A very rational argument can be made for there being a tie at the top, considering the teams at the top recently tied each other. But, following that thrilling tie last week, we had to take a tough decision between Albertus Magnus and Rye.
There's plenty of other movement in the rankings this week as Harrison and John Jay-East Fishkill each move up a spot, and three teams make their debut this season.
Records are as of the morning of Sept. 15.
Girls soccer power rankings
1. Rye (3-0-1)
By the narrowest of margins, the Garnets cling to their No. 1 spot. Rye rallied in the second half to avoid a loss to Albertus Magnus, pulling even for a 2-2 draw on Hannah Jachman's goal with 16 seconds left. They followed that with an impressive 3-1 win over Arlington on Monday. Last week: 1
2. Albertus Magnus (2-0-1)
A shaky second
half, losing a 2-0 lead, cost them a chance to skip ahead of Rye this week. Nevertheless, the Falcons showed for a stretch how well they can play against an elite opponent. They demonstrated it again days later, eking out a 1-0 win over St. Anthony's. Last week: 2
3. Pleasantville (3-0)
The Panthers have looked like themselves, outscoring the first three opponents by a combined 14-0. But their goal this season was to elevate, get more battle tested for a potential title run, and entrench themselves among the upper echelon. The first big step toward that comes Tuesday, visiting Albertus Magnus. Last week: 3
4. Arlington (3-1)
A loss to Rye kicked off a challenging week that'll include a meeting with Albertus Magnus on Thursday. That game could be a preview of the Section 1 Class AAA final. And, however it goes, they'll benefit from having this matchup early. Last week: 4
5. Harrison (4-1)
They followed that tough loss to Long Island's Oceanside with quality wins over Mahopac, Scarsdale and Pearl River. The Huskies have more tough games ahead, including league matchups with Rye and Eastchester. Last week: 6
6. North Rockland (1-0-2)
After opening the season with two ties, the Raiders edged Ursuline, 2-1, last Saturday. They've got a full week ahead with three games, including Tappan Zee and a surging Clarkstown North. Last week: 5
7. John Jay-East Fishkill (3-2)
The Patriots' losses were to out-of-area opponents and they've done well against local teams. They've got a challenging week, facing Scarsdale and Somers on consecutive days. Last week: 8
8. Clarkstown North (2-0)
The Rams are off to a solid start, including a tough 2-1 win over Horace Greeley last week. Superstar defender Amanda Bialek has played a part in the offense, scoring four goals already. Last week: N/R
9. Mamaroneck (2-0-2)
Decisive wins over Ursuline and Lakeland, and a tie with defending Class AAA section champ North Rockland, earned the Tigers entry into the top 10. Last week: N/R
10. Croton-Harmon (3-0)
It's hard to overlook their start, and the margins by which they've won. Liza and Jordan Becker are powering an offense that's rung up 20 goals already, and their win over Panas — which blew them out last fall — adds credence to this being a turnaround season. Last week: N/R
On the bubble: Blind Brook (2-1), Briarcliff (2-1), Tuckahoe (1-1-1), White Plains (2-1)
Stephen Haynes covers sports for The Journal News/lohud.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: After tie, Rye & Albertus Magnus vie for top of girls soccer rankings
