The Tri-Valley powers split their first two games, including the Patriots’ rally from two goals down with 15 minutes left to win the Tri-Valley Championship Game.

They are each a win away from meeting again in Saturday’s Section Four Class D final.

CV-S, 17-1-1, advanced to today’s (Thursday’s) 3 p.m. semifinal game against Davenport at the Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta with a 5-0 blanking of Gilbertsville-Mt. Upton at home on Saturday. Laurens defeated Milford, 5-0 on Monday and played Margaretville in a semifinal game on Wednesday.

``We got caught up in a long ball game early on, but when we got back to our short passing game we started to play well,’’ Adams said of her team’s performance against G-MU.

The Patriots led 2-0 at halftime, and senior Jason Guernsey’s penalty kick made it 3-0 early in the second half. Guernsey added another goal and Mike Canganello added the final tally.

The Patriots defeated Davenport, 7-0, in the first game of the season in the Edmeston tournament. But, as Adams pointed out, ``That was August.’’

CV-S will have to try and contain Davenport’s high-scoring forward Brandon Butts, who scored all four goals in the Wildcats’ 4-3 win over Hunter-Tannersville on Tuesday. Butts did not play in the teams’ first meeting.

Laurens’ victory over Milford could have been the final game of Milford head coach Frank Spurchise’s 30-year career.

He will retire from teaching at Milford after this school year, and said he will make a decision shortly on whether or not he will continue coaching.

``We had a very good season, but we unfortunately we didn’t play well today,’’ Spurchise said of the Laurens game. ``Give Laurens credit, their skill and speed took us out of our game and they played flawless soccer.’’

After the Leopards took an early 2-0 lead, Spurchise removed starting goalkeeper Trevor Kosturock and put him at forward, trying to jumpstart the offensive attack.

``I had to try and score, I didn’t go there to lose 2-0,’’ Spurchise said. ``The move backfired, but I had to give it a shot.’’

The Leopards scored three quick goals in the second half before Spurchise put Kosturock back in goal.

``Laurens was an angry team after losing to Cherry Valley, and they didn’t let us do anything,’’ Spurchise said. ``The last 10 games we really came together as a team, but we’re a player or two away from being at Laurens’ level.’’

Notes: Laurens is the defending Class D champion. Saturday’s game will be played at the Hall of Fame fields in Oneonta at a time yet to be determined.