessor, Nick Santavicca, ran for a school-record 3,605 yards and scored 34 career touchdowns. The totals are mind-boggling, especially when you consider Santavicca reached them in basically just two varsity seasons. But for everything Santavicca accomplished the last two years, Makar didn’t need long to outrun his considerable shadow. The junior debuted as Yorktown’s starting back with 18 carries for 210 yards and three touchdowns in Friday night’s 44-21 win at John Jay.

Week 1 rewind: Brett Makar sparks complete Yorktown effort

Week 1 Coach of the Week: Fred DiCarlo, Eastchester

Week 1 Scoreboard: Results from Sept. 2-3

Makar’s combination of speed and strength allowed him to run both around and through the John Jay defense. He also used those same skills off the edge on defense. He broke through the line virtually untouched to record three sacks from outside linebacker. That included two on the same possession as John Jay — trailing by eight points at the time — tried to draw even just before halftime.

Like Santavicca, Makar played a complementary role as a sophomore. One game into his career as Yorktown’s starting back, that’s not all the two have in common.

The Week 1 honor roll

Nick Cunningham, Hen Hud

Rob DiNota, Westlake

Jack Guida, Brewster

Lorenzo Henderson, Ramapo

Romeo Holden, New Rochelle

Messiah Horne, Somers

Brett Makar, Yorktown

James McKiernan, Pearl River

Tyreke Smith, Spring Valley

Twitter: @lohudinsider

North Rockland opens the season at Ursuline.

The season is officially in full swing.

When my schedule allows, I will cover a few games and the plan is to watch Somers at Eastchester later on this afternoon. You can follow me @hoopsmbd for scoring updates. The recaps will go up sometime after 9 p.m. or so. Going forward, the weekly power rankings will publish on Sunday and the Lohud Girls Soccer Player of the Week goes online Monday, so keep an eye out for those.

You can tweet me scores if you’re out watching, too.

September 6

(All games are 4:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted)

Clarkstown North at Nyack, 4 p.m.

Somers at Eastchester, 4:15 p.m.

Carmel at Hen Hud, 4:15 p.m.

Hastings vs. Pelham at Glover Field

Tappan Zee at Yorktown

Westlake at Harrison

Haldane at Croton

Pleasantville at New Rochelle

Warwick at Clarkstown South

North Rockland at Ursuline

John Jay at Pearl River

Hackley at Greens Farms

Panas at Hen Hud tournament, 6:30 p.m.

Soccer ball on grass

2016 Ardsley Panthers
Coach — Eric Petrone

What was your final record last season and where did you finish in the playoffs? 4-12-1; lost to Edgemont in the first round of the Class B playoffs.

Who are your key returning players? We have 11 returning players and are looking forward to a successful season. Seniors Eiki Hasegawa (Mid), Ryan Freidman (Def), Marcelo Pereria (Mid), Ethan Seiler (Def), Antonio DiCaterina (Fwd), and former defender and first-time goalie Robert Ostrower looks great in net.

We also have a number of newcomers rounding out our 20-man squad. Freshman Nicholas Toledo is fast and has an excellent touch. Mohan Das, Benett Lawrence and Alex Cohen have earned themselves minutes with some excellent play in the preseason.

What do you consider to be your team’s biggest challenges for the season? Moving up to Class A this year we have a work cut out for us. Though we are returning a number of players and have some excellent youth to complement that, we are facing top-level teams in our league in Byram Hills, Pelham and Eastchester.

What would you like your team identity or motto to be? We figure make the playoffs, keep our guys healthy and catch lightning in a bottle come the postseason. We have a number of three- and four-year players on the squad. Our primary strength is experience. We’ve been there before and we’re ready to get it done.

Up next: Spring Valley

I’ll be posting these previews every day leading up to the start of the high school season in early September. Coaches, if you did not receive a capsule email and would like to participate, please fill out the questions below and send them to me at vmercoglia@lohud.com.

OSSINING — Ahead of going toe-to-toe with reigning Class AA section finalists JohnJay-East Fishkill, the Ossining girls volleyball team was trying to shake off some season-opening jitters.

They were nerves of anticipation, not fear.

Ossining’s Kelsey Quain (16) and Carmela Velardo (12) blocks John Jay East Fishkill shot during girls volleyball at Ossining High School on Tuesday, Sept. 6, 3016.

The Pride made quick work of their foes, 25-13, 25-15, 25-16, but head coach Lauren Riccardi is hoping the girls won’t be riding too high following Tuesday’s sweep.

“Hopefully it doesn’t do too much, because I don’t want them to get overconfident,” Riccardi said. “I want them to understand that every single point is important.”

Riccardi said she runs practice drills with the score tied at 22 so the team gets acclimated to high-pressure situations. Fortunately for the Pride (1-0), those situations were non-existent the Patriots.

“It’s kind of like a new team for us,” junior setter Lauren Ojito said of Ossining, which is in the upswing of a rebuilding phase that began with Riccardi’s arrival in 2012. “There’s a lot of new players, so we weren’t really adapted to each other, but I think once the game started going that we were just on top (of things).”

The road trip is the first of many that John Jay-East Fishkill will be making this season. The Patriots will be playing all of their matches away from home due to gymnasium renovations that were unfinished in time for the season. John Jay-East Fishkill reached the section final as a 6-seed last year, winning its quarterfinal and semifinal matches in five sets before dropping the final to Scarsdale in five.

