Overtime Heroics Secure Section Titles for North Salem Soccer
Nov. 1 will forever hold a distinct place in the history books for North Salem’s soccer program. The promise and hopes of an entire season rested on Section Championship games played hours and miles apart, where both Tiger squads ultimately delivered through intense overtime battles.
The girls team took center stage first at Arlington High School, squaring off against top-ranked defending section champion Tuckahoe. North Salem outpaced their rival at every turn during regulation, though goals remained hard to find until Tuckahoe penetrated the zone to draw first blood. Sienna Paldin answered for the Tigers with a clutch penalty kick, locking the score at 1-1 and forcing high-intensity extra frames.
With just 1:49 left in overtime, Paldin handled the heroics once again, beating the Tuckahoe keeper to propel the Tigers to their first section title since 2023. The victory earned the girls team a bye to the regional finals against either Section 2’s Stillwater or Section 9’s Sullivan West, scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 7.
Boys Squad Claims Fourth Straight Crown in Searing Battle
As the girls hoisted their trophy in Arlington, their counterparts on the boys team were locked in a parallel war of attrition at Mahopac High School. The #1 seeded Tigers squared off against The Leffell School, opening the scoring when Juben Lazri netted a goal off an assist from Liam Keegan. The Lions answered with a penalty kick with four minutes remaining in the first half.
Tied 1-1 in the second half, Isaac Rouse broke through Lion defenders to push North Salem back in front. Leffell refused to go quietly, finding another equalizer with four minutes left in regulation. As fatigue set in and temperatures dropped, a single overtime period proved insufficient to settle the matter.
In the second extra frame, Lazri struck again with the game-winner off an assist from Rouse with 1:17 remaining on the clock. The 3-2 final score marked the fourth straight section crown for the Tigers, punching their ticket to the regional finals against Riverhead on Saturday, Nov. 7, at 2:30 p.m. at Harborfields High School.
