It was an uneven start to the season for Wallkill girls’ soccer team, who battled both the heat and Mid Hudson Athletic League Division I opponents.

The Panthers opened the season on September 5 with a 1-0 win over the FDR Presidents and then on Thursday suffered a 1-0 loss to the Saugerties Sawyers, which was called with about three minutes to go after play was stopped due to lightning.

The Panthers have another challenge in front of them this year, at least one that will wait for them in the postseason, as the New York State Public High School Association created six classifications.

The Panthers will play in Class AA, with teams like Valley Central and Warwick, which both played in Class AA last year.

“Entering the newly drawn AA division will be a challenge,” Wallkill’s fifth-year coach Kelly Wood said. “A sectional berth is the team goal.”

To get there and finish with at least a divisional record of .500 to earn their sectional berth will be the same familiar opponents. They’ve already played the Presidents and the Sawyers. They will see Our Lady of Lourdes in their only league game this week.

The Panthers have lost three players from last year’s team that posted a 7-6-0 record, and suffered their biggest loss in goalkeeper Madelyn Jachimiak, one of the Panthers three captains. They’ve also lost Paige Badner and Tristan Loupe to graduation.

The Panthers return two of their captains from last year in Amy Crowley and Brianna Merrill. Also returning are Emma Dilemme, Samantha and Alex Dembinsky, and Gabby Salese.

Newcomers to the team are Jess Avila, Mayah Simon and Aoife Brady.

“This is a great group,” Wood said. “A high commitment level is going to give us our best chance at success.”