Yes, it's early and teams are finding their footing, but some of our best girls soccer squads seemed to hit the ground running. There were a few marquee matchups and feather-in-the-cap wins in the opening week, including Rye toppling the CHSAA state champion and Arlington upsetting the CHSAA runner-up.
The highlight of this upcoming week is Rye vs. Albertus Magnus, a meeting of defending state champs and the Section 1 teams ranked top 25 nationally, according to United Soccer Coaches.
Records are as of the morning of Sept. 8.
Top 10 power rankings
1. Rye (2-0)
The Garnets opened with quality wins over two excellent upstate teams in the Hall of Fame tournament at Niskayuna. Rye earned a 2-0 victory over St. Mary's (Lancaster), giving the national No. 18 team its first loss since
2024. They also eked out a 3-2 win over Section 2's Shenendehowa. Those were essentially sparring sessions in preparation for a prize fight, visiting Albertus Magnus on Wednesday. Last week: 1
2. Albertus Magnus (1-0)
Give credit to White Plains for making it a closer match than most would've predicted, but the Falcons did come away with a 2-1 win to start their season last Friday. Albertus Magnus this week begins its slate of impressive non-league matchups, beginning with Rye and then St. Anthony's on Saturday. Last week: 2
3. Pleasantville (2-0)
The Panthers had 5-0 wins over Westlake and Briarcliff last week, pretty much resembling themselves in the previous two regular seasons. Pleasantville does have some challenges coming up, though, including hosting Albertus Magnus on Sept. 15. Last week: 3
4. Arlington (3-0)
They jump a spot after an impressive opening week that was highlighted by a 2-1 win over St. Anthony's, a Long Island CHSAA power. Quinn DeSombre and Manhattan commit Chase Harris are off to strong starts. Last week: 5
5. North Rockland (0-0-1)
The Raiders played to a 2-2 tie with Section 6's Lancaster last weekend in the Hall of Fame tournament at Niskayuna. North Rockland graduated a number of stars after reaching the Class AAA regional final, but the team figures to remain a contender. Last week: 4
6. Harrison (1-1)
They opened with a 1-0 loss, but did hold their own against Oceanside, the Long Island Class AAA champion. Harrison quickly rebounded with a 5-1 win over Port Chester. The Huskies have competitive games upcoming this week against Mahopac and Scarsdale. Last week: 7
7. John Jay-Cross River (0-0)
The Wolves returned several of their best players following a breakout run to the Class A sectional semifinals last season. They'll likely be among the best teams in Class AA this fall. John Jay hosts Byram Hills on Tuesday. Last week: 6
8. John Jay-East Fishkill (2-2)
The Patriots did drop games to Bronx Science and South Side (Long Island) in the Hall of Fame tournament, but they started the week with victories over Horace Greeley and Ossining. Last week: 8
9. Tuckahoe (1-1-1)
The Tigers beat Bronxville, 2-0, in their opener before competing in the Hall of Fame tournament. They lost to Section 5's Wheatland-Chili then played to a scoreless tie with Lake George. Last week: 9
10. Blind Brook (2-0)
The defending Section 1 Class B champions traveled to the Albany region for a tournament and had decisive wins over Tamarac and Nichols and saw freshman Kaylin Lobosco introduce herself as a talented scorer. Last week: 10
Stephen Haynes covers sports for The Journal News/lohud.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Arlington, Harrison climb in Sept. 8 lohud girls soccer power rankings
