An argument can be made for Section 1 having the deepest pool of talented girls soccer teams in New York. And, perhaps, it can be even more strongly asserted that this area has the two best teams in the state.
Rye and Albertus Magnus conquered their respective classes, each capturing a state championship last fall, and Tuckahoe almost did the same, narrowly falling in the state final after a historic run. North Rockland and Blind Brook each also emerged from the section and made the regional rounds, and Kennedy Catholic won the CHSAA state title.
With consideration given to track record, recent accomplishments, roster composition and experience, we've ranked the local teams entering the 2026 season. There will, of course, be changes and surprises,
and we'll account for that here each week.
Top 10 preseason power rankings
1. Rye: The Garnets completed a dream season, going undefeated and winning a second Class A state title in three seasons. Rye enters this season ranked sixth in the nation in a United Soccer Coaches poll. The roster again features several stars, including Notre Dame-bound senior Charlotte Keenan. Last year: 1
2. Albertus Magnus: The Falcons almost went undefeated, too, except for an October loss to Rye. But they proved themselves against a grueling non-league schedule, dominated most matchups, and went on to repeat as Class AA state champion. After winning three titles in four seasons, Albertus Magnus has been moved up to 'AAA' this year. Last year: 2
3. Pleasantville: The Panthers won their first 19 games and outscored opponents by 5.2 goals on average during a run to the Section 1 Class A final. The team returns with most of its core intact — Samantha Schultz, Faith Brown and goalie Willa King among them — and a serendipitous move to Class B gets them out of Rye's path. Last year: 4
4. North Rockland: The Raiders edged Arlington in overtime to win their first section title since 2019 and went on to reach the Class AAA regional final. They did lose some talent and leadership to graduation, but there still is a strong group in place that now has championship experience. Isabella DeBacco, Claire Essick and Teagan McGovern should have North Rockland in contention. Last year: 3
5. Arlington: The Admirals graduated a considerable portion of their nucleus, but a program doesn't win seven of the last nine large-school section titles without being able to quickly replenish and develop talent. Arlington will likely be in the mix again, led by Manhattan University commit Chase Harris. Last year: 5
6. John Jay-Cross River: After a stellar season that brought them to the Section 1 Class A semifinals — and battling Pleasantville in a one-goal game — the Wolves could continue to progress with a talented young core. It helps, too, that they've moved up to a Class AA that now is without Albertus Magnus. Last year: 7
7. Harrison: It'll be difficult to duplicate the 2025 regular season and their run to the section final, considering how senior-laden the starting lineup was. But the Huskies should still be among the better teams, and they could be elevated by cluster of standouts that includes Sophie Olsey and Pepperdine commit Anabel Zihenni. Last year: 6
8. John Jay-East Fishkill: The Patriots are typically among the best large-school teams in the section, and they made noise last fall, sweeping North Rockland in the regular season and threatening rival Arlington in the semifinals. Star goalie Molly Driscoll leads a talented group eager to break through. Last year: N/R
9. Tuckahoe: The Tigers repeated as Section 1 Class C champ and went on to reach the state final for the first time, eventually losing on a tough-luck goal. But this was a young team and, with most of its stars back and motivated by that heartbreak, Tuckahoe has a chance to make even more history. Last year: 8
10. Blind Brook: The Trojans edged Briarcliff in overtime on Lola Gonzalez's improbable goal to win their first section title since 2000. The return of several cast members — including Gonzalez, Gabby Cavallo and Sena Tarnoff — could give them another crack at it. Last year: 9
Stephen Haynes covers sports for The Journal News/lohud.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Rye, Albertus Magnus sit atop lohud girls soccer preseason rankings
