Schalmont sophomore Mason Panarese and LaSalle sophomore Dexter Laflin battle for the ball on Tuesday Sept. 24, 2025, in Rotterdam, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
Schalmont junior Luke Viscusi plays the ball during a game against LaSalle on Tuesday Sept. 24, 2025, in Rotterdam, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
Schalmont sophomore Joel Kushner and LaSalle senior Will Nittinger battle for the ball on Tuesday Sept. 24, 2025, in Rotterdam, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
LaSalle keeper Aiden Ahern makes a save in front of Schalmont senior Connor Byrnes on Tuesday Sept. 24, 2025, in Rotterdam, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
Schalmont junior Max Monthie plays the ball in a crowd during a game against LaSalle on Tuesday Sept. 24, 2025, in Rotterdam, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
Guilderland sophomore Mikella Battaglino and Schalmont junior Selena Cassano go for the ball on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025, in Rotterdam, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
Guilderland senior Kiley Burke and Schalmont junior Selena Cassano go for the ball on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025, in Rotterdam, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
Schalmont junior Selena Cassano scores on an indirect kick against Guilderland on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025, in Rotterdam, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
Schalmont senior Aubree Marano and teammate Selena Cassano celebrate a score on an indirect kick against Guilderland on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025, in Rotterdam, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
Schalmont coach Maurizio Cassano during a game against Guilderland on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025, in Rotterdam, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
Schalmont senior Aubree Marano plays the ball in front of Guilderland junior Gigi Santaniello on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025, in Rotterdam, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
Schalmont keeper Skyler Blackwell plays the ball during a game against Guilderland on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025, in Rotterdam, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
Schalmont junior Gianna Amoroso saves a goal after the ball got by keeper Skyler Blackwell during a game against Guilderland on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025, in Rotterdam, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
Mohonasen eighth grader Maggie Mullin plays the ball in front of Cohoes senior Kiley McMahon on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, in Rotterdam, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
Mohonasen sophomore Ella Mullin plays the ball during a game against Cohoes on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, in Rotterdam, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
Mohonasen senior Vanessa Palleschi plays the ball in front of Cohoes freshman Eliana Reyes on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, in Rotterdam, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
Mohonasen sophomore Ella Mullin winds up a shot in front of Cohoes junior Sophia Santoro on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, in Rotterdam, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
Mohonasen eighth grader Brianna DeFillipo and plays the ball in front of Cohoes sophomore Mia Snyder on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, in Rotterdam, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
Mohonasen Eighth grader Maggie Mullin, left, and sophomore Ella Mullin during a game against Cohoes on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, in Rotterdam, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
Mohonasen eighth grader Maggie Mullin winds up a shot during a game against Cohoes on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, in Rotterdam, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
Mohonasen senior Jacob Bachorik plays the ball in front of Albany Academy sophomore Noah Potoski on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025, in Albany, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
Mohonasen sophomore Calvin Tarasovich winds up a shot in front of Albany Academy junior Ignacio Gorospe on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025, in Albany, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
Mohonasen senior Raheem Shaw and Albany Academy sophomore Reid Leone-Levine on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025, in Albany, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
Mohonasen senior Shea Moore takes a shot in front of Albany Academy sophomore Noah Potoski on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025, in Albany, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
Mohonasen senior Shea Moore winds up a shot in front of Albany Academy sophomore Noah Potoski on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025, in Albany, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
Mohonasen senior Jalwaj-Soubai Soufiane and Albany Academy sophomore Alex Strianese go for the ball on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025, in Albany, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
Cohoes senior Nick Halloran and Mohonasen senior Jacob Bachorik race to the ball on Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025, in Rotterdam, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
Mohonasen senior Nick Corsaro gets a head on the ball during a game against Cohoes on Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025, in Rotterdam, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
Cohoes sophomore Edwin Olivares and Mohonasen senior Jacob Bachorik race to the ball on Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025, in Rotterdam, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
Mohonasen senior Angel Perez plays the ball in front of Cohoes defender Edwin Olivares on Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025, in Rotterdam, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
Cohoes junior com Figueroa and Mohonasen senior Jacob Bachorik battle for the ball on Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025, in Rotterdam, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
Mohonasen senior Nick Corsaro scores a goal against Cohoes on Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025, in Rotterdam, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
Mohonasen keeper Hudson Frulla makes a save in front of Cohoes sophomore Ben Hotaling on Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025, in Rotterdam, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
ROTTERDAM — For quite some time, Rotterdam’s two high schools, Mohonasen and Schalmont, have mirrored each other’s success, driven by a soccer rivalry rooted in shared history and intense competition.
This season is no different, with three of the four programs from the schools earning first- and second-seeds in the Section 2 playoffs, and the fourth winning a league title.
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“We push each other to stay excellent,” said Schalmont head coach Vito Urbano, a Schalmont graduate who also coached the Mohonasen girls’ soccer team for five seasons from 2012 to 2017. “Schalmont was historically the stronger team, motivating Mohonasen to step up its game, and now it works both ways.”
Expectations remain high for the four squads heading into the Section 2 quarterfinals. The Schalmont boys (11-4-1) earned the No. 2 seed in Class A and face Albany Academy on Friday, while the top-seeded Schalmont girls (13-2) host Ichabod Crane on Saturday. The Mohonasen boys (12-3-1), seeded fifth in Class AA, will visit Niskayuna on Friday and the top-seeded Mohonasen girls (15-0) enter Friday’s home game against South Glens Falls with a strong winning streak.
