By Cody Marshall-Executive Sports Writer

The Section II Class C Soccer Rankings are a close race throughout the Top 10. Each team is fighting hard to stay within the Top 8 in order to guarantee a first round home Sectional game. However, in order to move up, teams will have to look for help from other teams from other leagues, and Galway is no different. Entering Tuesday, the Golden Eagles were ranked 9th in Class C, but had the opportunity to move up to 7th if Albany Academy managed to beat or tie Voorheesville and if Doane Stuart could take down Waterford.

Well, they got their wish. On Tuesday, the Doane Stuart Thunder Chicken defeated the Waterford Fordians 3-2, while the Cadets of Albany Academy battled to a 1-1 tie with the Blackbirds of Voorheesville. As a result, Galway moves up to 7th in the rankings with a record of 4-2-1, giving them a winning percentage of .714. At the moment, Galway would receive a home Sectional game in the first round, and the opponent would be #10 Waterford (3-2-0).

However, there’s still three weeks left of play, and Galway, along with every other team in Class C, isn’t about to settle for where they are. With a win Wednesday against Sharon Springs, Galway would put themselves in a position to move into 5th if they can get help from #15 Berne-Knox-Westerlo (plays #5 Mayfield) and #14 Fort Plain (plays #6 Schoharie). If Galway can beat Sharon Springs by a significant amount, the Golden Eagles could move into 4th if Hoosic Valley loses to Class B Stillwater on Thursday and Stillwater outscores Hoosic Valley by enough goals to give Galway the edge in goal differential. The advantage to a Top 4 ranking is that those teams are guarenteed a home First Round and Quarterfinal game in Sectional play. With 9 games to go, the Sectional race is heating up.

Section II Class C Rankings (through 09/27/11)

1. Lake George (6-0-0)

2. Maple Hill (6-0-0)

3. Greenwich (4-0-0)

4. Hoosic Valley (4-0-1)

5. Mayfield (6-2-0)

6. Schoharie (4-1-1)

7. Galway (4-1-2)

8. Voorheesville (3-1-1)

9. Mekeel Christian Academy (4-2-0)

10. Waterford (3-2-0)

11. Middleburgh (2-2-2)

12. Berlin (2-2-0)

13. St. JOE (3-3-1)

14. Fort Plain (2-3-2)

15. Berne-Knox-Westerlo (2-3-1)

16. Canajoharie (1-3-4)

17. Hoosick Falls (1-4-1)

18. Hadley-Luzerne (1-4-1)

19. Mechanicville (1-4-0)

20. Warrensburg (0-6-0)

21. Duanesburg (0-7-0)