Last season marked a breakthrough for Rye field hockey.
The Garnets earned the No. 1 seed in the section tournament and advanced to the championship game, winning 13 of their final 15 games for a 16-3 overall record.
Now, after its best campaign in more than a decade, Rye will try to build on that success this fall.
The only caveat? The loss of 11 seniors in the 2025-26 class, including a majority of last year’s starters. A dozen return to defend their league title in coach Valerie Montano’s second year leading the team.
Montano was a former standout player at Lakeland, which had its 16-year streak as section champions end last year. The Hornet alum knows the importance of filling in the gaps with new and returning players to build a consistent winner.
“It doesn’t matter what grade you’re in,” Montano said. “Just looking to see that you have the right attitude and that you’re not giving up. Controlling what we can control — which is our effort, of course. We’re looking for the seniors to lead more of the underclassmen in terms of our work ethic and high expectations.”
Cate Puzzouli and Dickinson College commit Liv Prata will lead the team as senior captains.
Senior Tessa Zicari will replace former starter Chloe Holden as goalkeeper. While Zicari mostly served as a backup last year, the Garnets’ frequent blowouts allowed her to step in and show what she was capable of against varsity competition.
“We’re looking for her to build off of the momentum from last season,” Montano said. “Our team believes in her and we’re just excited to see the kind of season she can have this year.”
In preparation for the upcoming season, the Garnets participated in the summer league at Lakeland for the first time. Over the course of five to six weeks, the returning members faced familiar competition in John Jay-Cross River, Mahopac, Somers, and nine other schools in 7 vs. 7 scrimmages.
The league also offered a JV division, allowing Montano and the coaching staff to check in on the underclassmen and new faces to the team.
“A lot of great potential and athletes are coming up, which makes me really excited,” she said. “We’re also trying to get feedback from the captains and what they see as well.”
Coming off a successful season can provide a combination of motivation and pressure to fill the shoes of a departing senior class.
“It’s just important for us to stay flexible and look to adapt,” Montano said. “We’re not looking to be the exact same team as last year. We want to find what works for us and this team, and play to the strengths that this group of girls will have.”
For the first time since 2010, Lakeland’s grip on the Section 1 crown weakened last year. Rye beat the Hornets for the first time in the decade, then the perennial field hockey powers fell to Horace Greeley in the semifinals, the same team that ousted the Garnets in the championship.
The season, which begins at 5 p.m. Thursday against Clarkstown, is filled with tough tests, including Greeley on Sept. 15 and Lakeland on Oct. 13, the penultimate game on the schedule. But last year’s progress gives Montano and the Garnets hope they can seize pole position in a section that suddenly appears up for grabs.
“Games like last year’s win against Lakeland motivate us,” Montano said. “It’s a fresh start.”