Player of the match: Mychael Vernon, Ossining: The freshman phenom is truly going to be something to watch over the next four years. Vernon paced the Pride with a team-high 15 kills, and was dynamic on the court throughout the entire match.

Turning point: Each set started off back and forth before Ossining found a rhythm about midway through. The Pride ended the sets with runs of 12-3, 17-7, and 15-2, respectively.

Stat line: Vernon did most of the damage on the attack for Ossining, racking up 15 of the team’s 28 kills. Vernon and Nadia Lau each had two aces for the Pride. Kelsey Quain and Ojito ran the offense, recording 13 and 12 assists, respectively.

Quotable: “It was my first (match) of my freshman year. I wanted to do good and impress everyone and make my mom proud.” – Mychael Vernon, on what she was most nervous about Tuesday

Twitter: @Zacchio_LoHud

Eastchester’s Skylar Capasso, left fights for the ball with Somers’ Ali Kalayjian during their game at Eastchester Sept. 6, 2016. Somers won 8-1.

Somers’ Melina Couzis controls the ball on her way to scoring a goal during a game at Eastchester Sept. 6, 2016. Somers won 8-1.

Somers’ Ella Beresford, left, fights for the ball with Eastchester’s Katie Bugbee during their game at Eastchester Sept. 6, 2016. Somers won 8-1.

EASTCHESTER – It’s nothing like riding a bicycle.

Not even a perennial Section 1 power like Somers is able to pick up right where it left off last fall, which explains the minimal peaks and multiple valleys the reigning Class A champs encountered on Tuesday in an 8-1 win over Eastchester.

The season is only just beginning and there is no reason to rush the process.

“I think we have trouble at first picking up our game and getting back to where we left off because we’re away from each other for so long,” Tuskers forward Melina Couzis said. “In the preseason we do a good job of getting used to each other and getting back to the style we play. I think as the season goes on we’re going to get better and better.”

Somers opened with two captains on the sideline due to injury.

Couzis and Ciara Ostrander have a long-established connection and that was more than enough to get things rolling.

The chatter up and down the field never stopped.

“It’s going to take some time for us to gel,” Ostrander said. “We did work on building chemistry a lot in the preseason, but communication is key. We’ll talk to each other on the field, get used to each other and get better from here.”

Somers and Ella Beresford picked up an 8-1 win over Eastchester on Tuesday.

There are nine starters back from a 20-1 season and enough firepower to make the Tuskers a favorite again.

Even so, they are making a number of important adjustments.

“I look to see that we have good combinations, that we connect on passes,” Somers coach Paul Saia said. “I wasn’t really happy in the first 20 or 30 minutes of the game. … Sometimes it can take a whole season, sometimes it can take half a season to build that chemistry.”

Player of the game: Couzis kept the defense busy, finishing with two goals and three assists before taking a seat early in the second half.

Turning point: The Eagles were missing six regulars due to a rash of preseason injuries but were scrappy until Claire Mensi gave Somers a 3-0 lead in the 24th minute, heading in a Katrina Kurtz corner kick.

“We gave it what we had,” Eastchester coach Frank Fiore said. “We played tough in the first half, but their firepower was just a little too much for us to handle.”

Stat line: Ostrander had two goals and two assists. Jessica Rodriguez, Ella Beresford and Natalie Walsh also scored for the Tuskers. Amanda Brugger had a pair of assists. … Ailish Fay had the Eagles’ goal and Danielle Mejia came up with 19 saves.

Quotable: “It felt awesome to get that first goal,” Ostrander said. “It definitely gives you a lot of confidence. I think we have a lot of people on this team that can score. It makes us a lot harder to mark as a team.”

Journal News volleyball beat writer Mike Zacchio will put up results from the night (or previous night, if posted in the morning) and the upcoming schedule for fans to catch up on what happened. The nightly post will include links to any coverage from the day, roundups of all match results received, a scoreboard of all scores received, an update on Zacchio’s prediction record throughout the season, and the upcoming schedule with predictions.

GAME STORY: Ossining finds its groove, sweeps John Jay-EF to open season

PHOTO GALLERY: Ossining vs. John Jay-East Fishkill volleyball

FACEBOOK LIVE: Chat with lohud volleyball beat writer Mike Zacchio

Here are the roundups from Tuesday, Sept. 6:

Haldane players come togther to celebtate after a scoring play during the Class D State Volleyball Finals Sunday November 22, 2015 at Glens Falls Civic Center.

Haldane 3, Mahopac 2: Brooke Vahos recorded the first triple-double of the season — 25 kills, 15 assists, 11 digs — in a 25-19, 10-25, 26-24, 15-25, 26-24 win over the Indians. Vahos was a Journal News/lohud Super 7 selection this season.

Yorktown 3, Port Chester 0: Macey Drezek had six aces and 22 assists in a 25-7, 25-6, 25-10 win over the Rams. Amanda Rolle and Toni Fiore added 12 aces and seven kills, respectively.

Pelham 3 John Jay 0: Charlotte Krause had 10 kills and four aces in a 25-16, 25-17, 25-16 win over the Indians. Sydney Shotkoski added 25 assists for the Pelicans.

Brewster 3, Beacon 2: Carey Lyons had nine kills in a 24-26, 20-25, 25-15, 25-20,25-15 come-from-behind win over the Bulldogs. Nicole Rosner and Amanda Mejia added seven kills and 14 digs, respectively.

Fox Lane 3, Byram Hills 0: Christina Pansini had six kills in a 25-19, 25-20, 25-22 win over the Bobcats. Hanna Harrington added 14 assists and eight digs.

