Sectional rematches and renewed rivalries are always worth circling on the calendar. Section V has plenty of each on the slate for Fall 2026.
Here are five Section V girls soccer matchups we're looking forward to this season:
Game No. 1: Pittsford Mendon vs. Pittsford Sutherland
When: Wednesday, Sept. 16 at Thornell Farm Park
It's always worth watching when these two intra-town rivals meet. Mendon and Sutherland have combined for 16 Section V titles, and recent matchups between the two teams have been nail-biters. Both of last year's regular season contests were 2-1 final scores — Mendon claimed the first, Sutherland the second in overtime.
Dating back to the start of the 2024 season, the last five matchups between the Knights and Vikings have been determined by a single goal. The teams split their
two regular season matchups that fall, but Mendon won in overtime when the teams met in the section final en route to the Vikings' Class A state championship.
Because the teams are in different classifications for the second straight year, the two regular season matchups will have to satiate Pittsford soccer fans. The teams also play on Oct. 1 at Sutherland.
Game No. 2: Fairport vs. Penfield
When: Thursday, Sept. 24 at Fairport High School
There's been a sense of deja vu in the Class AAA section final each of the last three years since the classification's introduction in 2023. Because of the dearth of AAA-sized schools in the area, Section V's largest classification has featured the smallest bracket. All three years, Fairport earned a first-round bye in the three-team bracket and defeated Rush-Henrietta in the final.
Could that change in 2026, with the addition of Penfield to Class AAA? The Patriots have reached the semifinals each of the last two seasons, but seem like a logical choice to break through this fall.
The game within the game, this matchup will also feature one of Section V's most skilled players in Fairport's Eliana Biehler against one of the top defenders with Penfield's Lyla Schenck. Both made All-Greater Rochester last year.
Game No. 3: Churchville-Chili vs. Spencerport
When: Wednesday, Sept. 30 at Fairbanks Elementary
These two programs on the west side of Monroe County added another chapter to their rivalry in a marathon section final last November. Churchville-Chili and Spencerport dueled for 80 minutes of regulation and two 15-minute overtime sessions. That wasn't enough to determine a winner, so the teams were declared co-champions, a result that earned the Rangers their 10th straight section title and the Saints' first in over 20 years.
This is the second of two regular season matchups between the two clubs, who also played on Sept. 8.
Game No. 4: Gananda/Marion vs. Williamson
When: Thursday, Oct. 1 at Marion High School
Another section final rematch between reigning co-champions. Williamson has appeared in three straight finals and has become masters of penalty kicks along the way. The Marauders shared the 2024 Class C-1 title with Geneseo and advanced on PKs 4-3. Last year's final against Gananda/Marion also reached two overtimes without a winner, with Williamson moving on via PKs.
Gananda/Marion makes the jump to Class B while Williamson remains in C-1, so there will be no sectional rematch this fall. However, the teams remain Wayne County rivals and should contend for the league title. This matchup is the second of two between the two teams.
Game No. 5: Byron-Bergen vs. Holley
When: Thursday, Oct. 8 at Byron-Bergen Central School
This game features two defending Section V champions. Holley claimed the C-1 title over Canisteo-Greenwood, while Byron-Bergen outlasted Kendall in C-2. When the two teams met in the Class C state qualifier, it was the Bees that moved on with a 4-0 win.
Two-time defending section champion (and the 2024 Class C state champion) Byron-Bergen has a completely different look this season, as most of the core that drove the bus the last two years — including last year's AGR Player of the Year Mia Gray — has graduated. Holley, too, will be leaning on plenty of juniors and sophomores this season.
— Justin Ritzel works as 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: Five girls soccer matchups we're looking forward to this fall
