Boquet Valley Griffins @ Seton Catholic Knights October 20th 2020

Champlain Valley Athletic Conference Boy's Soccer
header
Photo By: 
Kyle Coryea

Bouquet Valley's Aidan Lobdell (14) with the header on the cross attempt that looking towards the goal. It would be a matchup in the Northern Soccer League between the visiting Boquet Valley Griffins and the Seton Catholic Knights from St. Peter's Church in Plattsburgh. It would take the 23rd minute of the first half but the Griffins would get the opening goal of the contest from Grayson King. Although that wouldn't be the end of the scoring for the Griffins in the first half as they would get two more before the half would end from Oakley Buehler and take a 3-0 lead into the intermission. In the second half, the extra legs of the Griffins would prove to be too much for the Knights as they had just the minimum 11 players. In the second half, the Griffins would explode for four more goals from Oakley Buehler (hat trick), Jameson Figel, Kaleb Petit, and Brandon Tromblee. Although the Knights would do the best in the second half as they would add 2 goals from Aiden Pearl to make it a 7-2 game. Next up for Knights is a meeting with the Chazy Eagles on October 22nd. Gallery.

Oktoberfast Round #5 Presented by Dirtvision Weedsport Speedway October 11th 2020

Dirtcar Racing
first career win
Photo By: 
Kyle Coryea

Max McLaughlin (32c) celebrates in victory lane with his first Billy Whitaker Cars & Truxs Super DIRTcar Series victory and it comes at the biggest track on the circuit Weedsport Speedway. It would be the last stop on the Oktoberfast presented by Dirtvision tour and it would be at the Weedsport Speedway and we would have the Billy Whitaker Cars & Truxs Super DIRTcar Series Modifieds, Racing Electronics Sportsman Modified, and Comp Cams Pro Stock and with it being the last stop on the tour there would be extra money on the line for event and 175 cars in the pits. After all the qualifying and last chance qualifiers in the books, it would be onto the main event. The first main event of the night would be the Comp Cams Pro Stocks for 25 laps. The race would have a rough start as there would be three cautions before they got to lap two. Once the race got underway it would be a great race with the eventual win going to Nick Stone and his second of the week. Next up would be Racing Electronics Sportsman Modified in a 35 lap main event and the winner pocketing a cool two thousand dollars. With all the top contenders in the pits, it would take a lot just to make the 32 car field. Although when the dust would settle the cream would rise to the top and Kevin Root would get the win and second of the week. Then all that would be left would be the Billy Whitaker Cars & Truxs Super Dirtcar Series Modifieds for 75 laps and ten thousand dollars to the winner. With Matt Sheppard and Matt Williamson starting on the front row, the rest of the field would have an uphill battle. As the two of them would duke it out for the first half of the race. Then there would be a third player that would start to work his way into the battle in the likes of Max McLaughlin he would work his way around Williamson and then set his sights on Matt Sheppard. With around twenty laps to go McLaughlin would get around Sheppard for the lead and would hold off all the charges by Sheppard for the win. With the win, Max McLaughlin would get the first win of his career on the Super DIRTcar and cash in on the ten thousand dollars. That would bring an end to the Oktoberfast but there's still more for the Super DIRTcar Series as they plan on heading to the Eastern States at the Orange County Fair Speedway on October 24th and 25th. Gallery

Plattsburgh Hornets @ Peru October 10th 2020

Champlain Valley Athletic Conference Girl's Soccer
celeberation
Photo By: 
Nathanel Lepage

Peru’s Isabella Sypek (#2) and Erin Darst (#7) celebrate the opening goal of the game after Sypek scored on a direct free-kick 45 yards from goal. In a tense girls’ soccer contest between Plattsburgh High School and Peru at the Apple Bowl, it all came down to one kick. Peru walked away with a 3-2 home victory, courtesy of McKenzie Brown’s successful penalty kick in the final minute of the game. A back-and-forth first half, which saw the team exchange lengthy periods of offensive pressure, ended with only one goal scored. Late in the half, Peru was awarded a free kick about 45 yards from goal. As the Hornets positioned their defense, Peru’s Isabella Sypek was quick to set the ball and launch a shot on net. Plattsburgh goalkeeper MacKenzie Lawfer tried to make the leaping save, but was unable to reach the ball. The tables turned early in the second half, though, as the Hornets scored two goals in quick succession to gain the lead. Defenseman Lexie Neale sent a long lob into the middle of the box from near midfield, and senior forward Madeleine Woodward met the ball at full speed before splitting the defenders. Woodward directed the ball into the bottom corner at the far post as she tumbled to the ground. About five minutes later, Woodward got the assist on the go-ahead goal, as her corner kick set up junior Ellie O’Neil for the tally. The home team knotted the score again less than 10 minutes later, though. As a free-kick came in from near the sideline, Peru’s Abigail Bruce flicked the ball up into the air to deny Lawfer, who had come off her goal line to gather it. Kayleigh Jackson directed the ball goalwards when it came back down, and none of the Plattsburgh defense could recover in time to stop it. With the game tied at 2 goals in the final minutes of regulation, it seemed overtime was in the cards, but that was not to be. A late attacking push by Peru saw Jackson dribbling into the box from the right-wing, where she was brought down by O’Neil for the penalty kick. Brown stepped up to the spot and showed no hesitation on the kick to beat Lawfer with just 50 seconds left in the game. Lawfer finished with 11 saves in the loss, while Peru’s Bri Brousseau stopped 6 in the winning effort. Gallery