North Rockland 3, Scarsdale B 0: Madison Monahan had 15 kills and five aces in a 25-3, 25-7, 25-8 win over the Raiders. Jessica Ouderkirk added 25 assists and six aces for the Red Raiders.

Somers 3, Eastchester 1: Alexa Hoffman had 23 kills in a 25-23, 23-25, 29-27, 25-11 win over the Eagles. Haley Paiva and Liz Spencer each added 20 assists for the Tuskers.

White Plains 3, Carmel 0: Juliet Lodes had 10 kills in a 25-19, 25-9, 18-25, 25-14 win over the Rams. Carolina Konarski added three kills, seven aces and 31 assists for the Tigers.

Ardsley 3, Horace Greeley 1: Christina Chu had 10 aces and 31 digs in a 25-10, 23-25, 25-19, 27-25 win over the Quakers. Marie McNerney added 11 kills for the Panthers.

Scoreboard for Tuesday, Sept. 6:

Ossining 3, John Jay-East Fishkill 0
Haldane 3, Mahopac 2
Yorktown 3, Port Chester 0
Pelham 3 John Jay 0
Brewster 3, Beacon 2
Fox Lane 3, Byram Hills 0
North Rockland 3, Scarsdale B 0
Somers 3, Eastchester 1
White Plains 3, Carmel 0
Ardsley 3, Horace Greeley 1

Zacchio’s prediction record last night: 6-3
Zacchio’s prediction record for the season: 6-3

Here’s the schedule for Wednesday, Sept. 7, along with my predictions:

Lourdes at Albertus Magnus, 4:15 p.m.
Somers at Harrison, 4:15 p.m.
Panas at Pelham, 4:30 p.m.
Yonkers Montessori at Blind Brook, 4:30 p.m.
Pawling at Dobbs Ferry, 4:30 p.m.
Croton-Harmon at Ketcham, 4:30 p.m.
Keio at Valhalla, 4:30 p.m.
Hastings at Pleasantville, 4:30 p.m.
Putnam Valley at Briarcliff, 4:30 p.m.
Hamilton at North Salem, 6 p.m.

Twitter: @Zacchio_LoHud

Somers opened the season with an 8-1 win at Eastchester.

Croton-Harmon 6, Haldane 3

Goals:  CH – Charlotte Thornton 2, Ryan Noel, Grace Reyer, Chloe Ginman, Katie Dorn.  Hd -Hannah Monteleone, Alzy Cinquenta, Allison Chiera.

Assists: CH – Grace Reyer 2.

Saves: CH – Meaghan Walsh 9.  Hd – Amelia Hall 5, Abigail Platt 3

Halftime: Croton 3, Haldane 1

Walter Panas 1, Hen Hud 0

Goal: WP – Sarah Offenbacher.

Assists: None

Saves: WP – Jade Pagel 9. HH – Diana Guariglia 7.

Halftime: Panas 1, Hen Hud 0

Noteworthy: Sarah Offenbacher scored the only goal of the game in the 14th minute on a direct kick from 40 yards. The Panthers will play for the championship of the Hen Hud Invitational on Thursday at 6:30 p.m.

Pearl River 3 John Jay 0

Goals: PR – Sarah Donovan, Cate Feerick, Aileen McBride.

Assists: PR – Cate Feerick, Tara Guilfoyle

Saves: PR – Katherine Carstenson 7. JJ – Alison Jahn 5, Alison Oestreicher 6.

Halftime Pearl River 2, John Jay 0

Ardsley 5, Solomon Schechter 0

Goals: A – Samantha Torrellas 3, Olivia Curtin, Talia Rubino.

Assists: A – Samantha Torrellas, Sophia Closter, Talia Rubino, Olivia Curtin.

Saves: A Molly Segall 0, Emma Jacobson 0. SS: Lily Hochfelder 30.

Yorktown 3, Tappan Zee 2

Goals: Yk – Alyssa Francese 2, Kim Bourgeois. TZ – Samantha Pepe, Kelly Harris.

Assists: Yk – Ivana Pjetri, Ellen O’Callaghan.

Saves: Yk – Caroline Nachman 8. TZ – Emma Chalusian 8.

Halftime: Yorktown 2, Tappan Zee 0

New Rochelle 3 Pleasantville 0

Goals: NRo – Sophie Wolf, Ruby Hastie, Sydney Jasper.

Assists: None.

Saves: NRo – May Fay 3. PV – NA.

Harrison 5 Westlake 0

Goals: H – Caitlin Alcoba 3, Erin Nelson, Paige Lipman

Assists: H – Kayla Hymowitz, Julia DiRusso, Cara Traficante, Amelia Fischer.

Saves: H – Kate Ryan 10. Ws – Susan Pinchiarolli 11.

Halftime: Harrison 3, Westlake 0

Somers 8, Eastchester 1

Goals: S – Melina Couzis 2, Ciara Ostrander 2, Claire Mensi Jessica Rodriguez, Ella Beresford, Natalie Walsh. Ea – Ailish Fay.

Assists: S – Melina Couzis 3, Ciara Ostrander 2, Amanda Brugger 2, Katrina Kurtz.

Saves: S – Lauren Chiriboga 0, Lauren Jockimo 2. Ea – Danielle Mejia 19.

Halftime: Somers 4, Eastchester 1

Click here to read Mike Dougherty’s game story and see video

Clarkstown South 2, Warwick 1

Goals: CS – Sophia Jean-Charles, Ally Gauzza. W – Greer Liguori.

