At the end of the 2025 season, which culminated in the program’s third state championship, the undefeated Rye girls soccer team (21-0-3) was ranked No. 6 in the nation by United Soccer Coaches.
Not too shabby.
Coach Rich Savage, entering his 34th season as head coach of the Garnets, doesn’t put much stock in such accolades.
“It’s 2026. New team, new year. I’m as excited to get going for this season as any I’ve coached at Rye,” Savage said. “We’ve been practicing all summer, and putting work in during the winter months. Year to year, no matter where we end up, our philosophy as a program never changes.”
The Garnet girls have won the league for 10 straight years, and followed it up with their second state championship in three years, beating Aquinas 4-0 in the Class A title game.
“We have kids who play with us multiple years and many of them play multiple sports at Rye,” Savage said. “And yes, we’ve been fortunate to experience some success these past few seasons. If you’re lucky to have your season end with a win, it’s the best feeling in the world.”
Losing four starters from a state title team is never easy to overcome, but in Savage’s program, there’s no such thing as a rebuilding year. The rebuilding happens at the same time as the building.
The 2026 Garnets will be led by five senior captains: Charlotte Keenan (a Notre Dame soccer commit); Shira Rand (Cornell, soccer); Julia Carballo (uncommitted); Blake Sasse (Colgate, lacrosse); and Eleanor Pandl (Franklin & Marshall, soccer). Returning junior midfielder Hannah Jachman is committed to play soccer at Princeton, and sophomore wonder kid Harkin Brown also returns.
“We tell our kids every year that soccer doesn’t have to be their favorite sport, but we want this to be their favorite season,” Savage said. “We want them to love this team more than any other they’ve ever played on. If we can accomplish that for this year’s group, then I’ll be thrilled.”
Obstacles along the path will come early for these Garnets. Rye opens its season Friday at the Hall of Fame tournament outside of Albany, matching up against top New York talent. First up is Niskayuna at 5 p.m. Friday, then Shenendehowa at 1:45 p.m. Saturday
Rye will then play 2025 Class AA state champion Albertus Magnus, with other games against tough competition from Pleasantville, Somers, and AAA power Arlington.
“We want to win our league first,” Savage said. “If that happens, we go on to the section. If we win that, then we move on to the regional title. One practice and one game at a time.”
As a member of two state title teams, in 2023 and 2025, Keenan believes the team’s bond just might be the Garnets’ superpower.
“I learned about it from two incredible captains — Maddy Walsh and Isabel Harvey — when I was a freshman,” she said. “Not only did they set a standard of excellence for us all to strive for, they made every single player on the team feel that we were all integral components of every game all season.”
Savage is also an integral part of the Rye Youth Soccer program, instilling those values and a culture of winning in future Garnet varsity stars from an early age.
“So many of us on this year’s team have been playing for Savage since we were five or six,” Keenan said. “Now, as seniors, it’s our turn. We want to leave our mark, too. What happens on the field is just as important as how we all interact off the field. Many of us will go on to play soccer in college, but this is the last time we’ll play together ever as a team. We want it to be special.”
