The second-seeded Rye High School ice hockey team finished its fabulous season by advancing to the Section 1 Division 2 championship game last weekend. 

 

 

By Melanie Cane

 

The second-seeded Rye High School ice hockey team finished its fabulous season by advancing to the Section 1 Division 2 championship game last weekend.

 

The final game was a disappointing one as the Garnets lost to top-seeded John Jay Cross River, 5-1, at Brewster Ice Rink.

 

With forward Michael Benincasa sidelined after reinjuring a stress fracture in last Friday’s semifinal win, and the first John Jay goal careening off a referee’s skate, Sunday’s loss was a game the Garnets would rather forget.

 

Rye Coach Jason Friesen nonetheless had plenty of praise for the hockey squad. “Every member of the team poured everything they had into Sunday’s game,’’ Friesen said.

 

Friesen said senior co-captains Danny Sullivan and Chris Lipari “both had a tremendous game. They gave their all.”

 

Last Friday’s 4-1 semifinal playoff win over Horace Greeley at Hommocks Park Ice Rink was a paradigm for how to play the game. With the temporary return of Benincasa and a 9-0 victory in the quarterfinals, the Garnets were amped up and approached Greeley with a winning attitude.

 

After his return from a three-week absence, Benincasa scored the first goal of the game with 1:29 left in the first period. A minute later, Greeley answered that goal and the teams went into the second period knotted at 1. With 10:55 left in the second period, Rye’s Cal Hynson scored by flicking one over Greeley’s goalie. Hynson’s second goal came with 9:55 left in the third period. In the final moments of the game, Rye’s Jack O’Brien scored.

 

The team owed its win over the third-seeded Quakers to goalie Aidan Talgo, who played a phenomenal game, robbing Greeley of more than a few goals with his cat-like reflexes while making 27 saves.

 

The Garnets closed the season at 17-5-1.