Contributed Photo – Melanie Green

Medina’s Melanie Green got off to a strong start for Team USA in Curtis Cup competition at Sunningdale, England this morning.

Playing in the tournament’s first match, Green and her partner Rachel Kuehn scored a 6 and 4 foursomes victory over the Great Britain/Ireland team sister duo of Patience and Mimo Rhodes.

Green and Kuehn jumped out to an early 3 up lead after just five holes to help Team USA take an early 2-1 lead in the competition.

This is the first Curtis Cup tournment for Green and the third for Kuehn. Earlier this summer Green also competed for Team USA in the Arnold Palmer Cup tournament in Ireland.

The tournament matches a team of 8 U.S. amateurs against 8 amateurs from Great Britain and Ireland with the competition continuing on Saturday and Sunday.

Akron trimmed Medina 259-264 in a season opening Niagara-Orleans League golf match today at Shelridge.

Cam Wild took medalist honors with a 43 and Brodie Hill added a 49 to lead Akron.

Tyler Allen led Medina with a 48 as Ryleigh Culver and Camden Fike both shot 49.

Medina next visits Wilson on Friday.

Photo by Cheryl Wertman – Leading Albion into the upcoming soccer season will be this quintet of seniors. From left, are Bailey Gonzalez, Rori Higgins, Cami London, Olivia Brooks and MacKenzie Snook.

Led by a group of five senior veterans, Albion is prepping to host next week’s season opening soccer tournament.

Those seniors include Cami London (Forward), Bailey Gonzalez (Midfield), Olivia Brooks (Defender), Rori Higgins (Defender) and MacKenzie Snook (Defender). London scored 10 goals last season and earned first team Niagara-Orleans All-League honors.

The Purple Eagles also return varsity experience in juniors Kailee Anstey, Julia Button and McKinley Knight along with sophomores Shayla Higgins and Ava Woolston.

“This group has shown a huge amount of improvement and we’re looking to continue to improve,” said Coach Maggie Orbaker.

The Purple Eagles graduation losses included first team All-League goalie Abigail Wittenberg and second team All-League Defender Alison Gibson.

Albion will host Pembroke and Medina will face Alexander in the opening round of the tournament on September 5. The consolation and championship games will be on Sept. 7.

The Purple Eagles will open N-O competition on Sept. 10 at Akron.

Albion went 3-7 in the league and 7-9 overall last fall.

Photo by Cheryl Wertman – Veteran members of the Medina varsity soccer team include, in front, Aleks Seefeldt, Aidan Papaj, Luke Duffina and Caden Kingsbury. In back are Brady Christiaansen, Ryan Pegelow, Tyler Kroening, Cam Kenward, Cole Callard and Vinny Gray. Missing is Trenton Morley.

Finishing in the runner-up spot last fall, Medina returns its starting lineup almost intact with which to make a strong run for the Niagara-Orleans League boys soccer title this season.

That large veteran contingent is led by seven players who earned spots on the N-O All-League squad.

The senior first team All-League trio of Cole Callard (Midfielder), Tyler Kroening (Forward) and Trenton Morley (Defender) heads that group which also includes junior second team selections forwards Vinny Gray and Luke Duffina along with senior Honorable Mention picks Defender Cam Kenward and Goalie Brady Christiaansen.

Cole had 28 goals and 14 assists, Kroening 18 goals and 10 assists and Gray 9 goals last season.

That group also includes junior forwards Caden Kingsbury and Ryan Pegelow along with sophomore midfielders Aidan Papaj and Aleks Seefeldt.

“We’ve got a lot of guys back. I really like our core group that is coming back,” said Coach Steve Luksch. “We’ve got a good group at every level. Our goal is to take them one game at a time and be playing our best soccer at the end of the season.”

The Mustangs graduation losses include second team All-League honoree Alex Benz (Midfielder) and Honorable Mention pick Jason Beyer (Defender).

Medina, which went 8-2 in the league and 14-3 overall last season, will open with a pair of non league games at Pembroke on September 6 and at home against O’Hara on Sept, 7 before beginning N-O competition at Akron on Sept. 12.

Photo by Cheryl Wertman – Veteran members of the Albion varsity soccer team include, in front, Donovan Braley, Matt Kania and Leo Bolton. In back are Jayden Lewis, Adrian Figueroa, Noah Marat and Tye Talbot. Missing is David Rosario.

