The Section 1 Boys Soccer championship games kick off this chilly November Sunday at 10am with the Class A Final between No. 2 Ardsley and No. 4 Rye. As a reminder, Lakeland High School is the host site for today’s matches and all of the games will now be streamed live on NBC Sports Engine and the Sports Engine Play app. Here’s a look at the schedule and our picks for who will lift the gold ball in each class.
Class AAA
Class AAA Final Prediction: Arlington 2, Scardale 1, OT
Scarsdale has clearly been the class of Section 1 soccer over the last few years, but the gap has gotten increasingly smaller this year. Arlington beat the Raiders back in September and are coming off of a dominating 5-0 performance over No. 2 North Rockland in the semifinals. We think that the Admirals have the confidence and firepower to prevent Scarsdale’s 3-peat.
Class AA
Class AA Prediction: Tappan Zee 3, Fox Lane 2 OT
We’ve picked Fox Lane every step of the way in the playoffs, but it’s just that hard to go against Brady Jacobs. Jacobs has been the most dominant scorer in Section 1 all season and we think he puts the Dutchmen on his back in an extremely tight match with the Foxes. Fox Lane has beaten the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds by 3-1 margins and this is absolutely a match they can win, and we think this one goes to extra time.
Class A
Class A Prediction: Ardsley 1, Rye 0
This one might be the hardest to pick of today’s championship games. Ardsley’s turnaround from a 2 win season in 2023 has been remarkable and they look like a team on a mission to complete the job. Rye just took down defending champ Byram Hills in the semifinals and has plenty of big game experience. Despite Ardsley’s playoff inexperience, our gut just says this gold ball is going home with the Panthers.
Class B
Class B Prediction: Rye Neck 2, Keio 1
The Unicorns have been dominant all season, going 15-1 so far, but we think that Rye Neck’s schedule has them prepared for the upset. The Panthers played in a league with Class B No. 1 seed Blind Brook, Class A No. 1 Pleasantville and No. 6 Westlake and also had contests against Harrison and Mamaroneck early in the season. Rye Neck is battle tested and we think has the depth to take home the Class B crown.
