The Week Ahead: NFL returns, and some monster local matchups

PHOTOGRAPHER: The Associated Press

Tom Brady and the New England Patriots will host the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first game of the NFL season Thursday night.

Share on Facebook

Save

The week ahead holds some great games locally and nationally for sports fans.

Just glancing through the schedule, there are more than a few games that stand out. Here’s a taste of what’s on tap (and keep an eye out for the Tri-City ValleyCats’ playoff schedule, too):

Powers collide: Shenendehowa and Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake meet in an early-season matchup of regional field hockey powers at 4:15 p.m. Tuesday at Shen.

Streak spikers: Bethlehem at Burnt Hills boys’ volleyball, 5:30 p.m. Wednesday. The defending sectional champs from Division 1 and Division 2, respectively, square off. Burnt Hills beat Bethlehem twice last year, ending the Eagles’ Suburban Council winning streak at 65 straight.

Suburban Council showdown: Shenendehowa boys’ soccer at Bethlehem, 4:15 p.m. Thursday. The defending Suburban Council North and South Division champions facing each in an early crossover game.

Opening Night: Pittsburgh Steelers at New England Patriots, 8:30 p.m. Thursday, on NBC. Finally, some NFL games that matter. (Giants, Jets and Bills fans will have to wait like everyone else until Sunday, but they’ll get theirs.) Tom Brady returns to the field after shaking off an attempted sack by Commissioner Roger Goodell.

New turf battle: Bishop Maginn football at Burnt Hills, 7 p.m. Friday. Two Class A teams that were tough last year, with Bishop Maginn finishing tied for first in its division and Burnt Hills second in its division. This is the first game on the Spartans’ new turf field.

Top-10 tilt: No. 7 Oregon at No. 5 Michigan State, 8 p.m. Saturday, ABC. While other Top-10 college football teams play squads they will beat by 50 or 60 points, here’s two teams with national championship aspirations that will go toe-to-toe in Week 2.

And locally . . . : UAlbany plays its home opener at 3:30 p.m. Saturday at Bob Ford Field against Rhode Island, which got throttled by Syracuse Friday. The Great Danes didn’t fare much better, dropping their opener 51-14 on Saturday to Buffalo.