Assists: CS -Abby Montera 2, Fiona Cummings.

Saves: CS – Shaelyn Menninger 6. W- Gabby Evangelista 17
Halftime: 0-0

North Rockland 1, Ursuline 0

Goal: NR – Maria Cabrera.

Assist: NR – Kelly Brady.

Saves: NR Jenna Braunagel 3. Ursuline – N/A 9.

Halftime: 0-0

Noteworthy: Cabrera scored three minutes into the second half.

Clarkstown North 6, Nyack 1

Goals: CN – Maggie Riordan 3, Jessica Reck, Kathleen Schofield, Erika McCue. Nk: N/A.

Assists: CN – Taylor Haber 2, Maggie Riordan, Kathleen Schofield.

Halftime: North 3, Nyack 0

Not reported

Carmel 2, Fox Lane 1

Pelham 6, Hastings 2

LH Logo: Varsity Scores And Schedules

HIGH SCHOOL

Tuesday’s results

Boys soccer

White Plains 3, Eastchester 2

Brewster 2, Lourdes 0

Rye Neck 5, Pawling 0

Bronxville 2, Briarcliff 1

Peekskill 4, Panas 3 – OT

Sleepy Hollow 1, Pelham 0

Horace Greeley 9, Putnam Valley 0

Rye 2, Keio 1 – OT

Beacon 3, Carmel 2

Haldane 7, Arlington B 1

Ardsley 2, Irvington 1

Solomon Schechter 4, Westlake 1

Edgemont 7, Scarsdale B 0

Ossining 4, John Jay 0

Nyack 7, Clarkstown North 0

Yonkers Montessori at North Salem – NR

Tuckahoe at Woodlands – NR

Girls soccer

Horace Greeley 9, Putnam Valley 0

Clarkstown North 6, Nyack 1

Somers 8, Eastchester 1

Ardsley 5, Solomon Schechter 0

Pelham 6, Hastings 2

Yorktown 3, Tappan Zee 2

Harrison 5, Westlake 0

Croton-Harmon 6, Haldane 3

New Rochelle 3, Pleasantville 0

North Rockland 1, Ursuline 0

Clarkstown South 2, Warwick 1

Pearl River 3, John Jay 0

Hen Hud tournament

Carmel 2, Fox Lane 1

Panas 1, Hen Hud 0

Field hockey

Lakeland/Panas 5, John Jay 0

Croton-Harmon 7, Ossining 0

Fox Lane 4, Pawling 0

Panas 2, Brewster 1

Somers 3, North Salem 2

Briarcliff 2, Sleepy Hollow 2

Volleyball

Yorktown 3, Port Chester 0

Brewster 3, Beacon 2

Somers 3, Eastchester 1

Pelham 3, John Jay 0

Ardsley 3, Horace Greeley 1

Fox Lane 3, Byram Hills 0

Ossining 3, John Jay-EF 0

Haldane 3, Mahopac 2

White Plains 3, Carmel 1

North Rockland 3, Scarsdale B 0

Sleepy Hollow at Roosevelt – NR

Peekskill at Riverside – NR

Albertus Magnus at Clarkstown North – NR

Tennis

Croton-Harmon 3, Valhalla 2

Briarcliff 5, Solomon Schechter 0

John Jay at New Rochelle – NR

Albertus Magnus at White Plains – NR

Dobbs Ferry at Pleasantville – NR

Pawling at North Salem – NR

Westlake at Woodlands – NR

Haldane at Tuckahoe – NR

Rye Neck at Bronxville – NR

Port Chester at Blind Brook – NR

Mamaroneck at Ursuline – NR

Somers at Hen Hud – NR

Panas vs. Peekskill – NR

NR denotes score not reported.

Wednesday’s events

Boys soccer

Briarcliff at Westlake, 4:30 p.m.

Valhalla at Pleasantville, 4:30 p.m.

Hen Hud at Lakeland, 4:30 p.m.

White Plains at Port Chester, 4:30 p.m.

Non-league opponent at Mount Vernon, 4:30 p.m.

Lincoln at Tuckahoe, 4:30 p.m.

New Rochelle at Arlington, 4:30 p.m.

Yorktown tournament

Mahopac vs. Somers, 4:30 p.m.

Arlington B at Yorktown, 6:30 p.m.

Girls soccer

Brewster at Peekskill, 4:15 p.m.

Pearl River at Byram Hills, 4:15 p.m.

Gorton at Nyack, 4:15 p.m.

Lourdes at John Jay, 4:15 p.m.

Croton-Harmon at Ossining, 4:15 p.m.

White Plains vs. East Ramapo, 4:30 p.m.

Dobbs Ferry at Pawling, 4:30 p.m.

Bronxville at Blind Brook, 4:30 p.m.

Pleasantville at Valhalla, 4:30 p.m.

Westlake at Briarcliff, 4:30 p.m.

Horace Greeley at Ketcham, 4:30 p.m.

Nanuet at Irvington, 4:30 p.m.

Rye at Arlington, 4:30 p.m.

Yonkers Montessori at Rye Neck, 4:30 p.m.

Fox Lane at Haldane, 4:30 p.m.

Clarkstown South at Scarsdale, 4:30 p.m.

Yonkers at Hamilton, 4:30 p.m.

Scarsdale B at Edgemont, 4:30 p.m.

Sleepy Hollow at Saunders, 4:45 p.m.

Harrison at Beacon, 4:45 p.m.

North Salem at Mamaroneck, 5 p.m.

Mahopac at Lakeland, 6:30 p.m.