Schalmont junior Luke Viscusi and LaSalle senior Eli Rodriquez battle for the ball on Tuesday Sept. 24, 2025, in Rotterdam, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
Both programs credit their sustained success to the same foundation—Rotterdam United Soccer Club, the town’s recreational and travel soccer program that has nurtured generations of athletes for both schools. From kindergarten to high school, kids grow up in the same system that emphasizes relentless energy, high standards and what players affectionately call “hustle ball.”
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“It’s just the work ethic our coaches have for their teams,” said Mohonasen boys’ senior goalkeeper Hudson Frulla. “They push us hard and we just play with a lot of heart.”
That philosophy has fostered a culture of consistency. Schalmont’s boys are the defending Class A regional and sectional champions and have won five league titles and three sectional championships since 2010. Mohonasen, once chasing its crosstown rival’s legacy, has now secured back-to-back league titles and is aiming for its first sectional crown since 2011.
Mohonasen sophomore Ella Mullin plays the ball during a game against Cohoes on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, in Rotterdam, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
The girls’ teams are also consistently at the top. Schalmont, the defending Section 2 Class A champion, has claimed five sectional titles and two state championships since 2011, while Mohonasen, this year’s Colonial Council champion, is aiming for its first Section 2 title since 2019.
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“It’s an easy formula,” Urbano said. “Once you get the kids playing young, over time they keep playing — and that’s how you get strong.”
If there’s a single type of night that defines Rotterdam soccer, it’s when one of the Schalmont–Mohonasen rivalry games takes place. Every September, people from the town flood into the stands as the two schools face off, often under the lights. It’s a game that each team marks on its schedule at the start of every season and serves as a benchmark for both programs.
“It’s the most fun we have all year,” said Schalmont boys’ senior Connor Byrnes. “You always want to win that game. You’re fighting as hard as you can, and the stands are packed on both sides. It’s intense, but that’s what makes it special.”
Mohonasen senior Nick Corsaro is congratulated after scoring a goal against Cohoes on Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025, in Rotterdam, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
Most of the players know each other well, having grown up as teammates at Rotterdam United before taking different paths in high school. But many still play for the same club teams in the offseason.
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“We’ve been playing together since we were 5,” said Schalmont boys’ junior Santiago Vega. “Rec, travel, school — it’s just constant. We push each other and keep raising the bar.”
That familiarity adds both fuel and fire to the rivalry. The winner earns an important Colonial Council win and nearly a year’s worth of bragging rights.
“If we lose, we have to hear about it for the next eight or 10 months,” said Schalmont boys’ senior Joseph DeLucia. “Every club practice, they remind us. That’s their go-to insult.”
“It’s all in good fun,” said Frulla. “Everyone wants to win that game.”
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Schalmont senior Aubree Marano watches teammate Selena Cassano score on an indirect kick against Guiilderland on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025, in Rotterdam, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
This fall, Mohonasen swept the rivalry, with the boys winning 1-0 behind a standout effort from Frulla in goal and a score from Nick Corsaro. The Mohonasen girls won their rivalry game in an overtime thriller on a game-winning shot from young sensation Maggie Mullin.
The rivalry game may last only 80 minutes, but its impact stretches across seasons and even coaches can’t escape the emotions that come with it.
“You can throw the records out the window,” Urbano said. “It’s more of a mental game than anything else. They’re playing against some of their best friends and that makes it our toughest game every year.”
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Mohonasen coach Greg Herzog, in his first year leading the team, said his players’ familiarity with Schalmont gives the rivalry an extra edge and keeps both programs sharp. He’s been impressed with his players’ work ethic and credits Rotterdam’s blue-collar spirit for his team’s discipline and endurance.
Schalmont senior Connor Byrnes plays the ball in front of LaSalle senior Will Nittinger on Tuesday Sept. 24, 2025, in Rotterdam, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
“Of course, they wanted that [rivalry] win,” said Herzog, who previously coached at Voorheesville. “But it can’t distract from doing your job on the field. I try not to make it bigger than it already is, but, for them, it means everything.
“I’m so proud of them. They all have a passion to play and work really hard. It comes from their families, the club, the schools — everybody’s pushing them to be their best. I really haven’t seen anything like it.”
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While Mohonasen aims for a strong postseason run in Class AA, Schalmont is focused on redemption after losing in last year’s state final. Players embrace the expectations and pressure that come with representing a program and town rich in soccer tradition.
“There’s always pressure,” Vega said. “But that just motivates us to improve and get better as a team.”
“Pressure is a privilege,” DeLucia added. “If there’s no pressure, you have nothing to play for.”
Mohonasen head coach Greg Herzog during a game against Cohoes on Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025, in Rotterdam, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
The town’s soccer community already dreams of a perfect ending: four champions from one Rotterdam. Despite the rivalry, players from both schools admit they’d be happy if everyone wins titles.
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“I’d be ecstatic if they became champions,” Byrnes said. “I mean, I want to see those guys succeed and I’m hoping they can do it this year. It’d be great to have both sides of the town win.”
For now, the rivalry keeps them motivated, with both sides shaped by the same fields, coaches and unwavering love of the game.
“I think that’s what this rivalry really is. It’s competitive, but it’s fun,” Herzog said. “At the end of the day, we walk through the line, we shake hands and you’re going to see them at the grocery store.”