2026 STAC Girls Soccer Large School Championship: Thursday, October 15 at 5:00
Horseheads (West: 7-2-1, 8-3-2) at Maine-Endwell (Metro: 9-1, 11-1)
(* This year, the champion of the Metro division will host the STAC Large School Championship. It will rotate to the West division next year. Also, please note that STAC switched from one overall champion to Large School [West/Metro] and Small School [Central/East] Championships going into this school year.)
One year after falling in the STAC Championship 2-0 to Ithaca, Maine-Endwell is back as the Metro division winner. This time, they will look to claim the first STAC Large School Championship in history. They enter this contest on a five-game winning streak, which included downing Vestal 2-0 to win the division. Along the way, they defeated East champion Chenango Forks on the road 5-1. Kiki Neal tallied a hat trick, as the junior continues to be one of the top goal scorers in all of Section IV.
The only loss by the Spartans this year? That would be to their opponent, West division winner Horseheads. On September 24, Aaliyah Cady knocked in the game winner with 1:32, giving the Blue Raiders a 3-2 victory. Sydney Blunt and Maddie Ribble also scored, which shows the balanced attack this team has. M-E’s goals came from Adrielle Bowling and Alexandra Lunn.
Horseheads did not waste any time challenging themselves right off the bat, as they competed in the Hall of Fame Tournament with a loss 6-2 to Massapequa and a 1-1 tie against Our Lady of Lourdes. Right after, they ran off seven straight wins, which included the Maine-Endwell win and three straight shutouts of Elmira, Union-Endicott, and Binghamton. After playing to a scoreless tie against Vestal on September 29, they hit a bit of a funk with back-to-back losses to West division foes Ithaca and Corning. They did bounce back with a Senior Night victory over Elmira, 3-0. Blunt scored twice and Ribble added another.
Maine-Endwell is 6-0 at home. Their schedule was very front loaded with five straight home games. They’ve hit the road for six of their last seven. Horseheads was the opposite, playing two games away in the Hall of Fame Tournament, then four straight road games before finally playing on the home turf in a 6-2 win over Ithaca on September 22.
Maine-Endwell will look to win their third STAC Championship, and first since a 0-0 draw with Chenango Forks in 2019 meant co-champions. Horseheads will look to make history with their first STAC title. Their only other appearance came in 2023, a 3-0 home loss to Vestal.
2026 STAC Girls Soccer Small School Championship: Wednesday, October 14 at 7:15
Chenango Forks (East: 9-1, 9-4) at Owego (Central: 8-2, 10-2)
(* Central division hosts this year, with East hosting next year.)
Leading off the girls soccer championships this year with be a battle for the STAC Small School Championship. Chenango Forks clinched the East before the calendar turned to October. A 6-1 home win over Oneonta on September 29 was the clincher. It was the Aubrey McMullen show, as the junior scored four times. Maya Rullo, an 8th grader, was right behind with a pair.
These teams met recently on October 1, and it was all Blue Devils that night, 4-0. McMullen tallied two goals to lead the attack. Rullo and Ceci Kasmarcik contributed one each, and goalkeeper Piper Collins had nine saves for the clean sheet. Overall, Chenango Forks has been very strong on the road, winning all six of their games vs. STAC opponents. That includes a 4-0 win over Waverly, one of the only teams to down Owego this year.
After that opening game 3-2 loss to Waverly, Owego ran off an impressive eight straight wins. Two of their best wins in that stretch were 3-0 over Chenango Valley, and a 1-0 revenge win past Waverly. In the win over CV, Kira Coppage, Owego’s leading scorer, scored twice, while freshman Ella Wade found the back of the net as well. Kendra Turshman posted the shutout in goal. Ashlyn Dalton was the difference in the win over Waverly, as her second half goal broke the scoreless tie.
The biggest win for Owego this year came in their last match. Facing a tough road challenge with the Central division on the line, the River Hawks went to Chenango Valley and posted a 1-0 victory. 8th grader Liliana Pelafian was the hero this time, as she scored on a beautiful feed from Dalton halfway through the second half. Turshman made sure the shutout stayed intact with another great performance in goal.
Chenango Forks appeared in STAC Championships for five straight years from 2015-2019, winning twice, losing once, and tying twice. In the case of a tie, the teams are recognized as co-champions. One other victory over Vestal in 1996 has the Blue Devils at five overall STAC titles. Owego defeated Vestal in 2010 in their lone STAC Championship appearance.
STAC Championship History:
2025: Ithaca d. Maine-Endwell 2-0
2024: Vestal d. Ithaca 2-1 (OT)
2023: Vestal d. Horseheads 3-0
2022: Chenango Valley d. Elmira 3-2
2021: Corning d. Chenango Valley 1-0
2020: No playoffs due to Covid-19
2019: Maine-Endwell t. Chenango Forks 0-0 (co-champions)
2018: Vestal t. Chenango Forks 1-1 (co-champions)
2017: Chenango Forks d. Elmira 2-1 (OT)
2016: Chenango Forks d. Vestal 3-0
2015: Vestal d. Chenango Forks 2-0
2014: Vestal d. Oneonta 3-0
2013: Oneonta d. Elmira 1-0
2012: Oneonta d. Vestal 2-0
2011: Oneonta d. Vestal 1-0
2010: Owego d. Vestal 4-0
2009: Union-Endicott d. Chenango Forks 1-0
2008: Union-Endicott d. Maine-Endwell 2-1 (OT)
2007: Union-Endicott t. Corning 1-1 (co-champions)
2006: Seton d. Maine-Endwell 4-2
2005: Union-Endicott d. Seton 1-0
2004: Ithaca d. Corning 4-0
2003: Oneonta d. Union-Endicott 1-0
2002: Union-Endicott d. Seton 3-1
2001: Union-Endicott d. Oneonta 3-0
2000: Ithaca d. Maine-Endwell 3-0
1999: Union-Endicott d. Maine-Endwell 1-0
1998: Ithaca d. Vestal 3-0
1997: Vestal d. Ithaca 4-2
1996: Chenango Forks d. Vestal 4-1
1995: Maine-Endwell d. Chenango Valley 2-0
1994: Union-Endicott d. Ithaca 3-1
1993: Union-Endicott d. Ithaca 1-0
1992: Union-Endicott d. Vestal 3-1
1991: Union-Endicott d. Chenango Forks 2-0
1990: Union-Endicott d. Vestal 3-2
1989: Union-Endicott d. Vestal 1-0
1988: Vestal d. Oneonta 4-1
1987: Vestal d. Union-Endicott 2-0
1986: Vestal d. Seton via forfeit *
1985: Ithaca d. Seton 3-1
1984: Oneonta d. Vestal 1-0
1983: Vestal d. Seton 2-1 (2 OT)
1982: Vestal Green ** d. Seton 3-2
1981: Vestal Green ***
1980: Vestal Green ***
1979: Oneonta d. Vestal Green 3-2 (4 OT)
* Seton already played the maximum 18 regular season games
** Vestal Green and Vestal Gold were two different teams
*** No championship game; finished 1st in division
STAC Championships by School:
Vestal – 13 (including 3 by Vestal Green)
Union-Endicott – 13
Oneonta – 6
Ithaca – 5
Chenango Forks – 5
Corning – 2
Maine-Endwell – 2
Owego – 1
Seton – 1
Chenango Valley – 1