Suffern at Tappan Zee, 7 p.m.

Field hockey

Ketcham at Clarkstown North, 4:15 p.m.

North Rockland at Ursuline, 4:15 p.m.

Mamaroneck at Scarsdale, 4:15 p.m.

Byram Hills at Horace Greeley, 4:15 p.m.

Nanuet at Clarkstown South, 4:15 p.m.

Panas at Putnam Valley, 4:15 p.m.

Pearl River vs. Suffern at Suffern MS, 4:15 p.m.

Nyack at Bronxville, 4:30 p.m.

Sleepy Hollow vs. Pelham at Glover field, 5:30 p.m.

Lourdes at Hen Hud, 6:30 p.m.

Volleyball

Lourdes at Albertus Magnus, 4:15 p.m.

Somers at Harrison, 4:15 p.m.

Panas at Pelham, 4:30 p.m.

Yonkers Montessori at Blind Brook, 4:30 p.m.

Pawling at Dobbs Ferry, 4:30 p.m.

Croton-Harmon at Ketcham, 4:30 p.m.

Keio at Valhalla, 4:30 p.m.

Hastings at Pleasantville, 4:30 p.m.

Putnam Valley at Briarcliff, 4:30 p.m.

Hamilton at North Salem, 6 p.m.

Swimming

Yorktown vs. Lakeland/Panas at Copper Beech MS, 4:30 p.m.

Putnam Valley vs. Peekskill at Peekskill MS, 4:30 p.m.

Tennis

Albertus Magnus vs. Dobbs Ferry at Mercy, 4 p.m.

Fox Lane at Arlington, 4:15 p.m.

Yorktown at John Jay-EF, 4:15 p.m.

Carmel at Ketcham, 4:15 p.m.

Mahopac at Horace Greeley, 4:15 p.m.

Suffern at Mamaroneck, 4:15 p.m.

Clarkstown South at Scarsdale, 4:15 p.m.

New Rochelle at North Rockland, 4:15 p.m.

Ursuline at Clarkstown North, 4:15 p.m.

Mount Vernon at East Ramapo, 4:15 p.m.

Ossining at Port Chester, 4:15 p.m.

Panas vs. Hen Hud at Lake Street Tennis Courts, 4:15 p.m.

Nanuet at Tappan Zee, 4:30 p.m.

Nyack at Pearl River, 4:30 p.m.

Byram Hills at Pelham, 4:30 p.m.

Harrison vs. Rye at Rye Recreation Park, 4:30 p.m.

Irvington vs. Tuckahoe at Leewood Tennis, 4:30 p.m.

Beacon at Brewster, 4:30 p.m.

Cross country

Pleasantville, Irvington, Woodlands at Croton-Harmon, 4:30 p.m.

Briarcliff, Hastings at Valhalla, 4:30 p.m.

Rye Neck, Putnam Valley, Children’s Village at Keio, 4:30 p.m.

Bronxville, Haldane at Blind Brook, 4:30 p.m.

Edgemont, Westlake at Pawling, 4:30 p.m.

Dobbs Ferry, Hamilton at North Salem, 4:30 p.m.

Thursday’s events

Boys soccer

Clarkstown South at Ketcham, 4:15 p.m.

Fox Lane at Horace Greeley, 4:15 p.m.

Tappan Zee at Yonkers, 4:15 p.m.

East Ramapo at Riverside, 4:15 p.m.

Spring Valley at Mount Vernon, 4:30 p.m.

Ossining at Carmel, 4:30 p.m.

Harrison at Panas, 4:30 p.m.

Beacon at Brewster, 4:30 p.m.

Eastchester at Nyack, 4:30 p.m.

Pelham at Pearl River, 4:30 p.m.

Hen Hud at Somers, 4:30 p.m.

Nanuet at John Jay, 4:30 p.m.

Peekskill at Roosevelt, 4:30 p.m.

Albertus Magnus at Saunders, 4:30 p.m.

Byram Hills at Ardsley, 4:30 p.m.

Pawling at Yonkers Montessori, 4:30 p.m.

Irvington at Tuckahoe, 4:30 p.m.

Haldane at Solomon Schechter, 4:30 p.m.

Hamilton at Woodlands, 4:30 p.m.

Croton-Harmon at Dobbs Ferry, 4:30 p.m.

Hastings at Keio, 4:30 p.m.

Edgemont at Blind Brook, 4:30 p.m.

Rye Neck at Bronxville, 4:30 p.m.

Lincoln at Sleepy Hollow, 4:30 p.m.

Girls soccer

Saunders at Pelham, 4:15 p.m.

Ursuline at Clarkstown North, 4:30 p.m.

Solomon Schechter at Rye Neck, 4:30 p.m.

Hen Hud tournament

Consolation: 4:15 p.m.

Championship: 6:30 p.m.

Yorktown tournament

TBA, 4:30 p.m.

TBA, 6:30 p.m.

Field hockey

Rye Neck at Briarcliff, 4:30 p.m.

Hastings at Edgemont, 4:30 p.m.

Irvington at Valhalla, 4:30 p.m.

Croton-Harmon at Putnam Valley, 4:30 p.m.

North Salem at Pleasantville, 4:30 p.m.

Brewster at Arlington, 4:30 p.m.

Nyack at Harrison, 4:30 p.m.

Somers tournament

Consolation: 4 p.m.

Championship: 5:45 p.m.

Volleyball

Yonkers at Nanuet, 4:15 p.m.

Harrison at Nyack, 4:15 p.m.

