By Steven Kearney
If you’re already tired of holing up at home and streaming “Dune: Prophecy” to avoid the frigid temps, you may want to check out the Rye boys hockey schedule for a home game at Playland over the next few months.
Watching hockey in person is hard to beat, and the Garnets’ early-season matchups have been especially exhilarating.
Rye played Massena to a 4-4 draw Saturday afternoon at Playland, three days after coming up just short in an equally even game, a 4-3 overtime loss to the Rivertown Legends. Rye’s record may stand at 0-2-1, but back-and-forth games against perennial postseason contenders bode well for the year ahead.
“We’re a young, deep team with a bunch of first-time varsity players,” said Rye Coach Peter Thomas after the Rivertown Legends game. “Tight games like this battle test our team for the playoffs. Fortunately, we have a core of veteran leadership who will show our younger players where we need to be as a team. We’ll get there.”
Three periods of hockey, plus a five-minute overtime, were not enough to determine a winner against the defending Section X Division 1 champions, Massena. Rye Captain Dean Kim got the scoring started with just under seven minutes to play in the first period. Senior Tyler McDermott made it 2-0 Rye with his first varsity goal.
“We played with a lot of jam right from the start, jumping out to a lead before they got one back at the end of the first,” Thomas said. “It was a high-tempo game, with both teams getting some good chances.”
The game was knotted at 2-2 in the second period when junior Trevor Dolan scored a nifty-lifty goal from close range. Massena returned the favor on a power play goal at 3:24 of the second to tie the game again.
In the third period, Massena and Rye traded two more goals, as Rye freshman Max Niejadlik carded the first goal of his varsity career. At the end of overtime, the game ended in a 4-4 draw. Davis Goodman made his first varsity start in goal, stopping 18 of 22 shots to earn the tie.
A large contingent of loyal and vocal supporters made the six-hour drive from Massena, located just south of the Canadian border. One Raider graduate rooting for the Garnets was Rye High School Athletic Director Susan Reid Dullea, who happens to be a native of Massena.
Earlier in the week, on Dec. 11, the Rivertown Legends improved to 5-0 by edging Rye in overtime. A Section 1 postseason power, the Legends are a conglomerate team made up of strong, skilled players from multiple Rivertown schools.
The Legends scored first with a clever goal from Danny Herceg, and Rye answered with a power play goal from junior defenseman Will Weinman. Rye senior Charlie Ross evened the score at 2-2 on another power play goal early in the second period.
“Owen (Fitzgibbons) came up huge for us in that second period,” Thomas said of Rye’s senior goaltender. “He made a number of really strong saves and kept us in the game.”
Thanks to an equalizer by Rye senior captain Jaime Showers with just 19 seconds remaining in the second period, the third period began with a 3-3 tie. Legends standout Herceg scored his second goal to end the game halfway through overtime.
Rye’s season opener Dec. 6 was just as challenging, a 6-2 loss to Suffern, the defending NYS Division I Champions.
Jamie Morris recorded his first varsity goal on an assist from Kim. Niejadlik added a goal on an assist from Finn Draddy, who recorded his first varsity point. Fitzgibbons made 34 saves on the night.
“We competed the entire game and carried the play five on five,” Thomas said. “Unfortunately, we got into penalty trouble, and Suffern made us pay when we were a man down.”
Rye travels to Plattsburgh for its next game at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 20.