Oktoberfast Round #4 Presented by Dirtvision Land of Legends Raceway October 10th 2020

Dirtcar Racing
highline to victory
Photo By: 
Kyle Coryea

Matt Sheppard (9s) using the Highline to victory in the Super DIRTcar Series Billy Whitaker Cars & Truxs 60 lap main event. It would be the next stop on the Oktoberfast presented by Dirtvision round 4 from the Land of Legends Raceway. It was planned to be a quick night of racing with just the Billy Whitaker Cars & Truxs Super Dirtcar Series and the Racing Electronics Sportsman Modified divisions the only two on the schedule. Although there would be a couple of issues with that plan as there would be nearly 125 cars show up and mother nature would not cooperate as there would be three separate rain delays on the night. After all the heats and last chance qualifiers would be done and schedule adjustments it would be onto the main events. In the first main event of the night, the Billy Whitaker Cars & Truxs Super DIRTcar Series would be up first for their 60 laps main event. It would be a dominating performance as 7-time champion Matt Sheppard would start on the pole and never relinquish the lead and cruise to the victory and take home the $7,500 first-place check with it and rounding out the top three would be Matt Williamson and Mike Mahaney. Then we would have the 30 lap Racing Electronics Sportsman Modified main event. That main event would be filled with nothing but a heartbreak as Zach Sobokta would lead 29 and three-quarter laps only to get passed on the final corner by Tyler Murray that would win the drag race to the finish line and rounding out the top three would be Alan Fink. Then there would only be one stop left on the tour and that would be the home of DIRTcar Northeast Weedsport and there would be extra money on the line for the last event of the week. Gallery

Oktoberfast Round #3 Presented by Dirtvision Can-AM Speedway October 9th 2020

Dirtcar Racing
three wide racing
Photo By: 
Kyle Coryea

Josh Bussino (2x) is the meat in the sandwich as they take it three-wide through turn 3/4 at the Can-Am Motorsports Park with (01) on the bottom and (38j) Jarrett Heribson on the outside. It would be the 4th stop on the Oktoberfast race week and it would come to you from the Can-Am Motorsports Park with nearly 200 cars in attendance between the Super Dirtcar Series, 358 Modifieds, and Sportsman Modified. It would be a long night of racing at Lafargeville with the hot laps getting underway at 4:30 pm and the last race of the night would be getting done shortly before midnight. After all the qualifying and last chance qualifiers, the first man up for the night would be the Bicknell 358 Modifieds with 70 in attendance and only starting 32 for the 40 laps main event making the show would be an accomplishment in its self. When the dust would settle it would be track regular Timmy Fuller taking the win but not without a hard challenge from Anthony Pergeuro and Erick Rudolph. Then next would be the Racing Electronics Sportsman Modified would battle for 30 laps but their field would even be harder to get in as there were over 80 cars at the track trying to make the field of 32. Once again though when the dust would settle it would be a local racer using his knowledge to get the win as Kevin Root would pull into victory lane over Matt Janzuik and Tyler Cahoon for the thousand dollar payday. Then to finish off the night would be the Super Dirtcar Series presented by Billy Whitaker Cars and Truxs for a 60 lap main event and the winners take of $7,500 and when the dust would settle Anthony Pergero would pull in for the win as he would lead wire to wire over Mike Mahaney and Mike Maresca. The next stop on the Oktoberfast tour will be the following night at the Land of Legends Raceway in Canandaigua, Gallery

Willsboro Warriors @ Chazy Eagles October 6th 2020

Mountain & Valley Athletic Conference Girl's Soccer
splits defender
Photo By: 
Nathanel Lepage