Byram Hills at Pearl River, 4:15 p.m.

East Ramapo at Mount Vernon, 4:30 p.m.

Mamaroneck at Port Chester, 4:30 p.m.

Horace Greeley at White Plains, 4:30 p.m.

Arlington at Scarsdale, 4:30 p.m.

Clarkstown North at Yorktown, 4:30 p.m.

John Jay-EF at Ursuline, 4:30 p.m.

Mahopac at Ossining, 4:30 p.m.

North Rockland at Fox Lane, 4:30 p.m.

Hen Hud at Ardsley, 4:30 p.m.

Lincoln at Peekskill, 4:30 p.m.

Lakeland at John Jay, 4:30 p.m.

Blind Brook at Solomon Schechter, 4:30 p.m.

Brewster at Ketcham, 4:30 p.m.

Suffern at Carmel, 5 p.m.

Rye at Tappan Zee, 5:45 p.m.

New Rochelle at Clarkstown South, 6 p.m.

Beacon at Haldane, 6 p.m.

Swimming

Harrison at White Plains, 4:30 p.m.

Tennis

Clarkstown South at Clarkstown North, 4 p.m.

Croton-Harmon at Dobbs Ferry, 4:15 p.m.

North Salem at Solomon Schechter, 4:15 p.m.

Pleasantville at Westlake, 4:15 p.m.

Woodlands at Valhalla, 4:15 p.m.

Briarcliff at Irvington, 4:15 p.m.

Haldane at Pawling, 4:15 p.m.

Edgemont at Rye Neck, 4:15 p.m.

Blind Brook at Bronxville, 4:15 p.m.

Hastings at Keio, 4:15 p.m.

Mamaroneck at Yorktown, 4:15 p.m.

Scarsdale B at White Plains, 4:15 p.m.

Fox Lane at John Jay, 4:30 p.m.

New Rochelle at Harrison, 4:30 p.m.

Suffern at Nyack, 4:30 p.m.

Soccer ball on grass

RESULTS FROM TUESDAY, SEPT. 6

White Plains 3, Eastchester 2: At WP, Joel Jump scored the winning goal on an assist from Pablo Castro in the 80th minute and Alessandro Battaglia scored the other two goals for the Tigers. Luca Fava and Andre Gheileman scored for the Eagles.

Bronxville 2, Briarcliff 1: At Bronxville, Jeb Burnell scored both goals for the Broncos, the first assisted by Matthew Toal. Matt Cohen scored on an assist from Jack Dineen for the Bears.

Solomon Schechter 4, Westlake 1: At Schechter, Miles Ogihara scored twice and Johnathan Tolchinsky had a goal and an assist. Ethan Sidelsky had two assists and Jonathan Rand scored a goal.

Rye Neck 5, Pawling 0: At Pawling, Luis Galeano had a hat trick and Reed Peterson had a goal and an assist. The Panthers’ defense held the Tigers without a shot on goal.

Ossining 4, John Jay 0: At John Jay, Nolan Lenaghan scored twice, Edwin Jarama had a goal and an assist and Miguel Marra had a goal.

Sleepy Hollow 1, Pelham 0: At Sleepy, Max Cover scored on a penalty kick in the 65th minute and Andrew Laub made six saves for the shutout.

Brewster 2, Lourdes 0: At Brewster, Kevin Moroney and Anthony Ferrandino scored and Michael Charbonneau made five saves for the shutout.

Beacon 3, Carmel 2: At Carmel, Devin Lambe scored twice and Jordan Nikolai had the third goal for the Bulldogs. Michael Capitola and Brian Quezada scored for the Rams.

Edgemont 7, Scarsdale B 0: At Edgemont, Sarvesh Kaul had a goal and two assists, Julian Darviche scored twice and Stefano Ballas had two assists. Eliot Hamill made six saves for the shutout and also had an assist.

Ardsley 2, Irvington 1: At Ardsley, Eiki Hasegawa scored the winning goal on an indirect free kick from Ryan Freidman. Harris Halperin scored on an assist from Marcelo Pereira to tie the game for the Panthers after Henry Moness had given the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead.

Peekskill 4, Panas 3, OT: At Peekskill, Oswald Annang scored a hat trick to lead the Red Devils on a comeback after the Panthers went up 3-0.

Horace Greeley 9, Putnam Valley 0: At Greeley, Johnny Gerstein had two goals and two assists and Will Seidman had two goals and an assist. Ryan Sullivan scored twice and Jack Cohen and Ben Cannon each had a goal and an assist.

Nyack 7, Clarkstown North 0: At Nyack, Wismento Saint-Germain had four goals and Henry Eisen had four assists.

Rye 2, Keio 1, OT: At Keio, John Amaya scored the winning goal.

Twitter: @vzmercogliano

Schools throughout the area got underway in earnest Tuesday, as did the 2016 high school field hockey season.

Below is a recap of the action.

Field hockey recaps from September 16, 2016

Somers 3, North Salem 2: Katie Campbell scored twice and had an assist and Elizabeth Olsen also scored as the Tuskers edged visiting North Salem to go 2-0 on the season.

Taylor Turchick and Hannagh Lustig also had assists for Somers, whose goalie, Jess Monaco, had four stops.

Isabella Fox-Mills and Natalie Intieri scored for the Tigers. Olivia Desanto started in net for North Salem and had a superb second half with 13 saves.

Panas 2, Brewster 1: Danielle Merante scored and had an assist and Carlyn Mucci also scored in the Panthers’ win.

