Brenna Smith’s varsity career came down to a 7-on-7, sudden-death double overtime in the Sectional Final against perennial titleholder Lakeland.

By Mitch Silver

Brenna Smith’s varsity career came down to a 7-on-7, sudden-death double overtime in the Sectional Final against perennial titleholder Lakeland. Brenna, as it happened, was the Rye High field hockey player standing in goal with the padding on in the freezing rain, waiting for the six-time champs to mount another attack. With three minutes left they did, and her amazing sliding stop — her 13th of the game — kept the Garnets, League champs in their own right, alive. Though Lakeland eventually took the contest 3-2, Brenna’s “save of a lifetime” was no surprise to her coach.

 “I’ve had the pleasure to coach Brenna for the past three years, the last two as our starting varsity goalkeeper,” Emily Murphy told us in an email exchange. “She’s a student of the game, going to clinics and camps in the off-season, asking questions and wanting to learn more about the position. Nothing she accomplishes surprises me anymore.”

Brenna’s latest “unsurprising” accomplishment is winning November’s Rye High/Rye Lions Club Athlete of the Month award. Like the other monthly winners, she’s being recognized for talent on and off the field.

In Brenna’s case, her off-the-field efforts have made her a High Honor Roll student throughout high school, an Advanced Placement Scholar, and member of the National Honor Society. Twice winner of the yearly Departmental Award in English, Brenna has mastered AP History (both U.S. and European), Statistics, Economics, Environmental Science, and Psychology.

“Psychology really intrigues me,” she confided. “A science that focuses on who people are, why we do what we do…I find it fascinating.” Will she pursue a career in a social science?
“I don’t know; I want to keep an open mind heading into college. My folks are both lawyers and so is my oldest brother, so there’s that direction as well.”

When she’s not studying, Brenna, a four-year member of the Wind Ensemble, is the sole bass clarinetist at football games and in concerts. Brenna has applied to colleges from New England to Maryland. While she doesn’t know where she’ll be in September, she already knows what she’ll be doing on an evening in the first week of June: joining the other monthly Lions Club honorees at The Osborn for the annual dinner. She’s earned her place at the table — just ask her teammates.