Chazy midfielder Celine Juneau dribbles between Willsboro’s [] at mid-field. Juneau notched the opening goal and an assist in the Eagles’ 4-0 win Saturday at George Brendler Field. The Chazy girls’ soccer team earned a dominant 4-0 victory Saturday at George Brendler Field against the visiting Warriors of Willsboro Central School. Coming off a shutout loss at Saranac, the Eagles wasted no time in ensuring they would not suffer the same fate, as senior Celine Juneau scored unassisted in only the second minute of the game. Freshman Ava McAuliffe nearly doubled the tally two minutes later as her shot rang off the far post. McAuliffe earned her way onto the scoreboard in the 20th minute, though. Juneau raced up the right-wing with the ball and got behind the Willsboro defense for a simple pass to McAuliffe, who was all alone near the penalty spot for the goal. Eight minutes later, Willsboro goalkeeper Abby Bruno made a save on Juneau’s elevated shot from inside the box to keep the deficit at 2. There was little Willsboro could do in the 34th minute when Catherine Langlois slotted home the rebound after Bruno’s diving save on a hard shot from the top of the box by Willow Herz, and the teams entered halftime with a 3-0 score. Chazy’s dominance in the first half was exemplified by their 15-0 advantage in shots on net. Only 43 seconds into the second half, McAuliffe added her second goal off an assist from Olivia McLennan, scoring what proved to be the final goal of the game. Willsboro looked to push up the field quickly every time they gained possession in the second half but rarely found their way into the attacking third. Their most dangerous scoring opportunity of the game came in the final minute, as they chipped the ball into the Chazy box, only for goalkeeper Annika Lizardi to boot the ball away in the dying seconds. Lizardi recorded only two saves in the clean-sheet victory, while Bruno saved 17 in the Warriors’ loss. Gallery

Chazy Eagles @ Willsboro Warriors October 6th 2020

Mountain & Valley Athletic Conference Boy's Soccer
celeberate
Photo By: 
Nathanel Lepage

Chazy senior Patrick Dwyer is lifted into the air by teammate Colby Drake after Dwyer scored the Eagles’ second goal in a 2-0 win Tuesday at Willsboro Central School. The Chazy boys’ soccer team took home their first victory of the year Tuesday, defeating Willsboro Central School 2-0 on the road. The first half was scoreless, with much of the action occurring in the midfield. Both teams’ defenses did well to limit the opponent’s offensive opportunities, with the most notable being a 32nd-minute shot toward the top corner by Willsboro’s Everett Cassavaugh, but Chazy’s Zane Stevens was there for the save. The tone shifted drastically in the early minutes of the second half, with the visiting Eagles the beneficiaries of the momentum shift. After Willsboro saw a promising attack end with the ball going out for a goal kick in the 46th minute, Chazy pushed up the field quickly. Dale Gonyo found Riley Hansen in the box to open the scoring for the game. Less than two minutes later, the Eagles earned a corner kick, and Patrick Dwyer put away the ball off an assist from Tanner Conners to double the lead. Much of the second half was spent then in the Willsboro end of the field, as Chazy controlled play to maintain their lead. In the final 10 minutes, the Warriors found their way into the attacking end again for a few attacking opportunities, but the Eagles turned them away each time to seal the 2-0 victory. Gallery.

Chazy Eagles @ Saranac Chiefs October 3rd 2020

Champlain Valley Athletic Conference Girl's Soccer
shoulder to shoulder
Photo By: 
Nathanel Lepage

Saranac captain Grace Reil races Chazy’s Catherine Langlois for the ball in the midfield in the Chiefs’ season-opener Saturday at Saranac Central School. In a game honoring the home team’s seniors and veteran coach, it was one of the youngest players on the field who scored the only goal of the contest as the Saranac girls’ soccer team earned a 1-0 victory at home against Chazy. The Chiefs sought to control the game from the opening whistle, with a strong midfield performance keeping the Eagles at bay. More than 10 minutes had ticked off the clock before Chazy got their first, short-lived, possession in the offensive half. A 23rd-minute corner kick proved to be Chazy’s best offensive effort of the first half. Saranac, on the other hand, was continually challenging the Eagles’ defense. In the 12th minute, Sydney Myers drove to the goal line on the right-hand side of the box and flashed the ball across the face of the goal, but nobody was there to connect. Late in the first half, another fast-developing attack by the Chiefs saw Christon Eden chip a shot toward goal, but goalkeeper Samantha Gonyo was there for the save. The teams entered halftime scoreless despite Saranac’s plethora of opportunities. At halftime, the hosts honored long-time coach mary LoTemplio at the start of what will likely be her final season on the Saranac sideline. After both teams exchanged offensive pressure in the early minutes of the second half, and with the game approaching its second mid-half “mask break,” Saranac finally broke the deadlock in an unusual fashion. Eighth-grader Maddy Wynnik received the ball on the right-wing, just outside of the box, and stepped up just above the goal line. Wynnik sent in what she later admitted was an attempted cross, but the ball found its way on the net. Gonyo got her gloves on it but was unable to cleanly handle it, allowing the ball to slowly roll across the line. Saranac nearly doubled the advantage in the 72nd minute, as Gonyo mishandled a shot from distance and let the ball behind her. Gonyo was able to recover and pounced on the ball to prevent the goal. Down only 1, Chazy continued to push until the very end. The Eagles pushed up in the dying seconds of the game and saw the ball go out for a throw-in just above the corner flag, but the ball had gone too far away from the field. The extra seconds spent chasing down the ball out of play meant the throw came in with only a second left on the clock, which was not enough time to generate any scoring opportunity, sealing the victory for the Chiefs. Gallery