Briana Sayegh scored for the Bears. Antoinette Guerreio had five saves and Sam Anfuso had two for Brewster.

Lakeland 5, John Jay-Cross River 0: The defending Class B state champs got off to a good start with a 5-0 win over the Indians. All the scoring occurred in the first half.

Meghan Fahey had two goals and Cali Cortese had a goal and an assist.

Kelsey McCrudden and Julianna Cappello also scored for Lakeland and Caroline Cahill added an assist.

Hayley Martinsen stopped 28 shots for John Jay. Cassie Halpin had two saves for Lakeland.

Fox Lane 4, Pawling 0: Olivia Dey had a goal and two assists as the Foxes began 2016 in promising fashion with a strong performance against the Tigers in which goalie Grace Kiernan didn’t see a single shot.

Natalie Bayzk, Amelia Tomson and Kayla Gallagher also scored.

Pawling goalie Lauren Sullivan had five saves.

Briarcliff 2, Sleep Hollow 2: Briarcliff’s Teresa Marinaccio scored twice, both on Aleena Hussain assists.

Twitter: @HaggertyNancy

Yorktown celebrates their first goal against Scarsdale during their Class AA boys soccer semifinal at Purchase College Oct. 29, 2105.

Here is Wednesday’s schedule, with my picks in bold:

Peekskill at Early College, 4:30 p.m.
Haldane at Solomon Schechter, 4:30 p.m.
Hen Hud at Lakeland, 4:30 p.m.
White Plains at Port Chester, 4:30 p.m.
New Rochelle at Arlington, 5 p.m.

Mount Pleasant Cup
Semifinals
Briarcliff at Westlake, 4:30 p.m.
Valhalla at Pleasantville, 4:30 p.m.

Yorktown Tournament
Semifinals
Somers vs. Mahopac, 4:30 p.m.
Arlington B vs. Yorktown, 6:30 p.m.

Twitter: @vzmercogliano

Cali Cortese (r) scores winning goal for Lakeland in benefit scrimmage game..

HILLBURN – Jess and Jess – juniors Jessica Clark and Jessica Back – managed one of the gates Saturday at the New York/New Jersey Field Hockey Challenge, a three-game scrimmage.

The teens, members of Suffern’s varsity field hockey team, had just finished playing Ramsey High School and were collecting the $2 voluntary admission donation at Torne Valley Recreation Center’s stadium.

Except, they noted, most folks were handing them fives and walking in without looking for change.

Those people got more than $5 worth of field hockey. Suffern coach Gaby Somma sat in the stands after her game and, watching Lakeland play West Essex, quipped about seeing Division I-level college drives while enveloped in the overwhelming odor of snack-bar chicken.

Ramsey High, winner of three of the past five Bergen County championships, defeated Somma’s Mounties 3-0.

Head coach John Savaage and assistant Tricia Miller talk to their Mamaroneck Tigers during Saturday’s New York/New Jersey Field Hockey Challenge that raised $1,200 in the fight against breast cancer.

Lakeland, which has won seven straight state championships, edged West Essex, winners of five Essex County titles, 2-1. Kelsey McCrudden and Cali Cortese scored for Lakeland.

Mamaroneck, which is coming off consecutive state titles (and has four overall) in Class A (largest school), lost 2-0 to Oak Knoll, the eight-time New Jersey champion.

The games afforded coaches the opportunity to assess their squads before diving into contests that counted.

But the scrimmages also counted, only in a different way and enough so that all the referees, top-level veterans who came from both states, volunteered their time.

The Challenge, an idea hatched, then implemented by veteran ref Chuck Cohen of Palisades, who also runs summer and winter leagues out of Torne Valley, benefited Suffern-based Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center’s breast cancer services.

Cali Cortese scores winning goal for Lakeland in Good Samaritan Hospital benefit scrimmage game.

Dee Leone, a New York ref who lives in Valley Cottage, and Kitty White, a New Jersey ref who lives in West Milford, New Jersey, officiated the final game. That was Mamaroneck’s, which saw Tigers head coach John Savage smartly attired in a bright pink shirt and more muted pink sneakers.

The two were supporting Cohen, who’s “such a good guy and an advocate for the game,” White said.

“Chuck does so much to elevate field hockey,” Leone said, adding of the day, “It’s just one of the good causes.”

It was also personal for White.

“I know the loss of cancer. Any time I can give back with cancer I do because of the loss in my own life,” White said.

Cohen ordered three dozen T-shirts that cost him $10 each and before the Mamaroneck game concluded, they’d sold out at $20 a pop.

Cohen never even got a shirt himself. But he wasn’t squawking. He’d guessed the event would raise about $600. It raised $1,200.

One West Essex parent donated $250 and Meghan McCarren, a 17-year-old Suffern player, refused to take her $75 50/50 raffle winnings. (Cohen eventually made her take $20.)

McCarren’s generosity wasn’t surprising. Somma has instilled in her kids a sense of community participation and responsibility.

Asked about what her coach has the team involved in this season, Clark, with a look of bemused resignation said, “There’s something every weekend.”

The list includes the recently held 12-varsity-team/six-JV field hockey scrimmage day to benefit the Jami Erlich memorial scholarship fund; the Tunnel to Towers Run to benefit injured first responders; hosting a game for local soup kitchens; hosting a military appreciation game to send goods to soldiers; and multiple things Somma characterizes as “mini team projects to just make people in the community happy.

“The reason I want the girls to be a part of any fundraiser games or events is so that they learn there is something bigger than them,” Somma said. “Field hockey might end after college but you can always help others. There is always a way to make the world better.”

