Bethlehem field hockey players celebrate their 1-0 victory over Guilderland on Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025, in the Section 2 Class A championship game at Schuylerville High School.
Kyle Adams/For the Times Union
Bethlehem’s Finleigh McClain looks to navigate through the Guilderland defense during the Section 2 Class A final on Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025.
Kyle Adams/For the Times Union
Bethlehem field hockey players pose for a photo after their 1-0 victory over Guilderland on Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025, in the Section 2 Class A championship game at Schuylerville High School.
Kyle Adams/For the Times Union
Bethlehem field hockey players celebrate their 1-0 victory over Guilderland on Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025, in the Section 2 Class A championship game at Schuylerville High School.
Kyle Adams/For the Times Union
Bethlehem field hockey players celebrate their 1-0 victory over Guilderland on Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025, in the Section 2 Class A championship game at Schuylerville High School.
Kyle Adams/For the Times Union
Bethlehem field hockey players celebrate their 1-0 victory over Guilderland on Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025, in the Section 2 Class A championship game at Schuylerville High School.
Kyle Adams/For the Times Union
Bethlehem field hockey players celebrate their victory over Guilderland in the Section 2 Class A final on Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025, at Schuylerville High School.
Kyle Adams/For the Times Union
Bethlehem field hockey players celebrate their victory over Guilderland in the Section 2 Class A final on Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025, at Schuylerville High School.
Kyle Adams/For the Times Union
Bethlehem field hockey players celebrate their victory over Guilderland in the Section 2 Class A final on Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025, at Schuylerville High School.
Kyle Adams/For the Times Union
SCHUYLERVILLE — The Bethlehem field hockey team had no intentions of going to overtime — not again.
Once Finleigh McClain provided Bethlehem an early lead on Sunday in the Section 2 Class A championship game against Guilderland, the Eagles knew they had to hold it.
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“We really just left it all out there,” McClain said. “It was a hard game to keep up, but we knew we had to keep going.”
McClain’s first-quarter goal was the lone score in the 1-0 championship game victory for Bethlehem. With the win, the Eagles (16-2 overall) dethroned Guilderland (11-6), which won the previous two Class A titles in 2023 and 2024.
Sunday’s matchup also served as the rubber match between the two teams this season. On Sept. 8, Bethlehem topped Guilderland 3-0. However, on Sept. 29, Guilderland prevailed 1-0 in double overtime over the Eagles.
With 3:42 remaining in the first quarter on Sunday, McClain found the back of the cage on an assist from Ava Austin. The Eagles’ defense held strong for the remaining 48:42, securing the shutout.
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The goal was McClain’s 35th of the season.
“It’s all about mindset. Every time we came out for the quarter, we had the mindset that it was 0-0,” said Bethlehem head coach Dawn Austin. “Guilderland is such a scrappy team, and they can come back to score and win, after they’re down. We had to have that 0-0 mindset.”
Guilderland’s best opportunity to get back in the game came late in the third quarter, when it secured a pair of penalty corners. Bethlehem, however, wasn’t fazed.
“That really opened our eyes that we needed to go out and get another one,” McClain said of fending off Guilderland’s corners. “Even though we didn’t, we tried our best.”
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Bethlehem controlled the ball for most of the fourth quarter to hold on for the win.
“It’s paying attention to the details, which we focus on in practice, and working together as a team,” Austin said. “We started our year with ‘trust’ on the back of our shirts, and that’s really what we needed to do. We needed to trust our teammates and trust in each other on the field.
“I love these girls. That family feeling you get when you’re on the field, they all love being here and they have so much fun.”
Bethlehem last won an area title in 2022, the season before Guilderland began its run to back-to-back titles.
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It’s a season that McClain remembers well.
“I wanted to make it full circle. I wanted to come back here with my coach, we were the only ones [left from the 2022 team],” McClain said. “ It was definitely one of my main goals to make it back here.”
“The dedication, the heart and the commitment from this team, and the skill, really showed throughout the season,” Austin said. “It’s really, really great that we could cap the season off – so far – with this title. Guilderland is a tough, tough opponent. … and, this time, it was our day.”
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Bethlehem moves on to the subregional round of the NYSPHSAA tournament. It will face Section 3’s Rome Free Academy (17-0) on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. at Camden High School.