Looking to improve on last year’s 5-5 Niagara-Orleans League record (9-7 overall), the Albion boys varsity soccer team is led by a good nucleus of eight returnees.

Seniors Adrian Figueroa (Goalie), David Rosario (Midfield) and Leo Bolton (Defender), who all earned second team N-O All-League honors, and senior Matt Kania (Defender), who received Honorable Mention, heads that veteran group.

That contingent also includes seniors Donovan Braley and Noah Marat at Midfield and Jayden Lewis and Tye Talbot on Defense.

“We’re focusing on defense,” said Coach Bridgette Varin. “That is the area we’re really working on.”

The Purple Eagles graduation losses included the first team N-O All-League trio of Finn McCue, Alonzo Figueroa-Fuentes and Dominic Mulka along with Honorable Mention selections Jason Anstey and Ben O’Connor. McCue scored a team leading 16 goals last fall.

“We lost some good players but we’ve got a good group returning,” said Varin.

Albion will tune up for the September 10 N-O home opener against Akron by competing in the Kendall Tournament on September 5 and 6. The Purple Eagles will face Holley in the tourney opener as Kendall will take on Rochester Prep in the other semi.

Photo by Cheryl Wertman – Veteran members of the Roy-Hart varsity soccer team include, in front, Alexis Capen, Kaitlin Mettler, Allie Trombley, Ali Ausman and Emily Duewiger. In back are Nina Santos, Macie Sidor, Maria Trombley, Kylie Churchill, Haylie Hillburn and Ruth Walker.

Anchored by a large veteran group, Roy-Hart is prepping for a huge Niagara-Orleans League girls soccer season opening game at defending champion Wilson on September 10.

Roy-Hart and Wilson have battled for the N-O title each of the last four years. The teams shared the championship in both 2020 and 2022. Roy-Hart captured the title in 2021 with Wilson in the runner-up spot. Then last year Roy-Hart finished second in the title race a game behind champion Wilson.

Leading the Lady Rams veteran contingent are seniors Kaitlin Mettler (Midfield/Forward) and Allie Trombley (M) who both earned first team N-O All-League honors along with senior Ali Ausman (Defender) and junior Kylie Churchill (M) who were both second team honorees and junior Macie Sidor (D) and sophomore Maria Trombley (M/F) who were both Honorable Mention selections. Mettler had 22 goals and 8 assists and Trombley 10 goals last season.

The Lady Rams also return experience in seniors Emily Duewiger (D) and Alexis Capen along with juniors Jaylie Hillburn (D) and Nina Santos (M) and freshman Ruth Walker (M/F).

“We return a lot and that is our strength,” said Coach Rich Jennings. “They know the system and what to expect so I think we should do well.”

Roy-Hart went 8-2 in the league and 10-6-1 overall last fall while Wilson won the N-O title with a 9-1 record.

Wilson is led by freshman forward Addison Elia who earned first tram All-League and Player of the Year honors along with second team honorees senior defender Mackenzie Elia and junior defender Bella Thrush. Addison Elia had 29 goals and 12 assists.

Photo by Cheryl Wertman – Lyndonville varsity Coach Wes Bradley meets here with the five veterans from the last Tigers varsity team in 2022. They include Austin Fonda, Michael Alexander, Colton Smith, Jesus Rosario and Brody Hazel.

In the fall of 1976 Wes Bradley took on the coaching task of organizing Lyndonville’s first boys varsity socer team. He guided the Tigers for 27 seasons before retiring in 2002 with 199 wins.

Now 22 years later, Bradley has taken on a similar coaching challenge to get the Tigers varsity squad restarted again after having no team in 2023 due to a shortage of players in the upper grades.

“I really didn’t see this coming,” said Bradley of his return to the Tigers coaching helm. “It’s almost like starting over. I’m looking forward to it.”

Anchoring the Tigers lineup will be five players who were members of the 2022 varsity squad. That quintet includes juniors Colton Smith, Jesus Rosario, Austin Fonda and Michael Alexander and sophomore Brody Hazel.

The Tigers will make their varsity return on September 4 with a Genesee Region League game at Attica.