Chazy Eagles @ Northeastern Clinton Cougars October 2nd 2020

Champlain Valley Athletic Conference Boy's Soccer
sliding tackle
Photo By: 
Nathanel Lepage

Northeastern Clinton senior Chase Ross goes in for the slide tackle on Chazy’s Colby Drake in the second half of the Cougars’ 2-1 victory to open the season. The Cougars of Northeastern Clinton kicked off their season Friday with a 2-1 senior-night win at home over Chazy. In a game that Chazy coach Rob McAuliffe estimated was the first between the neighboring school districts since 1998, the hosts got the better of the back-and-forth action. In the 27th minute, the Cougars found themselves on the receiving end of two quick fouls in the offensive end, and Lucas Bedard found the back of the net with the second free-kick to open the scoring. The Eagles created multiple opportunities to tie the game late in the first half, but Northeastern Clinton goalkeeper John Bulson was up to the task, and the teams entered the break with a 1-0 scoreline. As the teams continued trading periods of offensive pressure in the second half, the Cougars converted on a fast break up the field in the 51st minute, as Kai Birtz-Sisson crossed the ball into the box, setting up Samuel Bulson for the goal. As the second half went on, the fog began to roll in across the field. At the height of the foggy nighttime conditions, when visibility on the field was at a minimum, Chazy got a goal back when Joey deOndarza found the back of the net in the chaos off a corner kick. Tanner Conners was credited with the assist on the 44th-minute goal. The goal proved to be the Eagles’ last shot of the game, and Northeastern Clinton held on for a win to open their season and honor their seniors. Gallery.

Plattsburgh Airborne Speedway Round #2 presented by Riley & Egglefield Ford September 12th 2020

Dirtcar Racing
up and over
Photo By: 
Nathanel Lepage

Al Lajoice (000) would get the worse end of the deal when he and Mark Fewster (411) would collide going into turn 1 of the Limited Sportsman Modified main. It would be the second night of the 2020 season at Plattsburgh Airborne Speedway about a month later due to the rain that wipeout out the race on August 29th. Every division on the night from the Sportsman Modified, Pro Stock, Renegades, and 4 Cylinders would be running for extra money as part of Riley and Egglefield Ford night. Although the biggest race on the night would be the Sportsman Modified with it being 2500 to win the race. With all the extra money on the line, there would be over 80 cars that would show up on the night with the biggest one being the Sportsman Modified with 35 in attendance. When the dust would settle after all the heat races it would be time for the mains. The first one up would be the Hartson Total Opening Pro Stock and Josh Coonradt would get the winning pull away on a late-race restart over Tyler Bushey. Next on tap would be the Ernie's Discount Tools Renegade's in a race that would caution filled after incident after incident Jim McKerrian would weave his way through the chaos for the win and $500 win over Tylor Terry and Michael Wright. Then we would have the Limited Sportsman Modified and it would have the biggest incident of the evening as Al Lajoice and Mark Fewster would tangle headed into turn one and Lajoice would go for a wild ride but would be able to walk away. On the restart the kid Fire Swamp would pull away and get the win and continue is hot summer in the Limited division across the North Country. Then it would be the race that everyone was waiting for the $2,500 to win 30 laps J+S Steel Sportsman Modified main with 28 of the best in attendance. It would come right down to the end with Andrew Buff and Connor Cleveland dicing back and forth for the lead late at the endf Buff would edge him across the line for what they thought was the win but later on the car would be disqualifed in tech and the win would go to Cleveland for the big paycheck. Then the final race of the night would be the Lake City Fire 4 Cylinders and it would be a caution free race with the win going to Nathaniel Guay for his second of the season. With that would bring a close to the Plattsburgh Airborne Speedway for the 2020 season and look forward to a regular racing season in 2021. Gallery

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