Spindles are Crowned the First-Ever UPL Champions in the Capital
UPL FINAL
Spindles 2 - 0 Patroon
35’ - Rabadi (Primeau)
51’ - Trestick (Faretta)
Albany, NY – August 9, 2026
Rabadi and Trestick score, Crook leads the defense as Spindles shut out Patroon 2-0 to make history in Albany
One year after winning the CDSL for the first time, Spindles United have got their hands on another trophy.
This time, they’re the first.
Spindles United defeated Patroon United 2-0 on Sunday at the Christian Plumeri Sports Complex on Sullivan Field, capturing the inaugural Upstate Premier League championship in front of more than 300 fans.
The top-seeded Spindles came in at 6-2-3, facing a Patroon side that finished second at 5-4-2. Ninety minutes later, Spindles had made league history.
Spindles controlled the early possession, looking to play through Patroon’s pressure and dictate the tempo.
Patroon’s defense held firm through the opening half hour.
Then came the breakthrough.
In the 35th minute, Spindles won the ball deep in Patroon territory. After a battle for possession, the ball found veteran Daniel Primeau, who immediately looked toward the back post.
Primeau delivered, Matt Rabadi was waiting.
The Spindles midfielder met the ball with a perfectly timed volley and buried it. 1-0, 35’.
It was Rabadi’s fifth goal of the UPL season, his second in playoffs and the biggest one yet.
Patroon tried to respond before halftime, but Ryan Taylor and the Spindles back line refused to give up an equalizer.
Spindles took the 1-0 lead into the break.
Patroon came out of halftime with urgency.
The pressure increased. The press got higher.
Spindles kept playing.
And in the 51st minute, they found the goal that changed the game.
After a strong possession sequence, Nico Faretta picked up the ball and saw the opening. He threaded a pass straight through the Patroon defense.
Anders Trestick was in. Trestick took a few touches under pressure before moving the ball onto his left foot. Then he finished. The shot slipped through the goalkeeper’s legs and into the net. 2-0, 51’.
Trestick’s seventh goal of the UPL campaign gave Spindles a two-goal cushion with nearly 40 minutes still to play.
Patroon wasn’t going away however.
The second seed continued to push forward, holding possession for stretches and creating opportunities.
But Spindles had answers.
Taylor stood tall in goal. The back line absorbed the pressure. And in the middle of it all was captain Dan Crook.
Crook seemed to be everywhere.
Every loose ball. Every dangerous attack. Every moment when Patroon threatened to pull one back. The oldest player on the pitch was there.
Spindles kept Patroon off the scoreboard.
At the other end, Spindles had opportunities to put the final completely out of reach, but the two-goal lead was enough.
The clock kept moving.
90 minutes.
Then the whistle.
Spindles United 2. Patroon United 0.
HISTORY MADE
Spindles United are the first-ever UPL champions.
The club’s championship run is even more impressive considering how the season began.
Spindles opened the campaign 0-2. However they didn’t panic. They battled back, climbed the table, finished first at 7-2-3, scored 22 goals and conceded only 10.
Now they have back-to-back league championships.
2025: CDSL Champions.
2026: UPL Champions.
Different league. Different challenge. Same ending.
Spindles players lifted the inaugural UPL trophy in front of a UPL record attendance crowd (286) that had come to watch history.
They got exactly that.
MAN OF THE MATCH: DAN CROOK
The Spindles captain delivered when it mattered most.
Crook anchored the defense, cleaned up dangerous chances and provided the leadership that helped Spindles preserve the clean sheet.
The championship may have been won with goals from Rabadi and Trestick.
But it was finished by a defense led by its captain.
Dan Crook. Man of the Match.
Spindles United. Inaugural UPL Champions.
Spindles played in a crucial role in operations of the Inaugural UPL Season. Despite a successful campaign all across the league, there is a ton of work that has to be done to improve.
2026 was only an experiment. One that we learned a lot from that will help propel the league to a completely new stage in 2027, and raising the standards of amateur football in the area.
We can’t wait.
