ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Athletes across Section 2 returned to the field today for the first time in more than six months, all of them adjusting to the new normal of wearing masks while playing.

The fall season for low and moderate risk sports got underway on Monday with players and coaches both appreciating the chance to play,

“just the opportunity to be here honestly like you said a lot of other councils and divisions don’t have any sports and I think that we should just be grateful that we’re here,” said Darien Espinal a senior on the Shenendehowa boys soccer team.

Guilderland field hockey coach Jen Sykes echoed that sentiment,

“I think just to be out here again is a big win for everyone.”

The Suburban Council and Patroon Council are the only local leagues playing moderate risk sports like soccer and field hockey this fall.

Shen and Guilderland are both defending sectional champions in their respective sport but they will not get the opportunity to defend their titles with no post season play this year,

“finding that out I was a little upset because being the defending sectional champs we wanted to prove to ourselves we can do it again but we have Suburban Council champs so we can try to win that,” said Ava Thomson who is a senior on the Guilderland field hockey team.

Teams are required to have ten practices before starting games, the regular season is set to begin the first week of October.

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