Queensbury boys and girls soccer advance in Class A quarters

Boys soccer: Queensbury 2, Albany Academy 0

QUEENSBURY — The Queensbury varsity boys soccer team picked up a victory in the Section 2 Class A quarterfinals on Friday, defeating Albany Academy 2-0 at home.

The Cadets applied some pressure early, but Queensbury’s defense stood tall, and the Spartans struck first at 10:14 of the first half when Ian Rathbun deflected home a pass from Gavin Kelly. 

Kelly doubled the lead at 38:37 of the opening half, finishing off a loose ball to give Queensbury a 2-0 lead at halftime. Albany Academy made a push in the second half, but Spartans’ goalie Jake Afsar-Keshmiri made several quality stops to keep the Cadets off the board.

Rathbun and Kelly scored in the 2-0 win for the Spartans, with Kelly also adding an assist. Afsar-Keshmiri made four saves in goal in the win, while Carter Morton stopped three shots for the Cadets.

The playoff victory was also the 350th win for Spartans’ head coach Pete Crotty. Queensbury, the #2 seed in the Class A sectional playoffs, will play #3-seed Averill Park Wednesday at 5 p.m. at Gloversville High School.

Girls soccer: Queensbury 1, Scotia-Glenville 0

QUEENSBURY — The Queensbury varsity girls soccer team advanced to the Section 2 Class A semifinals on Friday, defeating Scotia-Glenville 1-0 at home in the quarterfinals.

The game was scoreless heading into halftime, and for much of the second half. Spartan senior Bayley Duffy broke the ice with 19 minutes remaining, burying a free kick from 30 yards away to give Queensbury a 1-0 lead. The Spartans’ defense held on from there, sealing a 1-0 victory and a berth in the Class A semifinals.

Shea Canavan stopped seven shots in goal for the Spartans, earning the shutout. Kourtney Clark made 12 saves in goal for the Tartans.

Queensbury, the #3 seed in the Class A playoffs, will play #3-seed Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake in the semifinals at 5 p.m. today at Mechanicville High School.