Riverhead Charter boys soccer falls to defending state champion North Salem in state Class C regional final
Riverhead Charter's Bradley Bolaj controls the ball against North Salem's Jason Gjushi during the second half of the state Class C boys soccer regional final at Harborfields High School on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026. Credit: Brad Penner
Riverhead Charter’s boys soccer team rose from Class D to Class C this fall, having won its first playoff game a year ago.
That debut season saw the Explorers capture a county title, but that’s where the trophies will end.
North Salem defeated Riverhead Charter, 2-0, Saturday in the state Class C Southeast Regional final at Harborfields High School.
“It was a good learning experience for us to see that we were able to build up and step into this,” Riverhead Charter coach Patrick McKinney said. “And now we have a benchmark for what we got to do next year.”
North Salem (8-8-2) is seeking its third straight state title.
Riverhead Charter (10-8) allowed two goals to Liam Keegan, one a 19-yard free kick and another a penalty kick after a hand ball in the box. Possession was even in the second half between the two sides, but a quality shot on goal eluded the Explorers.
McKinney praised his five seniors who “made this season happen,” with Riverhead Charter returning 20 players to its roster like impressive junior Qurstoff Lewis. Douglas Zelaya-Archaga is one of those five, a senior captain who finished his season with 20 goals and five assists.
Riverhead Charter's Douglas Zelaya-Archaga shoots the ball against North Salem's Steven Gamez during the state Class C boys soccer regional final at Harborfields High School on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026. Credit: Brad Penner
“It’s been really emotional, leading this team to the [regional] finals for the second time,” Zelaya-Archaga said. “One thing I will take away from my senior year is that we don’t play alone. We play like a team, like a family.”
Michael Sicoli covers high school sports for Newsday. He graduated from Quinnipiac in 2022 and left with a master’s degree in sports journalism in 2023.