As for the challenge, Cohen emphasized Saturday was a “first annual” event.

Lakeland coach Sharon Sarsen smiled and said, “He already made me sign on the dotted line (for next year).”

“Next year we might even expand to eight (teams),” Cohen added.

Twitter: @HaggertyNancy

Pearl River and Byram Hills meet at 4:15 p.m. today in a rematch of a Section 1 Class A playoff game.

I’ll do more commentary when I get more familiar with the programs and rivalries. There seem to be a number of good matchups in every direction today, so tag me @hoopsmbd if you’re out watching. Keep an eye on my Twitter feed each night for scores and some highlights. I’ll be on Long Island for a golf tournament, but will keep the phone handy. The recaps will go up late tonight after I get back.

Enjoy.

Related: Somers gets right back to winning

Related: Lohud Girls Soccer Scoreboard for September 6

September 7

(All games are 4:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted).

Brewster at Peekskill, 4:15 p.m.

Pearl River at Byram Hills, 4:15 p.m.

Gorton at Nyack, 4:15 p.m.

Croton at Ossining, 4:15 p.m.

White Plains at East Ramapo

Lourdes at John Jay

Dobbs Ferry at Pawling

Bronxville at Blind Brook

Pleasantville at Valhalla

Westlake at Briarcliff

Greeley at Ketcham

Nanuet at Irvington

Rye at Arlington

Fox Lane at Haldane

Clarkstown South at Scarsdale

Yonkers at Hamilton

Scarsdale B at Edgemont

Sleepy Hollow at Saunders, 4:45 p.m.

Harrison at Beacon, 4:45 p.m.

North Salem at Mamaroneck, 5 p.m.

Mahopac at Lakeland, 6:30 p.m.

Suffern at Tappan Zee, 7 p.m.

Old Oaks assistant Peter Ballo finished in fourth place at the National Car Rental Met Assistant Championship Wednesday at Bethpage State Park. He earned an invitation to this fall’s national tournament in Florida.

FARMINGDALE – Peter Ballo admittedly gets a little more downtime during the week than most assistant professionals.

It was evident this summer.

The 24-year-old, who is working toward PGA membership at Old Oaks Country Club, made the most of each opportunity to practice and play, finishing in third place at the Westchester Open and the Met Open.

He maintained that momentum at the National Car Rental Met Assistant Championship, winding up in fourth place on Wednesday after posting a 3-under total of 137.

“It’s been a really good summer,” Ballo said Wednesday after closing with a 2-under 68 on the Red Course at Bethpage State Park. “I’ve had a lot of good finishes and been right there at the end. There’s just a learning curve. When you get to that spot, it’s about learning how to be like a Frank Bensel or a Grant Sturgeon or a Rob Labritz. It takes a few times being up there to learn how to control your body and your emotions.”

The rapid improvement has a lot to do with using downtime wisely.

“I’m lucky to be where I am,” added Ballo, who helps with outside operations and teaches occasionally. “I do get to work on my game and prepare. … I always played hockey during the winter in high school. In college, I only went to Florida for maybe a week or two, otherwise I was playing hockey or coaching hockey. So this winter I was down there for about five months and it’s amazing when you don’t lose your clubs and play all year round how consistent you can continue to be.”

Kyle Higgins won the Met Assistants title with a 6-under total of 134.

The 29-year-old Long Island native also made the most of his free time, which is scarce at most clubs on Labor Day weekend.

“It’s a long weekend coming into this event so it’s nice to get a little time in to practice,” he said after signing for a 3-under 67. “I was feeling pretty good coming into this and just held it together.”

Sturgeon was also 3-under in the final round, tying Wheatley Hills’ John Guyton for second at 136.

The Winged Foot assistant made six birdies and three bogeys. He kept the pressure on, manufacturing a number of scoring chances inside 25 feet on the closing holes, but was unable to coax any of them in.

“I played 15 really well, hit a perfect putt and it just didn’t break,” Sturgeon said. “And then at 16, I played a brutally poor hole and somehow made a 15-footer for par, then I hit good putts on 17 and 18. They just missed. All in all, it was good.”

An invitation to play the National Car Rental PGA Assistant Championship in Florida this fall was extended to the top 12 finishers.

Grant Sturgeon (left) and Peter Ballo wait to putt on the 18th green Wendesday during the final round of the Met Assistant Championship at Bethpage Red.

National Car Rental Met Assistant Championship

1. Kyle Higgins (Inwood) 67-67-134

2. Grant Sturgeon (Winged Foot) 69-67-136

2. John Guyton (Wheatley Hills) 69-67-136

4. Peter Ballo (Old Oaks) 69-68-137

5. Josh Rackley (Tam O’Shanter) 71-67-138

6. Kevin Lisi (Bergen Point) 72-67-139

6. Daniel Lee (Deepdale) 68-71-139

8. Ben Polland (Deepdale) 72-68-140

8. Todd Larson (Round Hill) 71-69-140

8. Anthony Aruta (North Shore) 71-69-140

8. Colin Corrigan (Friar’s Head) 69-71-140

8. Matt Noel (Huntington) 68-72-140

Alternates

13. Kyle Baehler (Willow Ridge) 73-68-141

13. Frank Bensel (Century) 71-70-141

13. Jim Farrell (The Creek) 72-69-141

13. Adam Larkin (Old Oaks) 71-70-141

13. Tyler Jaramillo (St. Andrew’s) 70-71-141

Twitter: @lohudgolf