Junior Maddy Murray (17) basks in the glow of her awesome assist.

 

Rye Neck Girls’ Soccer

Panthers Shut Out Dobbs to Open Playoffs

by Mitch Silver

 

Seventh-seeded Rye Neck High School opened their Class B tournament account by whitewashing Dobbs Ferry, the number 10 seeds, at home Friday afternoon by a 4-0 score.

 

Angeline Medina, only a ninth grader, scored once in each half to help turn back the Eagles. Her classmate Skye Spencer, another first-year varsity performer, scored a nifty second-half goal to make it 3-0.

 

The Panthers got on the board within 15 minutes of the opening whistle when junior midfielder Ava Meier controlled a long, high pass to the left of the penalty box. She deked right, went left, and lofted a left-footed shot that nestled in the far corner of the net.

 

Twelve minutes later, young Medina stopped a low goal kick with her noggin, got the ball back a few seconds later, danced to her right in the box, and scored one high at the near post.

 

Head Coach Amy Bushnell’s girls spread the glory around, with sophomore Emma Young and junior Anna Murphy each earning an assist. Junior Maddy Murray had two—her second off a walloped free kick that found Spencer’s foot.

 

Dobbs Ferry entered the game with three distinct advantages. They have a terrific goalkeeper, they have Section 1’s leading scorer in Abby Ward (25 goals on the season), and they defeated the Panthers earlier in the season. But they were hardly in Friday’s contest.

 

Afterwards, Coach Bushnell said, “We’re really played an all-around game for 80 minutes. Maddy Bayha, seniors Lisa Engelen and Natalia Ruscitto, and the rest of our midfield and defense bottled up Ward the whole time.”

 

The airtight defensive work left junior goalkeeper Stefanie Santoli very little to do. Things might get a little busier Monday when Rye Neck travels to Bronxville to take on the second-ranked Broncos.