Soccer fans in Section V can delight in the fact that the best time of year has arrived. Boys soccer tournaments begin this week, and will culminate with championship matches starting the weekend of Oct. 30.
Here's a look at the large school tournaments:
Section V Class AAA boys soccer tournament
- Defending champion: Fairport
- Top seed: Penfield
- Championship: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30 at Greece Athena
It's been an uneven season for three-time defending sectional champion Fairport. On the heels of two straight state final appearances (including a title in 2024), the Red Raiders (7-5-2) pushed through an up-and-down regular season.
Top-seeded Penfield (9-3-2) is surely eager to make amends in a new classification, after dropping the Class AA championship last season. The Patriots, who earned one of the bracket's two byes, should be well-rested. They'll open tournament play on Oct. 26 against the winner
of No. 4 McQuaid (8-5-1) and No. 5 Rush-Henrietta (6-10-0), ending an 11-day rest.
East/Monroe/School Without Walls (9-3-1) has the bracket's other first-round bye.
Section V Class AA boys soccer tournament
- Defending champion: Churchville-Chili
- Top seed: Churchville-Chili
- Championship: 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30 at Eastridge
Churchville-Chili endured plenty of roster turnover in the form of graduating seniors from last season's title team, but that didn't stop the Saints from earning the No. 1 seed for the third consecutive year. Two key returners from last year, Lucas Cariola and Bryce Wolf, are among Class AA's top producers. Goalkeeper Austin Allen, a senior who transferred from Wheatland-Chili, finished the regular season tied for the Section V lead in goals-against average (0.25 per game).
Second-seeded Spencerport seems like a logical roadblock in Churchville's pursuit of a third title in four years. The Rangers, the 2024 champion, enter tournament playranked 11th in New York state. Goals have been hard to come by in two matchups between the west-side rivals. Two games, one shortened by rain and the other that required two overtimes, both ended in scoreless draws.
Watch out for Brockport and Pittsford Mendon as potential dark horse candidates. Both teams bumped to Class AA in recent years, but are not far removed from section titles of their own. There's also fourth-seeded Brighton, always considered a tough postseason out and the only team to defeat Churchville-Chili this season.
Section V Class A boys soccer tournament
- Defending champion: Pittsford Mendon
- Top seed: Pittsford Sutherland
- Championship: 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30 at Greece Athena
With defending champion Mendon now in Class AA, the path is clear for a new champion in the A bracket.
Pittsford Sutherland (10-4-0), last year's finalist, earned the No. 1 seed and hopes to capture its first title since 2021. Goalkeeper Joe Derisi finished the regular season first in Class A in goals-against average (0.50 per game) and third in total saves (97), while Max Morgenstern racked up 14 goals and 33 points, both of which were second among all players in the tournament (Honeoye Falls-Lima's Cade Merrill led all players in both categories).
Second-seeded Wayne (11-3-2) was the master of overtime during the regular season. The Eagles won three games that required extra time, with JT Lawrence and Ben Carbone serving as the heroes in those matches. Clutch play should serve Wayne well, as the program seeks its first Section V title since 1974.
Justin Ritzel is a sports reporter for the Democrat and Chronicle, with a focus on Section V athletics and high school trends.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Section V boys soccer playoffs are here. What to know about large schools
