After losing for the second time this season to the undefeated and top-ranked Class A team in the State, the Port Chester Rams, the Garnets beat two neighboring rivals last week in back-to-back games, by identical 2-1 scores.
By Mitch Silver
After losing for the second time this season to the undefeated and top-ranked Class A team in the State, the Port Chester Rams, the Garnets beat two neighboring rivals last week in back-to-back games, by identical 2-1 scores.
There was something else identical about the games against Harrison October 13 and Mamaroneck on the 15th: all the goals were scored by Mattheus Gomes, who now is the third-leading scorer in Section 1 with 12 goals and nine assists at press time.
It was an even contest against Harrison on a rainy night at home under the lights until Sean Pinson used his devastating speed to force the Huskies left fullback to cough up the ball in his own penalty area. Gomes pounced, executed a neat counter-clockwise 360-degree spin, and netted a low shot to the keeper’s right.
For once, Rye was both the bigger and faster team, but it was Harrison scoring early in the second half on a driven free kick that found a teammate’s head to the left of Rye netminder Liam Harris. It stayed that way for 30 agonizing minutes until Kamal Logue spotted Gomes in the box. The Brazilian senior took a touch to his left and popped it past the keeper for the win.
Fellow senior Greg Stern could not contain himself after the game. His opinion? “Mattheus is 100% Jesus!” Head coach Jared Small was slightly more subdued. “Mattheus was our Man of the Match. With two goals, you have to give it to him.”
It was a similar story at Mamaroneck. Gomes scored his two goals and Harris had 12 saves in the win.
Rye cannot win the league, having lost twice to Port Chester and once to Byram Hills. But they could qualify for a high seed in the playoffs, especially if they have a strong game in their return match against Byram October 21. The first round will be played a week later, with the quarterfinals and semis November 1 and 3.
